Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks

The episode discusses the mass protests in Albania against the development of Sazan Island and the cost in Southern Albania by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Since, the protest movement has turned to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Edi Rama and the opposition leader Sali Berisha. It explores the causes, the Prime Minister's response, and the potential role of the EU. Quickly, the movement has become the largest civic protest in Albania in decades, reflecting a broader dissatisfaction the dominant political and economic system. 

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/

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.

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. 

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.

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