The word "change" has recently become rather popular in political campaigns, starting of course with that of U.S. President Barack Obama, who perhaps led a sort of a political rebirth of the word. It's a word used in the political context, as it can simply be understood, to make a break from the politics and policies of the past. This was the change that the U.S. believed in when they voted in Mr. Obama. 100 days into his mandate, 56% of Americans rate Obama's work thus far as excellent according to recent polls by USA Today and Gallup, which can support the point that indeed, change, has begun in the United States.

 

A country which has strained relations with the US, Serbia, has not really grasped the concept of change; even though they have been parading it for quite some time now. When the Serbian Government refers to change, they refer to a break from the "Milosevic regime"; highlighting their devotion towards a European future, their country's progress in democratization and in the installation of the rule of law. Though one can undoubtedly argue that Serbia has made forward strides – it has forgotten one important aspect – accepting what happened in its bitter past as a better means to overcome it. A sort of intermediary between what Serbia is now and what Serbia was not long ago, is the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY); whose mandate (as represented in its slogan) is "Bringing war criminals to justice. Bringing justice to victims." Serbia is responsible for 45 indictees, of which they have delivered 43. Quantitatively, they have done a good job thus far; though they are yet to capture and submit Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic before justice. The qualitative aspect, though, is more responsible for perhaps a country really moving forward.

Not too long ago, the ICTY convicted 5 Serbian senior officials with a sentencing of 96 years, collectively. Former Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic, Yugoslav Army General Nebojsa Pavkovic, Serbian police General Sreten Lukic, Yugoslav Army General Vladimir Lazarevic and Chief of the General Staff Dragoljub Ojdanic were those charged with war crimes. After the war in Kosova (Kosovo), it should be noted that Nebojsa Pavkovic was promoted to the position of the Chief of the General Staff, Dragoljub Ojdanic was promoted to the position of Minister of Defense and Vladimir Lazarevic had been promoted to Yugoslav Army General from his previous post Chief of State of the Prishtina Corpus. These promotions were done by Slobodan Milosevic, who made them following the efforts of these men – of course in their official capacities – during the War in Kosova. On a side note, Ratko Mladic, the infamous war criminal that is yet to be subdued by the state of Serbia; received from Vojislav Kostunica, Serbia's former Prime Minister and candidate in last year's elections; an official pension offered for retired Army personnel in 2002.

Something is not right here. First of all, Serbia regards its past as one in which there was perhaps a "civil war" in Yugoslavia, adding that "everyone committed crimes". Unfortunately for Serbia, those 5 aforementioned senior officials are not just anyone; indeed they were the policy and decision-makers of Serbia during the ethnic cleansing and deportation campaign against Kosovar Albanians in the Kosova War. So change, again, is accepting the past, and accepting the Serbian state's responsibility for what was done to Kosovar Albanians.  As heinous as Milosevic's regime was, it was the leadership of the Serbian state during all of the Balkan wars, including here of course, the war in Kosova. At the last UN Security Council session for Kosova, in his speech to the council, Serbian President Boris Tadic said, "The country of Serbia, in principle, condemns all war crimes convinced that all offenders must be confronted with the face of justice. Our principled position is that every criminal is a person with a name and collective guilt to the people or the state cannot exist." This reinstates Serbia's denial of its responsibilities, at the state level, in the past, and as Mr. Tadic's speech was quite recent; it exemplifies Serbia's inaccuracy in its current policies of ignoring that past. One thing is obvious when discussing issues in the Balkans and the perspective of the individual Balkan states; that is that the main goal is reconciliation between them and their joint Euro-Atlantic perspective. Reconciliation has to begin in Serbia, realization and reconciliation. A more progressive attempt by Serbia in this regard may have also avoided the current suits that Croatia and Bosnia have filed against the Serbian state for genocide in their respective wars.

Therefore, we must ask, has Serbia changed, and is it really geared towards a European perspective? Unfortunately for Serbia; no, it hasn't and no, it is not. A system of interrelation still exists between Serbian leaders who are still predominant in the political arena of Serbia today and the war criminals and Milosevic mentality of the past. This interrelation and mentality is prevalent, widespread and debilitating; to Serbia's citizens, Kosova's citizens, and all of the citizens of the Western Balkan region. So, Serbia and its leaders have to declare their own independence. They must declare independence from the nationalist mentality built upon historical myths, a diversion from legitimate responsibility and accountability and ethnic hatred against the Kosovar Albanians, and for that matter, against all other peoples they fought during the Balkan wars. This is what will bring about a realization to accept, and apologize to their Balkan neighbors for the atrocities they committed in the Balkan wars and hope that these neighbors can in turn be able forgive, but of course not forget. This is what will normalize their relations with the reality of the state of Kosova. Lastly, this is what will truly represent a perspective towards the future, for the betterment of the lives of all Serbs; and even potential cooperation with Kosovar leadership and the country of Kosova for the betterment of the lives of Kosovar Serbs. The current International Court of Justice case between Kosova and Serbia, which aims to legally analyze Kosova's declaration of independence and give a non-binding advisory opinion; will resurface recent truths that Serbia continues to minimize and ignore, truths that strengthened the will of the Kosovar Albanians for freedom. It is only when Serbia realizes their responsibility for the crimes committed and realizes its break with the past; that it can understand today's reality, really change, and advance its European future.

 

Drilon is an Albanian-American working in Kosovo.