Uncover the complex history, politics, and cultural tapestry of the Balkan Peninsula through conversations. As a sister podcast to the Slovak show Balkánske kroniky, Balkan Interviews brings you exclusive, English-language discussions with leading experts, political scientists, journalists, and insiders from the region and beyond.
Join host Jakub Horváth in his interviews and explore the political landscape, energy policies, economic opportunities and deep cultural and historical ties that shape this intriguing and diverse region.
Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina - a view from Banja Luka
A country with the most complex political structure in Europe (and certainly among the top five globally) is bound to have at least a "unique" electoral system. And it sure does!
In the general elections on October 4, citizens across two entities (Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and one self-governing district (Brčko) will elect three members of the joint presidency and a president for Republika Srpska; meanwhile, Croats and Bosniaks will elect not only their parliamentary deputies but also representatives for ten cantons. Yes, this state of approximately three million people will have five presidents, 14 prime ministers, 190 ministers, and 666 elected representatives.
All this is taking place against the backdrop of a crisis surrounding the near-omnipotent Office of the High Representative that, in the past, did not hesitate to alter the electoral law on election day itself.
We invite you to a fascinating discussion with political scientist Vojislav Savić from Banja Luka. We will focus not only on the upcoming elections but also on long-standing issues that particularly concern the Serb population in this unique multi-ethnic state.
21 Sept 2026
Kosovo Serbs - a nation on the edge
Despite being the largest ethnicity in the Western Balkans, the Serbs in Kosovo, their former province, make up only a small percentage of the population. Being effectively held hostage by the two hostile countries and run by two parallel systems, Kosovo Serbs have faced displacement, war and even a pogrom.
Let´s explore together the history, the failed attempts at agreements and the infamous Banjska incident with our guest, a former diplomat to Kosovo Márton Nikowitz-Holló.
links to previous episodes on the subject:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Kds2u9MBSpgy2Dc8giPH1?si=4AR1E00mRBatG7Rys-MIqw
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3N6P2z4lKDE7yRX08XC0OR?si=AxxxyS9rTBC67X19JbdiLQ
17 Sept 2026
The flamingo revolution of Albania
The Serbs are not the only ones protesting for the well-being of their country and their environment. Albanians have taken to the streets repeatedly during the past year to express their anger at the corrupt elites and the threat to their unique environment.
Join us in exploring the root causes of the protests, why they are labeled as the "flamingo revolution" and what does the Trump family have to do with the entire affair. Our guest this time is Árpád Párducz, a Hungarian expert on the Balkans.
11 Sept 2026
Serbia heads to elections
Serbia has been through one of the most serious challenges in the past decade. Years of environmental, anti-government and student protests have been difficult for the whole society and proved to be a first true challenge for the ruling SNS party and de-facto leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.
Why did Vučić announce his resignation, and how does it fit into the upcoming early elections? Learn more with Balkan Interviews and our go-to expert on Serbia, Filip Ilanković.
13 Jul 2026
Energy transition of the Western Balkans
Serbia, Bosnia, N. Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro have all been struggling to manage the recent turbulent shifts in the energy sector, made all the more difficult by the lack of a single regulated marketplace and competing visions. Military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have added unpredictability to the issues that arose from the need to de-carbonize and incoming CBAM tax system.
Join us in exploring how the various countries of the Western Balkans manage the various challenges with our latest guest Strahinja Obrenović, assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade.
Links to previous episodes on the topic:
South Interconnection in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tWTor921EmhBRyDUtVFRG?si=MQ7qEWSIQfm4xFFSypP2QA
Sanctions on Serbian oil sector:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tx2vJcFF6nLrE2Fxn8KZa?si=KytqGsuwTWy_LpFjRWk3Hg
3 Jul 2026
Kosovo - The political crisis deepens
Balkan Interviews brings you an update on the political crisis in Kosovo, which has been impacting the stability and economic (mis)fortunes of the youngest state in Europe for more then 18 months.
Our new guest Márton Nikowitz-Holló from the Balkans Institute of Hungarian Institute of International Affairs explains and explores the roots of the ongoing crises and paints a picture of what is to come.
Please join us in our latest debate on the Balkans. You may find the previous episode on crisis in Kosovo in our podcast here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zVRzZUF5xZSM42cVmXZul?si=ryWk-s3STWWzmw5RH5jrKA
4 Jun 2026
Organized crime in (from?) the Balkans
Illegal drugs, weapons and people smuggling, that is just short list of the business portfolio of Balkans-based organized crime groups that came into prevalance after the Yugoslav war in the 1990s.
How they came about, how are they operating and what are some of the most well-known cases that hit the news - we discuss all of these with our traditional expert on the Balkans from Hungary, Árpád Párducz.
4 Jun 2026
Hungarian foreign policy towards the Western Balkans
The new Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyár and his Tisza party are promising sweeping changes to Hungarian domestic and foreign policy. What was it to begin with in relation to the Western Balkans? Will Milorad Dodik and Aleksandar Vučić find new friends or foes in Budapest? What about Gruevski´s asylum? What about Beneš´s decrees?
Filip Ilanković from Hungary´s Institute of International Affairs was kind enough to answer these questions and much more, in the latest interview for The Balkan Chronicles.
Stay tuned for more current news and analyses with us!
3 Jun 2026
Serbian oil industry under sanctions
(first aired 22.11.2025)
For the latest episode in our expert interviews series we have invited Filip Ilanković to discuss the full implementation of US sanctions on key Serbian oil company NIS. Even though the sanctions had been in place since January 2025, periodic waivers have lured the Serbian government into a false sense of security. On October 9th, there would be, however, no further exemptions and the main refinery (and major employer) suddenly faces closure.
Listen and explore what the local and geopolitical causes are and what are the ways (if any) how the Serbian government can tackle this major issue, along with everything else that the country currently faces.
3 Jun 2026
Serbia at the EU´s doorstep
(first aired 2.3.2026)
In our latest interview with Filip Ilanković a Hungarian-based expert on Serbia, from Serbia, we discuss the very troubled path of Serbia towards EU membership.
Serbia´s journey has begun in 2009 and peaked in late 2010s, but has been stalled since 2022, especially because of its reluctance to sanction Russia and harsh critique of EU institutions.
Join us in our in- depth discussion and judge for yourself if Serbia should be let in or left out and why the Serbs actually don´t care that much anymore.
3 Jun 2026
The quagmire of South Interconnection gas pipeline
(first aired 19.11.2026)
Energy needs meet financial opportunities meet local and global politics in Bosnia and Hercegovina = a recipe for quagmire. This is the South Interconnection gas pipeline project that encapsulates the difficulty of implementing ideas in the country and perhaps, all the Balkans. Join our guest Árpád Párducz for a detailed discussion on the project´s background and the reasons behind its failure in the latest interview by Balkánske kroniky.
1 Jun 2026
Politics and politicians of Albania
(aired 8.10.2025
Albania, the new poster child of European accession and a staunch NATO ally definitely deserves a thorough look at its intriguing politics, which our recurring guest Árpad Párducz is happy to provide.
The country faced a difficult start in the 1990s, with hundreds of thousands being robbed of their life savings by government-sponsored Ponzi schemes. The subsequent violent unrest and UN intervention delayed its development by at least a decade and among the most prominent politicians who arose from that time of troubles was none other than Edi Rama.
More on his career and contemporary Albanian politics only at the Balkan Choricles´s latest episode.
Enjoy!
1 Jun 2026
Kosovo in political turmoil
(aired 22.9.2025)
Continuing our English language series, we take a thorough look at the ongoing political crises in Kosovo with Árpád Párdcz, a Budapest-based expert on the Western Balkans.
Since Albin Kurti´s Vetëvendosje party had failed to secure a majority at the general elections this February none has been able (or willing) to form a government, fearing a possible backlash from working with the opposition or minority parties. In the interview, we discuss how the absence of an elected government has impacted the country´s international standing, the livelyhood of its citizens and how it impacts the already strenuous situation of the Serbian minority.
Stay tuned for more expert content coming soon!
1 Jun 2026
Protests in Serbia, no end in sight
(aired 8.9.2025)
In our very first English interview, we are proud to discuss the current state of Serbian anti-government protests with Filip Ilanković, Serbian-born, Hungarian-based expert on the Balkans.
Together, we will discuss the evolution of the current protest movement, from its roots in the canopy collapse in the city of Novi Sad, through the use of sound cannon in Belgrade to its current violent iteration. We will not forget the minorities in Serbia and how the protest movement impacted them.
This will not be our last expert discussion in the English language, so stay tuned!
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