Besa Luci in conversation with Aida Hozić and Aidan Hehir. 

In this first episode, we will be talking about political discourses and narratives about the region — how they're constructed, how they relate to political reality, who gets to shape them, and finally, how these narratives end up shaping the region.

Since the end of the Yugoslav wars, the dominant frameworks applied to the region have been international development and peace and conflict studies — there's been a focus on reconciliation, transition to democracy, and so forth. But such frameworks are being increasingly criticized, particularly as there seems to be a fundamental conflict between local agency and the international community’s efforts to control these processes.

One example of this is the EU’s political strategy toward the Western Balkans, which is often described as arbitrary or even hypocritical in nature. The question of whether Brussels is genuinely committed to the region's EU accession is more pertinent than ever. Critics argue that the EU-accession process is now just half-hearted lip-service meant to simply contain and placate the people of the Western Balkans.

"Enlargement fatigue" is without a doubt taking place, particularly given the divided attention of EU officials, who are dealing with the rise of semi-authoritarian regimes inside the bloc, the ongoing economic and energy crises, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and now Israel's war on Gaza.

The international media and academia also play a role in shaping how we understand and engage in such discussions. All too often, their narratives tend to disregard local experiences and local voices.    

Two guests join us to discuss the interplay of political narratives and practices that take place between the international community and the region. 

Aida Hozić is a scholar originally from Sarajevo who writes and teaches about international politics at the University of Florida. Her research is situated at the intersection of feminist political economy, cultural studies and international security. 

Aidan Hehir is a Reader in International Relations at the University of Westminster. His research interests include transitional justice, humanitarian intervention and statebuilding in the Balkans. 

This podcast is part of the Human Rightivism project, which is funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Prishtina, implemented by the Community Development Fund through its Human Rightivism Program. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Embassy of Sweden in Prishtina.

Other Talking Points is produced by Besa Luci, Aulonë Kadriu.

Music and sound mix by PUG musik.