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- 4 days ago47 min
Mining & Real Estate in the Balkans: Is Corrosive Capital Western now?
There are growing tensions around mining, environmental justice, and large-scale investment projects in the Western Balkans. As the region becomes increasingly important for Europe’s green transition and real estate development, local communities are raising concerns about environmental degradation, opaque decision-making, and the weakening of democratic safeguards.The episode explores cases ranging from Rio Tinto’s lithium project in Serbia and the Vareš mining project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Belgrade Waterfront and Velika Plaža in Montenegro, asking how these projects reshape local governance and public trust — and whether corrosive forms of capital are no longer associated only with non-Western actors.The discussion features Vedran Džihić (Senior Researcher at OIIP and BiEPAG member), Barbara Frey (MSCA PF Fellow at the University of Rijeka), and Iliriana Gjoni (Research Analyst at Carnegie Europe), and is moderated by Tena Prelec (Assistant Professor at the University of Rijeka and BiEPAG member).Referenced reports:Džihić, V. and Kmezić, M., "Mining in the Western Balkans: How to counter authoritarian extractivism?", BiEPAG, March 2026. https://www.biepag.eu/publication/mining-in-the-western-balkans-how-to-counter-authoritarian-extractivismGjoni, I. et al. "Rules or Deals? The EU’s Challenge in Regulating Corrosive Capital in the Western Balkans", Carnegie Europe, December 2025. https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/research/2025/12/rules-or-deals-the-eus-challenge-in-regulating-corrosive-capital-in-the-western-balkansPrelec, T. et al., “Foreign Influence Challenges: Corrosive Capital and Disinformation in the Western Balkans and Associated Trio”, GEO-POWER-EU, November 2025. https://geo-power.eu/portfolio/item/d3-3-i-foreign-influence-challenges-corrosive-capital-and-disinformation-in-the-western-balkans-and-associated-trio/Bassuener, K. et al., “The Vareš Mining Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Case Study of Corrosive Capital in an Already Corroded Political Economy”, GEO-POWER-EU, April 2026. https://geo-power.eu/news/d3-3-i-the-vares-mining-project-in-bosnia-and-herzegovina-a-case-study-of-corrosive-capital-in-an-already-corroded-political-economy/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago32 min
A Change in Hungary: What does this mean for relations to the Balkans?
On April 12th, 2026, parliamentary elections in Hungary resulted in a landslide victory for the opposition Tisza party of Peter Magyar, ousting the incumbent Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party after 16 years in government. The Hungarian elections were closely followed by media outlets throughout Southeast Europe. The change in government will greatly impact all countries of the region, especially in terms of support for illiberal and autocratic leaders who have so far enjoyed a warm welcome in Budapest. The discussion features Eszter Kováts, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Vienna, and Zsolt Kerner, journalist at 24.hu, and is moderated by Damir Kapidžić, BiEPAG member. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Feb 27, 202629 min
The Student Protest Movement in Serbia: What does the Future hold?
More than a year of protests, resistance and demonstrations have confronted the authoritarian rule of Aleksandar Vučić. This episode of Seriously Balkans reflects on the status of the resistance, the prospects for democratic change and the options for the European Union. While the main protests have subsided, Serbia remains in a permanent state of emergency. This is no longer controlled by the regime, which is confronted with local acts of resistance and a mobilised population. It remains unclear when, or whether, elections will be held in 2026; a return to the unconditional dominance of the ruling SNS seems unlikely. The authors of the BiEPAG policy brief “Lessons from the 2024–25 Protests”, Nikola Burazer, Marina Vulović, and Jelena Vasiljević, present their key findings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Jan 19, 202638 min
The Western Balkans under Trump
In 2025 we saw fractures emerging in the transatlantic alliance as the second Trump administration pushed a new foreign policy vision focused on a sovereigntist understanding of spheres of influence. Repeatedly Europe, and foremost the European Union, have been sidelined as partners and often depicted as adversaries. We explore the implications of this emerging transatlantic rift on the countries and region of the Western Balkans. The discussion features Eszter Kováts, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Vienna, and Biljana Kotevska, journalist at 24.hu, and is moderated by Damir Kapidžić, BiEPAG member. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Dec 31, 202527 min
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 20
Dayton at 30: Bosnia’s Post-War GenerationThis year marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Since then, a whole generational change has happened, but in terms of constitutional arrangements they have remained frozen for three decades.2025 has seen a lot of reflections on this topic, but we are going to explore it from a different angle. Today we’re talking about what “Dayton” means for young people in the country, those who were born after the war of the 1990s ended.Host: Damir Kapidžić, BiEPAG memberGuests:Tahir Herenda, Teaching assistant at the Law Faculty, University of SarajevoNikolina Lozo, Teaching assistant at the Law Faculty, PIM University Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Dec 19, 202533 min
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 19
The Predicament of Media and Press Freedom in the BalkansDuring 2025, press freedom and independent journalism have come under sustained attack. The war in Ukraine, the genocide in Western Asia, and the political rise of extremist parties have all contributed to the erosion of one of the core pillars of democratic societies.In the Balkans, governments with increasingly authoritarian tendencies have for years exerted pressure on non-aligned media, disregarding the very European standards they are expected to uphold as EU candidate states.USAID - the U.S. agency that supported journalists and media organizations worldwide — has been shut down by President Donald Trump. Voice of America has not updated its homepage since March. Radio Free Europe faces a severe funding crisis. N1 and Nova TV continue to operate under intense political pressure. And in July, the region’s largest media outlet, Al Jazeera Balkans, abruptly closed without a clear explanation.So, is media pluralism in the Balkans under attack? And what does escalating political pressure mean for journalists - and for the public?Host: Giorgio Fruscione, BiEPAG member I Italian institute for international political studiesGuests:Lejla Mazlić, Communication and Engagement Lead and former Al Jazeera Balkans Slobodan Georgiev, News Director at TV Nova S Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Dec 11, 202537 min
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 18
A Change in Republika Srpska?Host: Damir Kapidžić, BiEPAG memberGuests: Dženeta Karabegović, Associate Professor at the University of Salzburg, and Vedran Džihić, a member of BiEPAGThis episode reflects on developments that have been keeping Bosnia and Herzegovina on edge. In the past year, the longtime leader of Bosnian Serbs and president of the ruling SNSD party, Milorad Dodik, was sentenced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was sentenced to one year in prison, a sentence he commuted, removed from the office of President of Respublika Srpska, a subnational entity of BiH, and barred from holding public office for six years. He still disputes the sentence, even I though it is final. Since then, early elections were held in RS to fill his vacated, which were won by Siniša Karan, Dodik’s chosen successor. The shifting dynamics of the transatlantic alliance and general elections scheduled for October 2026 for their complicate the situation. To what all of this means and if we can expect a change in RS and for BiH? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Nov 6, 202533 min
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 17
Kosovo on the Edge: Democracy, Deadlock, and GeopoliticsIt’s been an eventful year in Kosovo. New general elections are a possible scenario while the country is still navigating local elections, with the first round on 12 October and the second round expected on 9 November.In this episode, we unpack what’s at stake:· Can Kosovo’s institutions hold under pressure?· What does the return of Serbs in the four northern municipalities mean?· How do we move on from a year marked by political crises, and what’s at stake for the future?Hosted by Donika Emini – BiEPAG member🎙 Guests:• Ilir Deda, Senior Research Fellow at KIPRED & Europe’s Futures Fellow• Jovana Radosavljević, Executive Director of New Social Initiative Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks is a podcast series that offers an in-depth analysis and background information to current events in the Balkans, as well as discussions with leading policy analysts on important new studies.Seriously Balkans is your regular update on what matters in the region, produced by the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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