Galery

1

The Greek illusions

In the 1990s Greece was shaken by strong sentiments in favour of Serbia. They were not a result of political judgments but of emotions, which were fuelled by the Belgrade propaganda. It claimed that Milosevic was fighting against the establishment of an Islamic state in the Balkans, although there were no signs that something similar was in store at that time. He was also presented as a defender of Orthodoxy in the region, which was the reason for imposing the perception that Greece had to support him.

The belief that he would solve the name issue of FYROM was successfully pushed through as well. Last but not least we have to mention the theories that were disseminated at that time, namely that in the case of war between Greece and Turkey we would rely on the military support of Serbia.

Everything mentioned previously created the illusions that the Greeks and Serbs would solve almost all the problems of the Balkans. In fact, at that time, Greece played an important role in the game of Milosevic to a certain extent.

The Greek soldiers in Serbia

The book uncrowns them of their "glory." I have their testimonies and interviews with people who claim that the Serbs used them as a "tourist attraction". The majority of them were mainly dealing with smuggling and did not actually participate in hostilities. However, what had driven them to go there was precisely these unstoppable Serbophile attitudes that had gripped Greece at all levels. It is significant that even a moderate and experienced politician like Konstantinos Mitsotakis had considered Milosevic as a leader.

Greece and Kosovo

Greece is one of the five countries that has not recognized Kosovo as an independent state. The reason is concerns that this will set a precedent and later it will be forced to recognize the independence of a separate state in the northern part of Cyprus, if it separates from the rest of the island. However, I feel that it is only a matter of time for Athens to recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

The Balkans nowadays

My personal opinion is that the risks for the Balkans are not over yet. Citizens of many countries that have emerged over the 25 years are very disappointed by the fact that the probability of their countries becoming members of the European Union is drifting away. Therefore, they are turning their hopes towards other directions.

A large-scale operation to establish extreme Islam among the Muslim populations in the Balkans is being carried out by Turkey and Saudi Arabia. This explains the fact that there are Muslims from Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina among jihadists. This is an organized and systematic attempt to radicalise Muslims. Over time, this can lead to de-agglomeration of Christian and Slavic populations, resulting in divisions on religious grounds and even in wars at a later stage.

Nationalisms are smouldering in the Balkans and the risk of destabilization of the region is real.