Dr. Tena Prelec and Dr. Sonja Stojanović Gajić Share Insights on Corruption and Foreign Influence at the European Parliament Library
On 20 May 2025, Dr. Tena Prelec and Dr. Sonja Stojanović Gajić participated in a high-level event at the European Parliament Library in Brussels to present Dr. Prelec’s co-authored new book and findings from the GEO-POWER-EU project. The session was hosted by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Vladimir Prebilič and featured a follow-up discussion with staff from the European Commission.
In her opening address, Dr. Tena Prelec examined the consequences of unregulated foreign investment, citing the recent collapse of the Novi Sad railway as a stark reminder of the risks posed by opaque financial dealings. Drawing from her new co-authored book Indulging Kleptocracy: How the West Enables and Sustains Corruption Around the World (with Dr. John Heathershaw and Tom Mayne), she unpacked the role of Western lawyers, bankers, and consultants in facilitating the global movement of illicit wealth. Dr. Prelec made the case for acknowledging the European Union’s complex position as both an enabler of and potential counterforce to transnational corruption.
Following this, Dr. Sonja Stojanović Gajić presented findings from the GEO-POWER-EU project. Her presentation focused on the concept of corrosive capital, foreign funding that takes advantage of weak institutions in countries across the EU’s eastern neighbourhood and the Western Balkans. She emphasised the need for proactive safeguards and transparency mechanisms to prevent democratic backsliding linked to such financial influence.
Together, Dr. Prelec and Dr. Stojanović Gajić advocated for the development of “accountability ecosystems”, networks that bring together policymakers, scholars, and investigative journalists to strengthen oversight and uphold democratic standards across borders.
Learn more about Indulging Kleptocracy (Oxford University Press, 2025):
🔗 https://bit.ly/443Boxu
Learn more about GEO-POWER-EU:
🔗 https://geo-power.eu/