Kosovo – compromise over customs now
With the situation in the north having reached a dangerous stalemate, the need for a compromise - one that would help defuse tensions, and allow Belgrade and Pristina to resume negotiations on practical matters - grows ever more apparent.
Recognising every casualty of armed violence
TransConflict has become a signatory to the Charter for the Recognition of Every Casualty of Armed Violence, which has at its core a simple principle that ‘no person should die unrecorded’.
Kosovo – whose reality?
Though Kosovo Serbs have been called upon to accept the ‘reality’ of an independent Kosovo, it is the reality of past and present experience that continues to motivate their peaceful resistance.
About blood and honey
Almost twenty years on from the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, two Dutch journalists are travelling the country seeking answers to the question, does Bosnia and Herzegovina really exist?
Kosovo – NATO moving towards another confrontation?
With KFOR's extended deadline for the Serbs to remove the barricades in the north set to expire, there is a distinct possibility of violence should the use of force once again prevail over dialogue and status neutrality.
More Europe in the Southeast is the answer?
Whilst imploring aspiring members to embrace its own system and values, the EU's selectiveimplementation of standards - depending on the case and context - means that countries of the region, particularly the Republic of Macedonia, should be cautious about accession.
Kosovo – Quint policy bankruptcy
With support for EU membership in Serbia dropping, the Kosovo Albanians refusing to compromise and no sign that Serbs in the north are ready to surrender, it remains far from clear what the Quint's Plan B may be.
Kiš, Selenić, Ugrešić and after – archivists of Yugoslavia disappeared
What happened to writers whose once-established literary and linguistic culture faced a campaign of obliteration, such as that conducted during the post-communist transition by secessionist... Read More
Kiš, Selenić, Ugrešić and after – archivists of Yugoslavia disappeared
What happened to writers whose once-established literary and linguistic culture faced a campaign of obliteration, such as that conducted during the post-communist transition by secessionist elites and populists in the former Yugoslavia?
Brinkmanship in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Negotiations to form a state-level government in Bosnia-Herzegovina have seen the creation of two new constitutional conventions - the notion of ‘legitimate representation’ and the principle of ‘ethnic rotation’ - which will continue to exert a profound influence on the country's politics.
Kosovo – the EU demands surrender
By accepting Berlin's 'Kosovo conditions' for further progress by Serbia towards EU membership, the EU is in effect acting to impose Pristina's rule in the north and pressuring Belgrade to simply surrender.
Kosovo – will the EU demand surrender?
The EU appears to be under pressure from Germany to only grant Serbia candidate status - without a date to start accession negotiations - and only under specific conditions that would push Belgrade to surrender the north on Pristina's terms.
Bosnia's failing Europeanization process – who is to blame?
The unclear position of EU member states on the required modifications to Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitution has further contributed to the country's deepening political deadlock.
The Brčko District model for north Kosovo?
The example of the Brčko District, in the north-east corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, could serve as a sustainable solution for the disputed status of the north of Kosovo.
Greece – Balkan dissonance and the creation myth of “Europe”
Reeling European governments and the Brussels bureaucracy will become even less patient than before in dealing with a region where their serial failures to enforce their myth of civic identity and multi-ethnic integration have undermined the narrative of Europe as a united, just, effective and relevant international actor.
Može li na severu Kosova zaživeti Brčko Distrikt?
Primer Brčko Distrikta, u severno-istočnom delu Bosne i Hercegovine, mogao bi poslužiti kao održivo rešenje spornog statusa severnog Kosova.
Kosovo – a possible compromise on customs and the North
Finding a compromise solution on customs and the North - one that would help de-escalate the current confrontation - will require both Serbs and Albanians to abandon their maximalist positions, and the internationals to pursue a genuinely status neutral approach.
Kosovo – NATO's actions illegal, illogical and immoral
Through its illegal, illogical and immoral actions, NATO is reducing the Serbs' room for cooperation and peaceful rejection of Kosovo institutions, and setting the stage for more violence and perhaps full partition.
Kosovo – KFOR-EULEX violence and a cover-up?
It seems clear that KFOR and EULEX were responsible for the initiation and escalation of violence in Jarinje in north Kosovo on September 27th, and an independent inquiry is urgently required to establish the facts.
Kosovo – myth busting
A number of myths about the north of Kosovo - including that there is a military/police solution to its refusal to accept rule by Pristina and that EULEX is acting legally in seeking to impose Kosovo customs in the north - continue to jeopardize peace and security.
Returning disputed war monuments
TransConflict is pleased to present a research paper, entitled 'Returning disputed war monuments – can heritage be reinterpreted for new political agendas?', which explores how the much-disputed Isted Lion - which Denmark recently returned to Flensburg, Germany - no longer recalls a famous Danish military victory, but is instead presented as a symbolic expression of trust between the two countries.
Waiting for Godot in Dodik’s Bosnia
By appealing to the notion of inter-ethnic rotation of senior government positions, Milorad Dodik has exploited and widened divisions between the Bosniaks and Croats, thereby further stymieing the formation of a state-level government.
Kosovo – EULEX 'overconcerned with stability'
A speech by Lord Hylton, opening a debate on Kosovo in the House of Lords on September 15th 2011, in which he calls on the British government to support a peace building process centered around the monasteries of Pec and Decani.
Kosovo – EULEX and status neutral customs
With KFOR clearly acting in violation of its UN Security Council mandate in supporting Pristina's ban on Serbian imports, Kosovo Serbs are within their rights to expect EULEX to follow status neutral procedures should it insist on doing customs in the north.
The importance of being Bosniak
Many Bosniak political and media opinion makers are discovering that their best option involves using a traditional and, in the context of current borders, transnational ethnic movement to improve their leverage with their neighbours and the EU.
