The Balkans as a Mirror of Europe
The Balkans are often considered Europe's 'laggard.' But in sex work, it is often its mirror – rawer, less polished.
Introduction
The Balkans is a space of contradictions. Simultaneously conservative and pragmatic, traditional and improvised, deeply marked by history and forced to live with the reality of survival. Sex work has been a part of daily life in this region for decades – not necessarily as a choice, often as a necessity, but almost always as a topic not spoken of publicly.
The future of sex work in the Balkans will not be shaped in parliaments or official strategies. It will be shaped where it always is: on the ground, in digital channels, in informal networks, and in people's responses to economic pressure.
The Balkans as a Mirror of Europe
The Balkans are often considered Europe's 'laggard.' But in sex work, it is often its mirror – rawer, less polished. What happens here today will be seen elsewhere tomorrow. Not because the Balkans are an exception, but because the mechanisms are more visible here.
Conclusion
The future of sex work in the Balkans will not be ideal. But it will reveal whether Europe is ready to talk about reality without moral escape. If not, solutions will emerge outside of it.
And where the system is silent, the future will always be shaped from the bottom up – with all the risks that entails.