PUBLICATION: Analysis
The Crime-Politics Nexus Entrapping The Balkans
We are presenting you the Dossier on organized crime in the Balkans, produced in cooperation between the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) and Belgrade Centre for Security Policy.
In some of the countries of the Western Balkans, criminal groups and political elites have grown increasingly interdependent. In particular, Serbia’s and Montenegro’s societies have suffered the most from these links. The two countries have long been considered frontrunners in the EU integration process, whose final completion, however, is difficult to foresee. Similarly, Albania’s EU negotiating process has also been delayed for years, in part because of the country’s role in global drug trafficking schemes. The crime-politics nexus is contributing to the erosion of the rule of law in several Balkan countries, where the risk – or reality – of state capture is increasingly worrisome. In light of recent events, Serbia appears to be the most concerning case as its authoritarian drift currently seems hard to reverse. Which consequences does the situation in Serbia have on other Balkan countries? What impact does state capture have on regional stability? And what is changing for the region’s integration prospects with the EU?
Edited by Giorgio Fruscione and Bojan Elek.
The Fight against Organized Crime in the Balkans: The EU’s Push and Pull
By Bojan Elek
Much More than a Captured State: Top Serbian Institutions Scandals
By Giorgio Fruscione
Fighting Organized Crime in a Captured State: Is Serbia’s “War on Mafia” Genuine?
By Jelena Pejić Nikić
The Regional Dimension of a Montenegro’s Local Feud
By Bojana Jovanović
An unexpected cooperation: Albanians and Serbs “Affairs” in Kosovo
By Ivana Jeremić
Albania’s Key Position in Global Drug Trafficking
By Fatjona Mejdini
Beyond Football: The Power of Balkans’ Hooligans
By Loic Tregoures
Tags: balkans, Organised crime, security
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