Assessment And Discussion Of The Role And Influence Of Europe In The Balkans

Assessment and Discussion of the Role and influence of Europe in the Balkans

Author: Mario Salgado F.
E-mail: mariosalgadof@hotmail.com
marioandres.salgado@sciences-po.fr

Role and influence of Europe in the Balkans
It is pointed out that the era of post-modernity begins with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, when highlighting the triumph of peace in the world with the end of the ColdWar. However, paradoxically, there is an area in Europe where the opposite happened: the Balkans. At that time, the European part of the Balkans was synonymous of internal fragmentation, division and violence. However, this place is still part of Europe, which is the world's most developed continent in general terms, therefore the ultimate powers of the developed Europe decided to take action forthe revitalization of the Balkans. What happened in the Balkans that the developed world have concern for them? In the early 90's began in the Balkans a decade marked by acts of war. This situation took place eleven years after the death of former leader of Yugoslavia, Tito, who ruled for the past forty years. The factors that triggered the situation were internal wars between the republics ofthe Yugoslav Federation (which shows the crisis in the federal system) and the resurgence of violent an exclusive nationalisms. That's when Europe put its eyes in the direction of the Balkans. In other words, the older brother, mature and experienced, was going to the aid of a little brother, erratic and inexperienced. What is the implication that within the same part of Europe there is so muchethnic difference? Mainly, its geographical position is the responsible for diversity. The asymmetric geopolitical position, economic and cultural development of the Balkans, as well as its high degree of vulnerability and dependence on Western Europe and the Near East, prevented the formation and affirmation of positive Balkan regional identity, but rather they reinforced the process of internalfragmentation and related external links of subordination. The historical balance of this path is highly belic, exclusive, and therefore destructive. Hence, what is the role of Europe in the Balkans, and what would be the best way to influence them to achieve their welfare? This is the main question of this essay, which will be analyzed and discussed below.
First, it is necessary to observe what hasbeen the historical role of Europe in the Balkans, especially during the period in which began the warfare between the various nations of the former Yugoslavia. Citing the example of the Republic of Croatia, and during the "Wars of Independence against Yugoslavia" between 1991 and 1995, the country received aid from the Western world and its main sponsors were Germany, Austria and theVatican. The Vatican appeared in the Balkan crisis as a religious power and one of the main actors in this process. To complete the picture, the holiness Pope John Paul II even went on to declare Croatia as a "rampart of Christianity" . The German support and other western European countries resulted in the sale of weapons to the Croatian army. Moreover, the Yugoslavs and Serbs were supported by Russia andGreece, in the religious aspect. In 1995, Russia went so far as to accuse NATO of genocide against the Serbs. For its part, Greece has repeatedly declared his sympathy for the Orthodox cause in Serbia. With this first point, we can assert that during the decade of the 90s, or better known as "postmodernism" the role and influence of Europe in the Balkans had a negative balance, as their assistanceto the territories of the peninsula just brought an inconsistent and discordant process which was reflected in belic divisions in economic, cultural and political issues leading to small independent states, but also weak and unstable. Therefore, the influence of Europe in the Balkans was a mess, because there was no harmonization of the ideas, and as we have seen, apparently the Cold War did not...