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Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, Episode 5
Ep. 5
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Every winter the same? Air pollution in the cities of the Western Balkans
Host: 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.
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16. Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 16
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15. Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 15
27:22||Ep. 15What the new German Government means for the Balkans?Host: Florian Bieber, BiEPAG Coordinator Guests: Frauke Seebass,Visiting Fellow, SWP & Associate Researcher, DGAP and Adi Ćeramagić, Senior Analyst, ESIThe new German government of Friedrich Merz announced in its coalition agreement that it would prioritize reforms over enlargement. What this means for the Western Balkans and how the new government is expected to handle the key challenges in the region, from the mass protests in Serbia to the political crisis in Bosnia is the topic of Seriously Balkans.
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 14
31:51|Kosovo’s 2025 Parliamentary Elections and the Shifting Geopolitical LandscapeHost: Damir Kapidžić, member of BiEPAG Guests: Donika Emini, member of BiEPAG and Gëzim Krasniqi, Lecturer at the University of EdinburghOn February 9th, 2025, Kosovo held Parliamentary elections, the first after a full government term since independence. Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s party, which previously won a landslide victory, secured around 40% of the vote this time, making a coalition government likely. Kurti’s tenure has been marked by tense relations with Belgrade, as well as a complicated dynamic with the EU and the US. What can we expect from a possible second term for Kurti, and how will the rise of a new, more aggressive US foreign policy under President Trump impact its relation towards Kosovo and the Western Balkans? What is the role of the EU and will it be able to step up its commitment towards Kosovo? To unpack the election results and their broader implications, we are joined by Gëzim Krasniqi, Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, and Donika Emini, a member of BiEPAG. Tune in for a deep dive into Kosovo’s evolving political landscape.
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 13
27:32|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.
12. Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 12
26:59||Ep. 12Croatia’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?11. Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 11
32:20||Ep. 11How 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).
Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 10
26:53|BiEPAG's Coordinator Florian Bieber is hosting his guests Majda Ruge (Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR Berlin) and Milan Krstić (Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, Belgrade) to discuss the possible implications of the results of the U.S. Elections 2024 and the incoming Donald Trump presidency for the Western Balkans, with special focus to his first nominations for key foreign posts.
9. Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 9
18:51||Ep. 9What 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.Seriously Balkans - The BiEPAG Talks, episode 8
23:37|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.