Eurasia vs the Balkans: a comparison between two economic blocs

The aim of this article is to show the strong economic dependence of Eurasian countries on Russia. The process of economic union is one last step in a deep relationship between these countries and Russia, and represents a driving force of this geopolitical Janus. The Economic Union has the potential to become a powerful geo-economic actor. Analysing data drawn from two macroeconomic variables – remittances and trade (imports and exports) in 2013-2014 – we will show that Moscow leads and promotes economic development across the entire Eurasian bloc. The Balkans situation, in contrast, remains fluid and very uncertain: the Balkans represent a specific geo-political area, albeit outside the context of a specific geo-political bloc, but they are still highly connected to certain European Union countries, failing to establish strong trade flows within the region. This represents a risk that could lead the Balkans to become an EU periphery instead of being a geo-political actor on the world scenario.