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DearReader,
“ThepriceofEuropeanisingtheBalkansismuchhigherthanthepriceofthe
BalkanisationofEurope,”claimsZagreb-basedwriterMiljenkoJergovićintheopen-
ingessaytothisissue.Thispoignantstatementcallsforwideattention,especially
ofthosewhoholddeartheideaofaunitedandexpandingEurope.Itpointstothe
immensepressurethathasbeenemergingwithintheregionoftheWesternBalkans
andwhichcouldhaveaneffectonEuropeasawhole.Thisalsoinclinesthatabet-
terunderstandingoftheBalkansisaprerequisiteforabetterunderstandingofthe
developmentsontheentireEuropeancontinent.
Thisfacthasbeentruebefore,althoughnotalways–asourauthorspointout–
takenseriously.Thus,itisworthwhilereadingtheessaybyAdamBalcer,whoar-
guesthatsinceantiquitytheregionoftheWesternBalkanshasbeenatthecoreof
westernisation.Itwastheplacewheregreatpowersbattledforinfluenceandwhere
worldwarserupted.Inthe21stcenturyanewscenario,withsomesimilaritiesof
thepast,maybeunfolding.
Throughoutthewholeissue,ourauthors,whoareeitherbasedintheregion
oravidreadersofitsdevelopments,pointouttosomealarmingtrendsthatthe
powergamesmayindeedbereturning.SuchisthecaseofTurkeyasdescribed
byTomaszTargańskiwhohighlightstheriseofNeo-Ottomanism.Russianinflu-
enceisalsofeltintheregionasKennethMorrisonandJelenaMilićargueintheir
respectiveessays.EquallyworrisomeistheissueofIslamicextremismthatis
reportedbyTatyanaDronzinaandSulejmanMuçatobeseekingafootholdin
EuropeviatheBalkans.
DespitetheseandotherdevelopmentstheWesthasprovedwronginsomede-
cisionsthatweremadeinregardstotheBalkans.Themoststrikingexampleofa
flawedpolicyimplementationisdepictedbyChristopherBennetasheshowshow
theDaytonPeaceAgreementhasturnedBosniaandHerzegovinaintoEurope’s
longestfrozenconflict,withlittledesireforimprovingthestatusquo.
Wehopethatthisdoubleissuewillmakeforthought-provokingreadingforyour
summermonthsandthatyoucontinuestayintouchwithusonlineandviasocialmedia.
TheEditors
