The lecture Western Balkans Inc. deals with the emerging paradigm of the six Western Balkans countries that, while appearing peripheral and on the margins of the European Union appear also to be central to external influence. The lecture will explore the origins of the strong externalization that characterizes the political orientation in all six of the countries and the interplay between the external influences of the different actors on examples from economy, politics and sports. While the lecture focuses on what is now usually branded as a "geopolitical" approach to the region it decidedly rejects such a branding criticizing its overuse. Instead, the lecture will focus on specific ways in which actors such as Russia, the United States and the European Union influence specific outcomes in the six Western Balkans states.
Nedim Hogic is a legal scholar and consultant focused on issues of comparative public law, in particular anti-corruption interventions. He has worked in the region of Southeastern Europe as an advisor to international organizations and political parties. He holds an LLM from Harvard Law School and Ph.D. from Sant' Anna School of Advanced Studies. Currently, he is working on a book on judicial anti-corruption campaigns in Italy, Brazil and Romania.