Description
Over thirty years after the first shots were fired in the series of armed conflicts that led to [or were caused by?] the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, the scenes broadcasted live begin to fade in the collective memory of the greater public, politicians and policymakers worldwide. Though the fighting has been officially over for – also – a long time, the spectre of the first European war to be broadcasted live still constantly and continuously haunts discussions around the political future of the former Yugoslav republics, especially in terms of EU accession. Though frequently highlighting the need for Balkan countries to look forward, the lingering, implicit message recalling the brutality of the 1990’s wars is present in almost every political speech - especially those from EU leaders - ranging from a looming memory, a warning, a wary embrace and a threat. And by doing so, these past conflicts undergo a continuous process of resignification and reappropiation, systematically altering and bearing a huge impact on their present and, most importantly, their future. By analising contemporary political discourse around the Balkans (and also discussing how the term is currently understood), in postfoundational, Derridean terms, this paper aims to investigate how the region is, as of 2024, being discursively constructed in political, historical and geographical terms, and how the prospect of EU accession plays a crucial role of identity-shaping and identity-performing, not only for the Balkan countries, but also for the EU itself.
