A look at social and economic developments in south-east Europe: From the nineties to current European ‘talks’
A look at social and economic developments in south-east Europe: From the nineties to current European ‘talks’

Summary/Abstract: The past dozen years brought about profound political and economic restructuring in the south-east Europe (SEE) region. They proved particularly painful in the post-Josip Broz Tito Yugoslavia, which underwent major political changes and ethnic conflicts (Nikolić, 2002). From the political point of view, Yugoslavia imploded: four of its six republics became independent states, that is, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia. The other two, Serbia and Montenegro, remained within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in which Kosovo witnessed ethnical struggles as Albanians (the majority of the population) aspired to independence. Also the clashes which occurred in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and, to a lesser extent, Macedonia, led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. The remaining countries in the region, such as Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, saw a more compassionate transition when a comparison in drawn between them and former Yugoslavia. This paper aims at developing a widespread analysis of the past decade and draws lessons for the future. In doing so, observers have to bear in mind the complexity of the region and the increasing interdependence of the three aspects of the Pact’s objectives. It is true that the west is pledging financial help and advice to the region; nevertheless, it has to fit in with the evolving regional context to secure best effects. In the light of these considerations, the next paragraph introduces the reader to the outcome of the nineties and describes some socio-economic consequences of past systematic disruptions. Then, we present views for a comprehensive policy requiring action on many fronts, as well as concluding remarks.

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