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IsEuropelosingtheBalkans?,MiljenkoJergović
Opinion&Analysis
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poorresultintheDutchgeneralelection,weremetwithopendisappointment.In-
ternetfora,socialmedia,newspapersandstatetelevisionarefilledwithconspiracy
theories,involvingliberals,communists,masonsandZionistswho,withthehelp
ofinternationalIslam,havedrivenutrue”whiteEuropeanstoelectoraldefeat.
EquallystrikingistheextenttowhichbothCroatianandSerbiannationalists
appeartobeinagreementwhenitcomestoTrump,Orbán,Wilders,NigelFarage
andMarineLePen.Onmostotherissues,however,theywouldbereadytogoto
waragainsteachotheratthedropofahat;buttheyhappilylineuptogetherbehind
DonaldTrump.Indeed,theywouldlineupbehindanyonewhohadspentthelast
fewyearstryingtounderminetheEuropethatcameintobeingafter1945,orindeed
anyonewhoadvocatesdrivingSyrianrefugees(orperhapsallMuslims)outofEurope.
Infact,therefugeequestionisoneofthefewissuesthatdivideSerbianand
CroatiannationalistsononesidefromBożnjaknationalistsontheother.TeBożnjaks
cannotfullyidentifywithTrumpandhisEuropeanassociatesbecauseofthelat-
tercollectiveIslamophobia.AllofwhichmakesiteasierforBożnjaknationalists
todismissEuropeanopinionasawhole,arguingthattheEuropeanrightandleft
areessentiallythesame(or,asErdoğanmightsay,theyareallfascistsandNazis).
TeWesternBalkansis,onceagain,
readyforwar,butnotinquitethesame
wayasin1991.Ten,thesubjectivecon-
TeBalkanshaveagainbecomean
ditionsofadisintegratingYugoslavia
meantthatpeoplewerereadytofight
fortheirown(onthewholeterritorial)
arenaforthekindofdiplomatic
manoeuvresthatthreatenone
rights,regardlessofEuropeandtherest
daytotakeonamilitaryshape.
oftheworld.Withthehelpofaformerly
all-Yugoslavarmy,theSerbianleaderSlo-
bodanMilożevićsetaboutconqueringasmuchterritoryaspossibletothewest,
whichhethentriedtocutofffromCroatiaandBosniaandHerzegovina.Tethen
CroatianPresident,FranjoTuđman,aimedtopreservetheterritoryoftheRepublic
ofCroatiaand,intime,increaseitwiththeadditionofpartsofBiH.TeBożnjaks
fought,onthewhole,fortheirsolesurvival.Noneofthesegroupsweretakingpart
insomeoneelse’swar;onthecontrary,theywerefightingfortheirowndestiny.
ABalkansacrifice
Tesituationisquitedifferenttoday.TenationsoftheWesternBalkansare
readyingthemselvesforawarsimilartotheonesthatbeganin1914and1941.Tey
needawidecontextinwhichtosettletheirscores.Teyseekawarwheretheycan
