Bosnia – between ethnic-nationalism and Europeanization
The process of ethnic-nationalization witnessed in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina is incompatible with the very norms, values and conditions of European membership.
The former Yugoslavia’s language conundrum
Whilst nationalism continues to rear its head in the former Yugoslavia, so language will continue to act as a divisive, as opposed to unifying, force.
Towards reconciliation – dealing with the past or leaving it behind?
A conference in Priština, entitled "How I see it" , provided young Serbs and Albanians from both Kosovo and Serbia, respectively, with an opportunity to discuss issues concerning reconciliation, transitional justice and EU integration.
Turkey – a welcome return to the Balkans?
Though Turkey - which is seeking to re-build its once flourishing Ottoman-era ties with most Balkan states - is increasingly portrayed as a reliable business partner, rather then an aggressive and neo-imperialist player, further steps are required to ease anxiety towards its policies.
Quo vadis, Serbia?
Despite Europe’s general loss of interest in further expansion, Serbia's state of aporia keeps it riveted to the European Union; leaving the country without a road, much less a roadmap.
We need to talk about Mevlid – Vehabije and extremism in Bosnia and Serbia
If overlying, systemic issues are not addressed, then misperceptionsand security rhetoric regarding Wahhabism will put a serious strain on inter-community relations in the Western Balkans.
Politics by other means – netwar for Kosovo
Though an under-explored aspect of contemporary conflict, developments in information technology are fuelling the emergence of new forms of warfare which could pose a unique challenge to state's critical infrastructure.
EU integration pitfalls in the Western Balkans
Should stalemate in the European integration process not be properly managed both now and in the future, the EU risks a serious loss of credibility - both as a mediator and as “an anchor for change”.
Separating religion and state in Bosnia
With the role of religion having remained largely ignored in post-Dayton Bosnia-Herzegovina, there is a need to promote a process of secularization by upholding the separation of church and state.
Leveraging weakness
Faced with outstanding conflicts over sovereignty in the Western Balkans, the EU's most efficacious strategy depends upon acknowledging and leveraging its own considerable limitations as an international actor.
Civil society in Bosnia – obstacle or opportunity?
The marginalization of civil society from Bosnia and Herzegovina's process of transition can, in part, be explained by the dominant ethno-nationalist agenda that has meant that civil society itself has been ethnicized and divided along ethnic lines
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’.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Negotiating division and co-operation in today’s Bosnia
The system of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina is characterized by the tension between different types of mutually reinforcing distrust, which make institutional change and the emergence of new elites more difficult than in neighboring countries.
Euro-Atlanticism and the creation of a 'security community' in the Balkans
Pressure from the EU and NATO terminated the civil war in Yugoslavia, but this area has remained a potential crisis point due to the legacy of war, open ethnic and border disputes, and mutual mistrust between the successor states of the former Yugoslavia.
The trouble with transparency
Any long-term improvement in activities currently grouped under the slogan “governance” must include patronage networks as necessary, legitimate actors; otherwise corruption will not diminish, much less go away.
Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans
A recent conference explored some of the main obstacles - deriving from both internal and external sources - that the Western Balkans faces as it integrates into Euro-Atlantic structures.
Reconstructing cultural heritage in Bosnia
TransConflict is pleased to present a research paper examining how the city of Tuzla has tried to promote a more united future for Bosnia and Herzegovina by transforming its cultural heritage.
