Merkel and Macron today want to instill in Berlin between the Western Balkan countries. Topic: a possible exchange of territory between Serbia and Kosovo. This is to be avoided, says Christian Schwarz-Schilling.
Some of the hardened scoffers can’t hide from the Balkans-conference of their programmatic boredom. Your sayings are always the same formulas, makes your content more interesting.
But sometimes there are events in which we suddenly see a new action potential age issues leave. And such an event can lead to a completely unexpected Momentum of the story and a new Chapter of joint future.
The Balkan conference in Berlin on 29. April could be anything. Why is that? Never before has the two most important, largest and geographically the nearest to the Balkan Nations of Europe, Germany and France addressed a joint invitation to the leaders of the Western Balkans, to discuss openly and responsibly to our common future. If we look in our past, we look at the 20. A century in the abyss, and disasters, which exceed all imagination in our story. Endless harm has been done to our people and other peoples.
Since the mid-20th century. Century, we strive to be in Europe with varying degrees of success, the reasons, and political reasons for the so-inhuman epoch and for the future of a continent, which guarantees the citizens ‘ inalienable rights against the state. At the same time, this continent has been set by the Integration of the individual Nations in the European Union to maintain in order to remain in the age of globalisation compared to the other continents and major powers to survive economically and culturally capable. This effort has led in Europe to a voluntary merger in parliamentary democracies, in the history of mankind is unique and has led to great Successes.
Exceptionalism Yugoslavia
The political collapse of the Soviet Empire, the consequence is, that no Empire, no ideological System, not a dictatorship by a lie, falsification of history, power, propagation, and enslavement of the people can prevail against the idea of freedom. So the idea of freedom in the Soviet Union rushed to the former East Germany, to Eastern Europe to Central and East Asia. It brought together the two German parts to reunification without violence. Our freedom and our safety was secured by Nato, the powerful euro-Atlantic Alliance.
Only the former Yugoslavia was another calamitous own way. The then leader of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milošević, who wanted to lead in Belgrade to continue even after the failure of the Communist idea, in a dictatorial way, use a new ideology of the rule of the Serbian ethnic group over all others in the Balkans. From both regions, hundreds of thousands flocked already refugees to Europe and the world, so that the war for the stability of the West and the East, was inevitable.
The removal of the tyrants and their accomplices could make way for the new, independent States in the Balkans. Now the population of the Western Balkans waiting to get their Chance also to Europe.
Bosnia more fragile
Milorad Dodik, the current President of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has an entity, namely Republika Srpska, in its grip, has been threatening for years to make those of Bosnia-Herzegovina to secede and a state of their own.
In this effort he works closely with the nationalist party of the Croats (HDZ), in which he was their leader, Dragan Čović, in his attempt, a 3. To create entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, to split the Federation, actively supports. Here is the goal, those regions of the Federation, which is majority populated by Croats, is to be added to, in the long term, Croatia. Nationalists in Croatia to fight in the European Parliament, and in Croatia itself, for such a goal.
What is happening there, the West must not play down as “rhetoric”, but he must act in this Situation yourself. Where the notes of the highest European politicians and institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina are not observed, must be provided in accordance with the Dayton agreement, the International community intervenes accordingly.
Also, some time ago, negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo must under no circumstances lead to ethnic points of view to new boundaries. You want to wait for thousands of refugees, as in the year 1999? After all the experiences such proposals must be placed to the “ethnic cleansing” ad acta.
Berlin conference on the Balkans, a brave step
Ambitions of individual ethnic groups after further cleavage in the Region of the Western Balkans according to “ethnic” categories, must be excluded for the future to all cases, because the wars of the 1990s in this Region must not be repeated.
The aforementioned points also affect the future of the rest of the neighboring countries of the Western Balkans such as Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro. Here you must see the Region as a whole and not in isolation to think and act. The rule of law in the countries of the Western Balkans must be a priority.
Finally, let me make a strong appeal to you, Madam Federal Chancellor, and you, President of Macron: Bring your bold step to this conference on the Western Balkans in Berlin with the determination and ability to act, in a good way. Take your and our opportunity with this conference for the whole of Europe! You can make for the people in the Western Balkans, but also for us in Europe, an important contribution to a secure and peaceful future.
Prof. Dr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling was from 1982 to 1992, the Federal Minister for Post and telecommunications. In Protest against the attitude of the Federal government in the Bosnian war, he resigned from the Ministerial post. In 2006/07, he served as the High representative and European Union special representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina.