As geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, and environmental crises intensify, how is Europe—and particularly the Western Balkans—positioned within these global transformations? This panel will examine the broader implications of today’s disruptions for democracy, governance, and socio-economic stability.
From shifting global power dynamics to deepening inequalities and the struggle for just transitions, the discussion will explore how regional actors navigate uncertainty, resist extractive models, and shape alternative futures. What strategies can small and peripheral states employ to maintain democratic resilience? How can societies respond to economic and environmental pressures without reinforcing existing divisions? By addressing these pressing questions, the panel will provide insights into the Western Balkans’ role in shaping Europe’s future at a time of profound transformation.
This event is organized within the framework of ongoing cooperation between the IWM and the Center for Advanced Study of Southeastern Europe at the University of Rijeka.
Participants:
Sanja Bojanić, Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe at the University of Rijeka
Gazela Pudar Draško, Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Petar Bojanić, President of the Regional Network of Centers for Advanced Studies in Southeast Europe (RECAS)
Hedvig Morvai, Executive Director, Europe and Democracy at ERSTE Foundation
Ognjen Kojanić, RECAS Postdoctoral Fellow
Safet Kubat, RECAS Postdoctoral Fellow
Olimpija Hristova Zaevska, RECAS Postdoctoral Fellow
Emina Bužinkić, RECAS Postdoctoral Fellow
Srđan Đurović, Research Associate at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Tara Tepavac, Research Associate at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Misha Glenny, IWM Rector
Ludger Hagedorn, IWM Permanent Fellow
Ivan Vejvoda, IWM Permanent Fellow
UNIRI The Moise Palace: Cres Island
An education center of the University of Rijeka. A five-hundred-year-old patrician townhouse and the largest Renaissance palace on the Croatian islands. A venue and forum for various scientific and research activities, it welcomes visiting academics, students and scholars.
