Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)

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Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) is a group of policy analysts, scholars and researchers from Western Balkans and EU. ℹ️ www.biepag.eu

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.
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)
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.