|
The current conference brought together participant scholars from Europe and the U.S. discussing the failures of democratization of the Balkans after 10 years of disastrous conduct. The text highlights the so-called democratic transition in the Yugoslav successor states starting in the most unusual way – by misuse of democratic rhetoric and principles for most retrograde purposes. ‘Democracy helped the hard-liners, and worse, nationalists from all over former Yugoslavia to get in power in a legal way and even by mass popular support in 1990. The deep-rooted and long-lasting Yugoslav crisis culminated into an inevitable loss of legitimacy of the communist elites (both federal and republican ones). The vacuum was de facto fulfilled by nationalist ideology and practice although nationalist elites took advantage of the newly declared democratic postulates (such as multi-party system, free elections, etc.).