How to do Organized Crime and Corruption Right! — An Introduction
I am going to be writing about an interesting little corner of the world, a region called the Balkans. More specifically the Western Balkans, and even more specifically the non-EU portion of the former Yugoslavian countries plus Albania. Therefore, the specific countries I’ll be talking about are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (note that there is some dispute as to whether Kosovo is technically a country on not), Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia. In actuality, I’ll be writing mostly about Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, those being the places I am the most familiar with, but the other countries will be included as needed.
Why should you care about anything I have to say about the Balkans? I can think of three main reasons:
1. First of all, a lot of the totally insane antics that go on here are incredibly interesting, shocking and hard to believe. In other words, if I do this right, it should just be fun to read about.
2. Secondly, the Balkans are a cautionary tale and a warning to the rest of the world. The stuff that goes on here doesn’t have to happen, if such a thing as “The Rule of Law” actually existed here, if the politicians who run these machines took their oaths of office seriously, if the international community (I’m looking straight at you EU,US, UK, UN and OSCE) actually pressured the governments here to toe-the-line, if the people who have chosen to stay here weren’t so beaten down and bereft of hope, the Balkans could be an amazing place — in a good way. Finally, the things that go on here can and will go on in your little corners of the world (and to an extent probably already are) if you don’t make sure they don’t.
3. Finally, word needs to get out about what is going on here, the news is generally covered locally (though usually through the lens of the pro-state media), the “big stories” make the international news occasionally, and there are totally awesome investigative reporters at such places as OCCRP, KRIK and others who do report what is going on but more needs to be done to shine a light on the dark corners and open some hidden doors, so that’s what I’m going to try to do.
Why do I care? Because I am interested in Organized Crime and Corruption and shocked by what I’ve seen in the Balkans. Because when I first came here, before I began to research these issues and before I know what I know now, I loved the Balkans. It is a beautiful place with a rich history and it’s filled with a lot of lovely people who, for the most part, deserve better than their lot in life. As you read the articles to come, please remember that. You’re going to read a lot of bad stuff about a lot of bad people, but they are small minority of the people here.
