CIAO DATE: 05/2008
April 2002
Austrian National Defence Academy
INTRODUCTION
The great security political paradigm shift in 1989/90 has not just
launched the end of the communistic regimes in East- and South East
Europe, but started the process of disintegration for some
multinational states. Whereas this disintegration process happened
peacefully in some parts, e.g. in the former Czechoslovakia, the
disintegration of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was
accompanied by military conflicts, "ethnic cleansing" and an enormous
number of refugees and expellees. More than a decade later - after the
war in the Western Balkans has become a main issue of the European
security policy - there are no military conflicts between the opposing
parties due to the international military presence, though the future
of this multiethnic region is still open.
In the course of the second Reichenau workshop on "Multiethnic State or
Ethnic Homogeneity - the Case of South East Europe" of the PfP
Consortium Working Group "Crisis Management in South East Europe", held
between May 9 to 13, 2001, an approach was attempted to clarify whether
multiethnic states in South East Europe still have a hope after such
horrible wars. The articles published hereunder give a very good
insight into the discussion, which was sometimes very controversial due
to the sensitivity of the topic. In this context the relevant keywords
are "State Sovereignty versus Right of Self-determination",
"Multiethnic State versus Ethnic Homogeneity", "Border Changes versus
Territorial Status quo". The conflict areas which have been discussed
as case studies are the development in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well
as optional solutions for the "Albanian Question".
Beside the main subject "Former Yugoslavia", this book also deals with
the political challenge that is given to Europe by the relevance of the
elements "National Identity" and "Ethnicity". This challenge is
discussed especially in the articles on inter-ethnic relations in
Bulgaria and the ethno-political conflict in Moldova. Another point
which is discussed is the central role and responsibility of Media in
preventing armed conflicts in multi-ethnic societies.
Mag. Predrag Jurekoviæ
Bureau for Security Policy Austria
Resource link: Multiethnic State or Ethnic Homogeneity: The Case of South East Europe - 3rd Workshop of the Study Group "Crisis Management in South East Europe" [PDF] - 4.3M