Strings Attached: How Big Powers Use Finance to Court the Western Balkans
In recent years, the Western Balkans have found themselves at the center of a strategic contest between the EU, China, Russia, and the US. Much of that contest happens behind the closed doors through grants, loans, and investment funding. What do financial flows reveal about the economic game of influence played by the Great Powers?
In this talk, Branimir Jovanović, an economist and expert on Western Balkans, is going to help us understand the financial flows coming into the Western Balkans and which strings they might pull in the political tug-of-war in the region.
At the event, you’ll learn:
- How big is the financial involvement of the EU, China, Russia, and the US in the Western Balkans
- Which conditions are tied to these funds, and how they reflect broader strategic goals
- Why countries in the region are increasingly open to Beijing’s engagement
- What this financial rivalry might mean for the region’s future—and for the EU’s role in it
The event takes place with support of Dialogbuero Vienna
🕔 June 12th, 19:00
📍 Eßlinggasse 9/6, 1010 Wien, Dialogbüro, 2nd floor
✍️ Free entry upon a sign-up: see the QR code or link in bio
🗣 Event language is English
Branimir Jovanović is Economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic studies and holds a PhD from the University of Rome. Branimir is an expert on Western Balkans and delivers research on development, inequality, EU integration, and investment. His research and policy advise serve high-level stakeholders in the region and in the EU.
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