The former president of Slovenia Milan Kučan found several parallels between the current situation in the European Union and the situation in the former Yugoslavia prior to disintegration, assessing that the main issues of the EU are the differences in the development of its members and the lack of solidarity.
The Greek debt crisis and the European migrant crisis have shown that the EU does not see solidarity as the way it was seen during the signing of the Roman Contract that was the beginning of the creation of European integration. Another issue is the difference in the development of the member countries, said Kučan in an interview conducted before the announcement of results of the British referendum.
Kučan also made a comparison between the great difference in development of the former Yugoslav western and eastern republics and the difference that exists in the EU today between Germany and the Scandinavian countries on one side and the economically least developed countries such as Bulgaria on the other side.
However, Kučan did not agree that the upswing of separatist nationalisms was crucial for the disintegration of Yugoslavia and he did not agree that it is similar to the situation in the present European union, where some countries do not want joint European policies.
“There is much less resemblance there, except for the social crisis perhaps, and that is the situation when some countries start thinking about themselves only. It is legitimate that everyone wants to achieve their own interests, but the problem is when they want to do that at the expense of others,” said Kučan and added that he does not see those principal inequalities in the present EU, but that he sees great economical differences, while in Yugoslavia the problem was equality and the desire to achieve a better position at the expense of others.
“That is exactly what happened in Yugoslavia. Nationalism was based on real economic and political inequality, although the equality was proclaimed,” Kučan said.
Speaking of contemporary tendencies in Europe, Kučan assessed that the “radical nationalism” in Poland, Hungary and the Baltic countries could cause problems and that the Europe cannot build its identity on “anti-Putinship” only, but that the Europe must make reforms and become more socially acceptable and show more solidarity.
All present problems of Europe might lead to an “economic war” and the gradual disintegration, said Kučan.
“I am convinced that it is in everyone’s interest that Great Britain stays in the EU,” said Kučan. Regarding those who advocate for the exit of Great Britain from the EU, Kučan compared their mentality and the way of thinking with the perception in Serbia in late 1980s.
“In Milošević’s time, their motto was: Serbia can survive without Yugoslavia but Yugoslavia cannot survive without Serbia,” Kučan said, stating that he sees the same pattern in the way of thinking of those who suggested that the referendum on the exit of Britain from the EU is held.
(Source: novovrijeme.ba/photo: mladina.si)
