Rethinking western policy in the Balkans*

Abstract

If the western democracies are to forge a more effective policy in the Balkans, they must first learn from the mistakes they committed in the 1990s. These include: the failure to heed early warning and invest in conflict prevention strategies; the failure to punish and isolate Slobodan Milosevic, the main perpetrator of ethnic cleansing throughout former Yugoslavia; the failure to back western diplomacy with credible military force; and the failure to build consensus within the western security community about long‐term goals in the region. Four sets of recommendations are offered for generating a sustainable peace in the Balkans. The first is to clarify the principles on which policy will be based, emphasising that respect for human rights and the rule of law must take priority over sovereignty and territorial integrity of rogue states which threaten international peace and security. The second is to isolate and punish aggressive nationalists and nurture alternative leaders who are non‐nationalistic democrats. The third is to back all diplomatic initiatives with credible military capability, and the fourth is to adopt a holistic and long term policy for the region, instead of a piecemeal approach that responds to each crisis as it erupts.