Foreign Influence Challenges: Corrosive Capital and Disinformation in the Western Balkans and Associated Trio
The GEO-POWER-EU project has published a report examining how foreign influence operates across the Western Balkans and the Associated Trio. The study shows that corrosive capital and disinformation take root not only through external pressure but through partnerships with domestic political patrons who invite, shape, and legitimise such influence.
Drawing on 29 investment case studies and multi-method research, the report analyses how foreign capital acquires corrosive features through opaque, politically mediated arrangements, and how disinformation is domestically produced, locally adapted, and used to shield vested interests from scrutiny. It shows that the same actors who negotiate corrosive deals often rely on disinformation to defend them, delegitimise critics, and influence public perceptions of foreign partners.
The findings underline the need for more integrated EU responses—strengthening transparency, improving oversight of foreign investment risks, and reinforcing information resilience. By linking governance vulnerabilities with patterns of narrative manipulation, the report provides a framework for addressing foreign-influence challenges in the region.