contributors
Elena Gus’kova
Doctor of History, Head of the Center for the Studies of Contemporary Balkan Crisis at the Institute of Slavic Studies
all articles
Nowadays one can meet young people on the streets of Serbian cities who don’t speak the language and don’t look like refugees. Physically fit, respectful and polite, they normally walk in groups of three trying not to attract attention. According to local media, the majority of immigrants settling down in Serbia are men younger than 27. Muslims account for 94% of the immigrants. 56% of refugees remaining in Serbia are single. They don’t like being photographed. Many of them are men of means, in some cases the money is sent by relatives…
The waves of refugees from the Middle East hit Europe. It’s not something new for the continent and the Balkans. In the recent 25 years migration, including people evicted from homes and war refugees, has become routine. Serbs left Croatia, Kosovo, the Muslim part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croats left Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jews left Croatia and Bosnia. Last year Albanians unexpectedly went away from Kosovo. According to some reports 100 thousand of them crossed the Serbian border going to Hungary and other European countries…
…Which scenario is most likely in Macedonia? European and UN politicians will likely express concern about the status of democracy in Macedonia, condemn the actions of the Macedonian police in Kumanovo, and demand an «impartial» international investigation of «violations of citizens’ rights» (with no mention of terrorism). As long as the police are afraid to act, Albanian militants will fabricate a series of provocations and acts of terrorism in the country, accusing the government and the president of responsibility for the casualties. The Albanians in Tetovo, Kumanovo, and Skopje will form armed units and gain control of the territory. By threatening to block Macedonia’s entry into the EU, the European Union will urge Gruevski to make peace with the rebels and refrain from military action…
The arrest of General Mladic is a shameful page in Serbian history… Serbian patriots take to the streets in many cities, marketplaces is where the arrest of Mladic is currently being discussed and assessed, and you will never hear a word of approval of the authorities’ move! Belgrade remains packed with police… The struggle that is being waged around the General is a struggle of good and evil, of patriotism and treachery, loyalty to one’s duty and unscrupulousness, military honour and disgrace. Ratko Mladic has long since become legend…
Prof. Vojislav Seselj, a prominent political activist and the leader of the Serbian Radical Party, has spent over eight years in the jail run by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)… Serbia hopes to see Seselj released… It is clear that Seselj is not guilty of any crimes – he is facing accusations over his ideas and writings… the Serbian government is doing nothing for Seselj and only Moscow continues to help him…
The US and NATO are actively supporting the Kosovo independence. Europe is backing their efforts as, for example, the deployment of the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) in Kosovo on December 9, 2008 without UN sanction showed… Belgrade says it will never consent to the Kosovo independence and pledges to go on struggling over the opening of new talks…