Balkan War of Apologies

After the war in ex-Yugoslavia subsided in the mid-90s, another war – this time a virtual one – broke out: the war of Balkan apologies. It refers to a decade-long series of apologies for participation in the conflict and the crimes committed during the war, as well as demanding the other parties to counter-apologise. The paper analyses all 19 apologies delivered by the top-ranking statesmen for their country’s/nation’s role in the conflict, which were delivered between 2000 and 2010. Their content is critically examined and wider social and political context is taken into account. The analysis points to the strengths and weaknesses of the apologies issued and dwells on their functions and the factors that have shaped them. The conclusion is that although the apologies are lacking in a number of ways, both contents-wise and regarding the manner they were delivered in, they might have been beneficial and could have had a role in reconciliating the ghosts of the past, present and future.