Stories
Minority integration: parallels and lessons learned
2 July 2003
Learning from a distant example
South-eastern Europe and the Baltic states, two regions that bordered East and West in post-World War II Europe, have been profoundly affected by transition since the late 1980s. Also, countries in both regions are moving towards EU and NATO membership. Minority issues, previously suppressed in both regions, have surfaced to become one of the OSCE's main priorities in Croatia.
The head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, Ambassador Peter Semneby, explained that countries in south-eastern Europe could learn from the experiences of the Baltic states, which were in a similar historical and geopolitical situation. "The willingness to seek inspiration from more distant countries may be greater than from neighbours," Semneby said.
Opening the conference, the President of the Republic of Croatia Stjepan Mesic said "tolerance in international relations must be accompanied by tolerance within the borders of all states." He stressed that this will be possible for Croatia only when a society based on tolerance is built, "a society in which discrimination is a thing of the past and in which diversity is viewed as enrichment rather than something that makes it inferior."
Great potential for the future
Carl Bildt, former Swedish Prime Minister and the International High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1995 to 1997, said this region had great potential for the future. "If multi-ethnic harmony and reconciliation are achieved, this region could serve as a model for the rest of Europe," he said.
Bildt said on leaders in south-eastern Europe were orientated more towards the past while the Baltic States have focussed on their goal of integration with NATO and the EU.
He also discussed the importance for Croatia of the the conclusions of the recent EU Thessaloniki summit. "Refugee returns and recognition of minority rights are the index of democratic maturity," he said. While the biggest transition problem related to minorities in the Baltics has been citizenship and naturalization, in the Balkans refugee return has dominated the agenda.
Common to both regions is the necessity to ensure political and civic participation and to codify minority rights. On this point Milorad Pupovac, President of the Serb People's Council, commended Croatian President Mesic for stating he would have gone a step further in Croatia by introducing positive discrimination.
"Although the Constitutional Law on National Minorities allows for positive discrimination, minorities should seriously discuss with the Government its inclusion in electoral law," Pupovac said.
Role of the international community
Conference participants stressed the significant role the international community has played in the two regions. "In retrospect the role of the OSCE [in Estonia] was a very positive one," said Toomas Hendrik Ilves, MP and former Estonian Foreign Minister. "They successfully evoked the universal desire among Estonians to get closer to the EU."
Well covered by media, the conference was organized by the OSCE Mission to Croatia with the Croatian Institute for International Relations. The Swedish Embassy and the Friedrich Erbert Foundation of Germany provided financial support.
The proceedings of the conference will be published in the journal "Croatian International Relations Review."
South-eastern Europe and the Baltic states, two regions that bordered East and West in post-World War II Europe, have been profoundly affected by transition since the late 1980s. Also, countries in both regions are moving towards EU and NATO membership. Minority issues, previously suppressed in both regions, have surfaced to become one of the OSCE's main priorities in Croatia.
The head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, Ambassador Peter Semneby, explained that countries in south-eastern Europe could learn from the experiences of the Baltic states, which were in a similar historical and geopolitical situation. "The willingness to seek inspiration from more distant countries may be greater than from neighbours," Semneby said.
Opening the conference, the President of the Republic of Croatia Stjepan Mesic said "tolerance in international relations must be accompanied by tolerance within the borders of all states." He stressed that this will be possible for Croatia only when a society based on tolerance is built, "a society in which discrimination is a thing of the past and in which diversity is viewed as enrichment rather than something that makes it inferior."
Great potential for the future
Carl Bildt, former Swedish Prime Minister and the International High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1995 to 1997, said this region had great potential for the future. "If multi-ethnic harmony and reconciliation are achieved, this region could serve as a model for the rest of Europe," he said.
Bildt said on leaders in south-eastern Europe were orientated more towards the past while the Baltic States have focussed on their goal of integration with NATO and the EU.
He also discussed the importance for Croatia of the the conclusions of the recent EU Thessaloniki summit. "Refugee returns and recognition of minority rights are the index of democratic maturity," he said. While the biggest transition problem related to minorities in the Baltics has been citizenship and naturalization, in the Balkans refugee return has dominated the agenda.
Common to both regions is the necessity to ensure political and civic participation and to codify minority rights. On this point Milorad Pupovac, President of the Serb People's Council, commended Croatian President Mesic for stating he would have gone a step further in Croatia by introducing positive discrimination.
"Although the Constitutional Law on National Minorities allows for positive discrimination, minorities should seriously discuss with the Government its inclusion in electoral law," Pupovac said.
Role of the international community
Conference participants stressed the significant role the international community has played in the two regions. "In retrospect the role of the OSCE [in Estonia] was a very positive one," said Toomas Hendrik Ilves, MP and former Estonian Foreign Minister. "They successfully evoked the universal desire among Estonians to get closer to the EU."
Well covered by media, the conference was organized by the OSCE Mission to Croatia with the Croatian Institute for International Relations. The Swedish Embassy and the Friedrich Erbert Foundation of Germany provided financial support.
The proceedings of the conference will be published in the journal "Croatian International Relations Review."