End of the Century in the Balkans / Fin de siècle dans les Balkans

?Armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia are the biggest European scandal of the past decade. For the first time since 1945, our continent has experienced war, while ?ethnic cleansing? has made it relive the horrors that it thought had disappeared with the end of NazI'm. During the past decade those events have fed political thinking about the evolution of a world which has rediscovered its sense of tragedy. Despite the economic crisis, the West has enjoyed a period of unprecedented prosperity, and the collapse of the communist empire in 1989 helped to strengthen its hopes of eternal peace. This book is a collection of many of the articles I wrote on these subjects during the past eight years. It includes, first of all, some general themes concerning the countries of the former Yugoslavia: religion, language, ideology and ideas of the state, with the aim of using the historical background as a guide to more I'mediate realities. Other articles then proceed to cover current events, year by year, while placing them in their context. In this manner the historical, geopolitical and cultural background of the region remains present throughout the book, but current concerns are never neglected. Fortunately, the situation is less tragic in 2000 than it was in 1992. There is no more fighting. The two most belligerent Croatian and Serbian leaders are no longer on the scene. And yet, none of the problems have been resolved and several conflicts remain pending. In two regions, Bosnia and Kosovo, peace is maintained thanks to a powerful international presence; hundreds of thousands of refugees have no hope of returning to their homes; most of the main criminals of war are still at large; and intolerance and poverty are widespread. It is thus necessary to make a correct diagnosis of the problems of the region, where surprises are always possible. I would be happy if this book could help contribute toward this.? Paul GardePaul Garde is a former professor of Slavic languages and literature at the University of Provence, France. He was also vice president of the Institute of Slavic Studies, in Paris. He holds a Ph.D and anagrégation in grammar and Russian and is the author of several works including Vie et Mort de la Yougoslavie.