As the Balkans relapses into its old familiar condition of petty states wrangling and threatening each other, the old familiar cry is also going up: Europe is to blame! Why? Because, according to the purveyors of this thesis, the lack of a European “perspective” - i.e. the prospect of rapid EU membership - has undermined modern-minded, cooperative democrats and has encouraged nationalist firebrands and secessionists all over the region. In other words, if Europe would just hurry up and fast-track Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, etc., into the EU, and never mind the small print, the disagreeable, dangerous demagogues would all fall silent and the region would resume the more-or-less happy course it seemed to be taking a few years ago. There may be some substance to this claim - bribes do often work - but it is not going to happen and it is time those marketing this fantasy accepted that it is just that – a fantasy. Read Full Article at BIRN