Asst. Prof. Tena Prelec joined the Seriously Balkans podcast on “Mining & Real Estate in the Balkans: Is Corrosive Capital Western Now?”
Asst. Prof. Tena Prelec, Assistant Professor at the University of Rijeka, member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), and GEO-POWER-EU researcher, joined and moderated the new Seriously Balkans podcast episode on environmental justice in the Balkans, for a discussion titled “Mining & Real Estate in the Balkans: Is Corrosive Capital Western Now?”
The episode examined projects such as Rio Tinto’s lithium venture in Serbia, the Vareš mining project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgrade Waterfront, and Velika Plaža in Montenegro. As the Western Balkans gains strategic importance for Europe’s green transition and broader investment agenda, the conversation explored the growing tensions between economic development, environmental protection, and democratic governance.
During the podcast, Asst. Prof. Tena Prelec presented findings from the GEO-POWER-EU reports, such as “Foreign Influence Challenges: Corrosive Capital and Disinformation in the Western Balkans and Associated Trio,” and the case study on Vareš mining project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting how geopolitical competition, strategic investment, and disinformation increasingly intersect within the region’s environmental and governance landscape.
Listen to the podcast here.
