Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks

Student Protests in SerbiaHost: Florian Bieber, BiEPAG CoordinatorGuests: Danica (anonymous based on the request of the student plenum), Faculty of Chemistry, University of BelgradeStudent (anonymous based on the request of the student plenum), Philosophical Faculty, University of BelgradeWe want to change the country, so we don’t have to leave the country, is a central theme of the thousands of students and other citizens filling the streets of Serbia. In the largest protests in Serbia and the entire region for decades, students, joined by other citizens, have been on the street for three months. In addition to commemorating the 15 victims of the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad train station, they demand that the institutions investigate the causes of the accident and publish the details that led to it. Beyond that, the protests have become a rallying point for demands for the rule of law and democracy. Florian Bieber discusses the demands, the protests themselves and the atmosphere with two student representatives from the University of Belgrade. 

Croatia’s Role in the Region: Continuity or Change? Host: Tena Prelec, BiEPAG MemberGuests: First part: Oliver Kannenberg (Research associate at IParl, Berlin) and Željko Poljak (PhD researcher and a member of the M²P, University of Antwerp)Second part: Damir Kapidžić and Jovana Marović, BiEPAG MembersCroatia often distances itself from the Western Balkans label, yet its political weight in the region is undeniable. In this episode, we unpack the country’s domestic political landscape post-presidential elections and its role in shaping key regional developments—from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s electoral reform to Montenegro’s EU accession process. Is Croatia a stabilising force, a destructive influence, a self-interested actor, or something else entirely?

How do geopolitical interests impact democracy in the Balkans?Discussing how geopolitical interest shape the democracy in the Balkans, specifically the role of economic and informal political linkages of the countries of the region and EU, but also Russia and China. Host: Damir KapidžićGuests: Milica Uvalić (Visiting Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies RSC at the European University Institute EUI in Florence Italy) and Alexander Mesarovich (Max Weber Fellow, European University Institute).

What do the results of the 2024 EU elections mean for the Western Balkans?Host: Damir Kapidžić, BiEPAG Member Guests: Dušan Reljić, Independent consultant and former Head of Brussels office for SWP and Corina Stratulat, BiEPAG Member and Associate Director and Head of the European Politics and Institutions Programme at the European Policy Centre, Brussels.

The 8th podcast episode of Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks is all about the recent repeated local and municipal elections in Serbia.BiEPAG's Member Tena Prelec discusses the topic from different aspects with two experts that have followed the situation on the ground - Tamara Branković, Deputy Programme Director at the Serbian NGO CRTA and Aleksandar Ivković, Journalist at European Western Balkans and Serbia Elects project.

The 7th episode of our BiEPAG's podcast "Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks" is all about the analysis of the elections in North Macedonia BiEPAG's Coordinator Florian Bieber is hosting the discussion on the recent presidential and parliamentary elections North Macedonia with Simonida Kacarska,Director of the European Policy Institute (EPI) - Skopje / Member of the EFB Steering Committee and Lura Pollozhani, Researcher at the University of Graz / BiEPAG Member.Listen to their analysis of the results and the prospects for the future developments and power games.#izboriMK #избори2024 #elections2024

The last episode for 2023 of the BiEPAG's podcast Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks focuses on:The results of the Serbian parliamentary, local, and provincial electionsHost: Florian BieberGuests: Tara Tepavac, Researcher at Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory at the University of Belgrade, and Nikola Burazer, Programme Director at Centre for Contemporary Politics and Executive Editor at European Western BalkansFocus on the BiEPAG policy brief Beyond Stabilitocracy. Unveiling the Rise of Autocracy in the Western Balkanswith Damir Kapidzic, Marika Djolai and Marko Kmezic, BiEPAG Members and authors of the briefCheck the brief at the following link.

Every winter the same? Air pollution in the cities of the Western BalkansHost: Florian Bieber Guests: Gorjan Jovanovski, EarthCare.ai - North Macedonia and Denis Žiško, Aarhus Centre - BiH Every winter we have the same picture – heating, traffic, heavy industry and coal fueled power plants are having harmful effects and causing increased air pollution, which is directly connected with many diseases, health problems and a reason for thousands of premature deaths. The winter season across the Western Balkans is all about the bad air quality and listing the capitals of the region among the most polluted cities in the world.Green Transition in the Western Balkans and the Role of External Actors Host: Tena Prelec Guests: BiEPAG Members Dimitar Bechev, Nikos Tzifakis, Marika Djolai, Donika Emini and Vujo Ilic.  The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group conducted a comprehensive study on the geopolitics of the green energy transition in the Western Balkans. The study is based on desk research, several detailed case studies and an opinion poll conducted between March and April 2023 in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. BiEPAG Members and experts that were involved in this research project are discussing the main findings on the Green Energy Transition in the Western Balkans and the role of external actors.