Brown Bag: Dissolution of Former Yugoslavia Seen from the Perspectives of SEE Countries: From Competing Narratives to Fuelling Future Conflicts

The case of dissolution of former Yugoslavia has put at test several doctrines of international law, most notable one being the application of the right of self-determination in post-colonial context. Namely, this dilemma has been raised for the first time when the international community had to deal with the dissolution of former Yugoslavia. In that instance, the established Badinter Commission had to analyse Yugoslavia’s constitutional framework before adopting its famous opinions which put the post-colonial right of self-determination in constitutional context, thus setting the foundations of the so-called doctrine of constitutional self-determination. This issue further complicates if question is raised if/how this doctrine applies to the more recent case of Kosovo. In another words, can Kosovo be regarded as the last instance of dissolution of former Yugoslavia as several countries claimed, including the Kosovars themselves. In order to answer this, one would have to study the context of Yugoslavia’s creation after the World War II before dwelling into its dissolution process. Having considered all of the abovementioned, it can be argued that the case of Yugoslavia shaped some of the most important concepts of modern international law and politics and, in that regard, its influence goes beyond the borders of the restless Balkans. Therefore, the position of the Balkan countries regarding the dissolution of SFRY, especially the one of the successors of the former country, is important to analyse from two aspects: (i) because the position of the neighbouring and the countries originating from former SFRY has an added value in comparison to other countries which do not share the same historical/political link; (ii) because the still present secessionist movements and entities in the Balkan countries offer refer to the dissolution of the former SFRY in one context or another. As a result, it is important to properly understand the political and legal implication of the breakup of former Yugoslavia and the way it still influences the current narratives and political processes in the SEE countries.