Bruno Schoch

The fact that the Balkans are still not pacified and reconciled became drastically apparent once again with the murder of the Serbian Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic. The hectic bustle in the fight against terrorism and the discussion on a war in Iraq have pushed the problems in the Balkans further out of the consciousness of the public.

Bruno Schoch explains why Europe cannot afford to disregard this trouble spot. Many are still striving for the foundation of independent nation states rooted in the idea of ethnic and cultural homogeneity. Due to the region’s history of ethnical diversity, there would as always be new ethnic minorities in any newly founded state. The dangers these ethno-nationally motivated efforts hide have been shockingly demonstrated by the massacres and persecutions over the past decade. Any secession of a state tolerated by Europe could encourage further minorities to carve out a right to state independence for themselves.

Therefore, the author pleas for the strict continuation of the stabilization policy begun in Dayton by the West. The policy is based on the preservation of existing state borders and principally on the priority of democratisation, the rule of law and the protection of minorities. This also applies to the efforts being made for the new state of Serbia and Montenegro.