Political Review

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE: CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Jana Marković — 2026-03-03

According to scientific assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, anthropogenic influence is the main driver of global warming, аs extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense. Climate change and the negative consequences that these changes entail pose a serious threat to the sustainable development that the global community strives for. Due to the negative impact on the stability of ecosystems, the sustainability of economic development, and the security of human communities, the possibility of sustainable development goals being maintained in the long term is being questioned. Understanding sustainable development as an effort to ensure that current generations meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same is becoming increasingly complex and challenging in the context of advancing climate change. Critical infrastructure that ensures the functioning of the state and society and ensures that the basic needs of the population are met is increasingly exposed to the effects of climate change, which is a particular problem given its importance. Extreme climate phenomena, land degradation, and environmental disasters are increasingly leading to serious social consequences, with critical infrastructure being extremely vulnerable. Disruptions in the supply of electricity, water, and food, the need to invest in repairing the damage caused, increased risks to the security of both the infrastructure itself and the wider environment, and reduced community resilience are just some of the consequences of endangering critical infrastructure. In light of climate challenges, investment in the protection and strengthening of the resilience of critical infrastructure must be an integral part of environmental policy, as a set of regulations and measures aimed at protecting and preserving the environment. The paper analyzes the correlation between environmental policy and the resilience of critical infrastructure from the perspective of climate change, starting from the theoretical foundations of environmental policy and the concept of resilience. Special emphasis is given to assessing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the context of climate-related natural disasters, as well as the interdependence of infrastructure systems that can lead to cascading effects and systemic disruptions. The paper examines the development of environmental policy, from its institutionalization to the contemporary global and European normative, strategic, and operational framework, including the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework, and relevant European Union policies. Through the analysis of examples of good practice from different countries, the paper highlights the importance of integrated and preventive measures in the planning, construction, and adaptation of infrastructure to climate risks. It concludes that strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure is an effective instrument for reducing risks, ensuring the uninterrupted provision of essential services, and strengthening the security and stability of society, and that it must be systematically integrated into environmental policy and sustainable development strategies.

english ENERGY SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: CHALLENGES ON THE PATH TOWARD GREEN TRANSITION

Marija Vukadinovic — 2026-04-04

Energy security, as an essential dimension of national security, is deeply intertwined with economic, social, and geopolitical dynamics and represents one of the most pressing challenges facing the Western Balkan region at both national and supranational levels. At the national level, energy security is strongly connected to political stability and economic resilience, while at the supranational level, it is tied to the region’s ongoing process of European integration. The Western Balkans face a complex and interdependent set of challenges in achieving energy security and sustainability, situated within the broader context of the European Union’s Green Deal and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. This paper examines the evolving relationship between energy security, environmental sustainability, and regional cooperation, noting how certain structural and institutional limitations within the Western Balkan countries may slow the pace of the green transition. The study identifies key vulnerabilities in national energy systems while assessing the degree of alignment with EU climate objectives and the 2050 carbon neutrality target. The findings reveal that despite modest improvements in renewable energy integration, the Western Balkan region remains highly dependent on fossil fuels, particularly coal, and vulnerable to fluctuations in energy imports, which together hinder progress toward decarbonization and long-term stability. Strengthening regional cooperation mechanisms, alongside transparent and predictable regulatory frameworks, emerges as a prerequisite for advancing both energy security and sustainability. The paper concludes that achieving the 2050 climate neutrality objective will remain highly challenging for the Western Balkans unless regional cooperation is significantly strengthened and aligned with broader European efforts.

ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOURSE OF THE MEDIA IN SERBIA

Miloš Jevtić — 2026-04-04

The authors of this paper examine the ways in which the media in Serbia have reported on environmental issues, with the aim of identifying their frequency, content structure, and dominant themes in the headlines of print newspapers and online news portals. The relevance of the selected topic is grounded in public opinion research, which has consistently demonstrated a growing level of public interest in issues related to environmental degradation. In other words, environmental problems, climate change, and energy transitions – albeit in different forms and to varying degrees – have gained increasing prominence within the Serbian public sphere. Accordingly, a content analysis was conducted on a sample of articles published in various print media outlets and online portals over the period from 2015 to 2025. The selected time frame enabled insight into the longitudinal relevance of these issues for mass media, reflected in the number of headlines, but also a better understanding of the broader ecological and economic context (the planning of mini-hydropower plant construction, air pollution, the announcement of various mining projects, etc.). The analysis is limited to headlines as the primary carriers of information, given their role in directing readers’ attention in line with their interests. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative analysis was employed in order to capture a broader range of characteristics of media discourse, such as the representation of various environmental issues, the style of reporting and its informational value and the presence of critical or sensationalist framing.

INSTITUTIONAL, STRATEGIC AND SOCIO-POLITICAL FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN POLITICAL PARTIES IN SERBIA

Igor Stojanovic — 2026-03-07

This paper examines how institutional (electoral) design, in interaction with party strategies and the broader social context, shapes the parliamentary affirmation of green political parties in Serbia. Drawing on contemporary approaches that do not interpret the development of issue-oriented parties through institutional determinism, but rather through the interplay of structural rules, strategic positioning, and social mobilization, the study analyzes the role of the proportional electoral system as one of the dominant factors of their political relevance. Particular attention is devoted to the elements of electoral engineering in Serbia—a single nationwide electoral district, the electoral threshold, the D’Hondt formula, and closed party lists—and their cumulative effects under conditions of post-transitional party competition.

The empirical analysis covers electoral processes and key reforms of electoral legislation in the period 1990–2023, with particular emphasis on the introduction of the proportional representation system in 1992. The methodology combines quantitative analysis of disproportionality and party system fragmentation (the Gallagher Index and the Effective Number of Parties Index) with qualitative analysis of coalition strategies, processes of institutionalization, and contextual social conflicts that enabled the political articulation of green issues.The findings indicate that the proportional electoral system in Serbia provides structural opportunities for the entry of green political parties into parliament, but that their sustained parliamentary relevance depends on the ability of green actors to strategically consolidate support and politically articulate social and environmental conflicts. The paper thus demonstrates that the rise of green actors is the result of the interaction between institutional rules, their quantitative effects, and strategic agency within a specific social context.

“AN OGRE AT OUR DOORSTEP” – CAN THE RUSSIAN THREAT UNITE EUROPE?

Nikola Preradović — 2026-03-07

When French President Emmanuel Macron extravagantly compared Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his policies to an evil mythological creature, an “ogre on Europe’s doorstep,” he reflected the perception, prevalent in many European capitals, of an aggressive and expansionist Russia that threatens the security of the entire continent. The idea of an acute Russian threat has become the guiding star of the accelerated militarization of European Union (EU) member states and attempts to improve common defense capabilities. The initial impetus for such a development was the war in Ukraine, which was presented by advocates of greater integration and autonomy in the defense sector as a potential turning point for European security, but also as a kind of Copernican twist that would bring the long-standing fantasy of European strategic autonomy, independent of the changing priorities of the United States, closer to reality. The aim of this paper is to reexamine the assumption about the role of the war in Ukraine in two main ways. First, it questions the very credibility of the idea of a Russian threat that threatens the entire continent. Second, it points out that Moscow's actions, due to different perceptions of the threat and divergent interests, do not cause the same degree of concern among all EU states. The main hypothesis of the paper is that emphasizing the Russian threat is insufficient to establish a cohesive, unified approach among EU states to defense and security issues. Relying on the assumptions of the balance of threat theory to inform decisions on balancing and balancing interests to reflect divergent interests within the EU, the paper points out the challenges faced by a community of sovereign states when it must behave as a great power in an anarchic international system.

EUROPEAN UNION’S JUSTIFICATION OF MILITARISATION THROUGH THE CONCEPT OF STRATEGIC PEACE

Uroš Popadić — 2026-04-04

The article examines how the European Union’s post-2022 security approach and discourse redefine the meaning of peace through the emergence of what is conceptualised in the paper as strategic peace. Building on critical peace scholarship, the article argues that strategic peace represents a discursive synthesis of peace and deterrence, in which peace is no longer understood as the opposite of militarization but as something sustained through it. Through a content analysis of major EU strategies and the discourse within them, the article shows how Russia was framed as an existential threat to European stability despite its arguably limited direct military risk, legitimizing increased defense spending, NATO expansion, and thus a further militarization of the EU. This reframing of peace allows EU member states to militarize while maintaining a positive self-image of normative peacefulness, presenting military spending and strategic alignment as peace-preserving. Strategic peace is conceptualized as a broader transformation from liberal, cooperative notions of peace toward a deterrence-based understanding that normalizes militarization as necessary for European peace and security.

FROM GEOPOLITICAL TO ASTROPOLITICAL TENSIONS: HOW ESCALATING RIVALRIES SHAPE THE SPACE STRATEGIES OF THE UNITED STATES, RUSSIA, AND CHINA

Milica Šljivančanin — 2026-03-10

This paper analyzes the transformation of outer space from a domain of scientific exploration into a space of intense geopolitical competition among leading global powers. The aim of the study is to determine how heightened geopolitical tensions in the period from 2014 to 2024 have influenced the redefinition of the space strategies of the United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the People’s Republic of China. Through a comparative analysis of the space strategies of these states, the paper addresses the question of how outer space is becoming an arena in which technological advancement, military power, and ideological influence intersect and compete. The research is based on a combination of geopolitical and astropolitical theoretical frameworks, applying the realist paradigm of international relations and a threefold methodological approach that includes comparative analysis, content analysis of official strategic documents, and theoretical–interpretative analysis. Particular attention is devoted to examining how space exploration technologies are becoming instruments of both soft and hard power, while the boundary between their civilian and military use is gradually eroding. The results of the study indicate that although the United States continues to maintain a dominant position thanks to long-term investments and institutional infrastructure, the growing ambitions of China and Russia’s attempts to revitalize its space programs signal a process of the multipolarization of space. In conclusion, outer space is emerging as one of the key arenas of future geopolitical conflicts, but also as a field for redefining international relations and security paradigms in the twenty-first century.

EURASIAN GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BALKAN PENINSULA AS A FRAMEWORK FOR GEOPOLITICAL PROCESSES

Demir Mujević — 2026-03-10

The Balkans’ geographic position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa makes it a key geopolitical hub. The subject of this paper is the analysis of the Eurasian geographical characteristics of the Balkan Peninsula and their repercussions on the geopolitics of major world powers (USA, Russia, EU, China) and powerful regional actors in the Balkan Peninsula, without a detailed examination of the individual and mutual geopolitical relations of the Balkan countries themselves. Through the lens of balkanization, this study investigates how geographical and political differences in the Balkans shape its history and contemporary geopolitical relations. Some of the historical geopolitical processes that dominantly shaped the Balkans include the influence of the Ottoman Empire and the breakup of Yugoslavia. Contemporary geopolitical processes in the Balkans, with a focus on NATO and EU integration, demonstrate how geographical features and the strategic interests of major powers (especially the USA and Russia) shape the region. At the end, the possibilities for preserving stability, fostering further connections, and shaping the region’s perspective are considered, which are directly related to the Balkans’ geographical and strategic position in the Eurasian context.

UNDER THE LENS OF TIME: THE CULTURE OF SPORT IN THE POSTMODERN ERA

Zoran D. Nedeljković — 2025-11-25

In this study, the author, drawing on relevant literature and employing a comparative-historical method, analyzes sporting events across different cultural and historical periods. The text examines the relationship between sport, culture, and time in the context of the postmodern era, with particular emphasis on distinguishing physical, social, and technological time.It is shown that in the era of global technological acceleration, sport has become a mirror of contemporary society, which evaluates individuals based on records, results, and media exposure, rather than the virtue and spirit of the game advocated by the ancient Greek Olympians. Unlike them, the modern athlete becomes a media hero and a magnet for the global entertainment industry, representing a continuation of the Roman circus tradition in a postmodern form. Drawing on Spengler’s theory of the cycles of culture and civilization, the author demonstrates that modern (mass) man, from the industrial age to the present, has lost a sense of historical duration, living in ahistorical time, trapped in the “cage” of the present moment. This phenomenon is also reflected in sport, which increasingly loses its original meaning. Technological progress and media spectacularization condition the gradual disappearance of sport’s humanistic dimension.

ОД СТАТУСА КА УГОВОРУ: БИОПОЛИТИКА МОДЕРНОГ БРАКА И ГРАНИЦЕ ДРЖАВНЕ ИНТЕРВЕНЦИЈЕ У РЕПУБЛИЦИ СРБИЈИ

Bogdana M Stjepanović — 2026-04-05

The adoption of Family Law in Serbia in 2005 marks a fundamental change in how the state governs domestic life. By introducing the marriage contract, the state embraced neoliberal individualism, transferring regulatory power to private actors while maintaining institutional oversight through notary procedures. This movement functions as a biopolitical mechanism that integrates market logic into the private sphere, eroding the collective protective mechanisms characteristic of the socialist era. Despite the formal emphasis on freedom of contract, structural barriers continue to undermine equality between spouses. Moving beyond the myth of absolute autonomy, this study identifies a persistent “dilemma of choice” shaped by ideological illusions and gender-sensitive power imbalances. Through critical discourse analysis, the paper demonstrates how the neoliberal framework rebrands systemic economic risks as individual responsibilities, leaving the socio-economically weaker spouse vulnerable. The Serbian family thus remains at a critical crossroads, caught between persistent patriarchal frameworks and the atomizing pressures of globalized neoliberalism.

BETWEEN MULTICULTURAL AND INTERCULTURAL CONCEPTS: EDUCATION FOR MEMBERS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES IN SERBIA

Danijela Nenadić — 2025-12-28

Education for members of national minorities represents one of the most important topics in contemporary political theory with a specific attention dedicated to concepts of multiculturalism and interculturalism as reality in most of ethnically diverse societies. In such societies, the protection of minority rights becomes a key indicator of democratic maturity, integration and social cohesion, which makes education a crucial factor for accomplishing and maintaining political stability. Albeit the fact that there is no universal model of successful education for national minorities, high level of international standards and mechanisms guide the preservation of linguistic and cultural rights of minorities. At the theoretical level, liberal political thought views education as a form of soft power essential for democratic development. Interculturalism is often seen as a dynamic exchange between cultures and thus, more effective than sole multicultural coexistence, as it requires genuine dialogue, acceptance and solidarity. In the past 25 years, Republic of Serbia has developed a unique legal and institutional framework for minority protection and for the preservation of education for minorities through domestic legislation, ratification of international documents and special institutional mechanisms. Despite this, challenges in implementation remain, highlighting the need for continues policy improvement to ach ieve the proclaimed ideal of interculturalism. Contemporary theorists such as Kymlicka, Talyor and Bennett emphasize the crucial role of education in safeguarding collective identity, language and culture, as well as fostering interethnic dialogue and social cohesion. The main aim of modern debates is to reach the fine line and find a balance between minority identity preservation and integration into wider society, navigating between multicultural and intercultural models. The system designed in Serbia offers three different models of minority education: full instruction in minority language, instruction in Serbian with minority language and culture as subjects and bilingual education (in Serbian and minority language). The first model prevails in practice, but faces various obstacles and challenges, such as lack of qualified teachers, textbook, financial resources and complex procedures. In Serbia (and in many other Western Balkan countries) educational reforms reflect a gradual shift from ethnocentric models toward intercultural approaches. Educational policies are designed to cultivate solidarity and understanding, reduce ethnic distance and strengthen the feeling of belonging. Overall, the paper underscores that quality minority education is indispensable for democratic governance, successful diversity management and societal stability. It argues that the way forward for Serbia is within strengthening intercultural educational policies and practical implementation, with the main aim of upholding identity differences while promoting shared belonging and inclusive citizenship. The paper is primarily based on a theoretical approach and a descriptive analysis of relevant scientific literature, statutory and bylaw acts, as well as research in the field of public education and national minorities.

YUGOSLAV AIR TRANSPORT

Dubravka Stajić — 2026-04-05