Kosovo to test Slovenia leaders

"Sixteen years after independence" is a British way to say sixteen years after illegal violent secession from Yugoslavia.

Slovenian violent secession set the tone for bloodbath and misery that befell peoples of Yigoslavia. Once "independent", Slovenia continued meddling in the affairs of other peoples of Former Yugoslavia (e.g. weapons smuggling in contravention of UN embargo).
It seems that Slovene leadership feels that there is not enough blood on their hands.

The despicable history of Slovenia, from the beginning of WWI should not be forgotten.

It started with racist yell "Serbs, we will make you a cold grave on the willow tree"
and is ending with Slovene support to ripping of heart of Serbia.

Slovenia was net beneficiary of both Yugoslavias.

Sick.

It's obvious that Slovenia forgot where you were/came from. Those who forget as destined to fail!

Lenarcic says that "for the sake of the European project we must not fail again".

With two significant tasks on its hands, Slovenia is likely to find the presidency a big challenge.

Think before you speak as before you were in the shadows & now you're the current scapegoat member states of the EU.

Bob, actually, the Slovenes, unlike the rest of the former YU, respected the Monarchy, and didn't have a beef with the Serbian people..
Your Slovenian complaints sounds like sour communist grapes to me.

Joe,
YOUR comments sound like sour grapes that post WW2 diaspora fascists like to pick, selectively eat, and feed their grandchildren...

"under Tito the Slovens complained bitterly of being exploited by Serbia."

Yes, everybody liked to complain Joe. It's a common theme.
By the same token SERBIANS feel exploited for harvesting foods and supplying heavy industry needs to the Slovenes, just to have THEM wrap it up in a pretty package, ship to the west, and reap the economic benefits..
Did you ever ask yourself how a country of no heavy industry was able to live so prosperously?

Perhaps if Tito was a Slovene,and not a Croat, then everything would have been exusable??

Your "so called" complaints are common fodder for ignorance..
If it's Slovenian/Serbian comparisons that you enjoy, let's start off with the simple fact that Slovenia is Geographically, and genealogically closer to Germany than Serbia is, and it's population is more concentrated..

Let's not ignore the facts that Slovenia was never levelled to the ground several times in a century, and has had unfair sanctions strangle it's economy for 10+ years, in the worst possible time that was possible..
While we're getting things into perspective, let's try and remember that, although Slovenia had to sink money into the poorer states, Serbia is the largest holder of that debt...

After all those factors, it's quite amazing that Serbia isn't totally an economic wasteland Joe...

I have no grudges against the Slovenes, just against comments that keep blaming the Serbs for all the woes that the Balkans face..

Your GNI comparisons are easy to digest from behind a computer desk, but they're certainly not tangibal or equal.

The Slovenes have had success due to neutrality and timing, and to think otherwise is naive..And i'm sure that most Slovenes know this..That's why most Slovenes don't seem to carry the same arrogance that you would, on behalf of their name...
But we'll see how they perform this year...

Whether it's simply to prop up their own posture, or genuinely help the straggling situtation Down South...

It has been reported in the
FT that Slovenia will be
helped by the French in its
six month EU presidency due
to lack of expertise in
international affairs.Does
this statement imply any
confidence in solving the
Kosovo problem? Furthermore,
Slovenia's current position
on the Kosovo problem has
already accentuated the
existing animosity with the
Serbs and any further
attempts will be futile.
Slovenia will only succeed
if it refers the matter to
the Security Council which
is the proper authority for
solving it.

The EU empire is expanding woe to any one how dares to oppose it. Lenarcic says that "for the sake of the European project we must not fail again. Slovenia will also have the task of pushing EU member states to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. We all now where this is leading us against them and more world wars can the earth take it anymore of stupidity.

Bob Petrovich,

Seeing it from the Slovenian side thinks are quite different. Already under Tito the Slovens complained bitterly of being exploited by Serbia. If the Serbs would have been in the position of the Slovens I am sure they would not have liked to be exploited either.
One thing is obvious: since independence and EU membership Slovenia's economy performed like a rocket. The GNI per capita according to an article of today on BBC is $17,350. This is trully amazing (much higher than in Hungary and close to that of Austria). Where is Serbia's number....by $4,500?
When one reads about Slovenia on any French, German, English or US site one get reminded that this prosperous small country shared a bigger country with Serbia. They automatically compare the too and draw conclusions.

Well in 1989 Yugoslavia as a whole and Portugal had similar GDPs per capita. As Slovenia's (which was the richest republic in Yugoslavia) GDP per capita isn't much more than Portugal's is now then its progress isn't that spectacular. Its GDP might be higher than Hungary's but is no where near Austria's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita

You cannot really compare Serbia's figure to Slovenia's due to the sanctions.

I think that Gorbachev was quite accurate in his statement about the EU and NATO getting involved in a country (Serbia) that is neither in the EU nor in NATO. This issue sits firmly in the seat of the UN and we know that it will not pass there as there are many other countries with the same issues.

Who is the EU to tell the Serbs to give up their land, culture and history while they themselves have crushed any such movements within their own borders? The British having robbed a large slice of the Irish nation, the Spanish with the Basques, the French with the Corsicans?

Even if the EU does manage to force the Serbs hand at this moment in history, there will not be peace. Within perhaps 5, 10 or 50 years blood will be spilt again for this peace of land that the Serbs will never let go. Just because a minority becomes a majority within a country it does not give them the right to carve up a piece of land and annex it to Albania. Would the US allow Texas or California to secede and become a part of Mexico? Somehow I doubt it. The only reason that NATO got involved in the first place was that there was no longer a Warsaw Pact and they had to fabricate a reason to justify its existence.

"Perhaps if Tito was a Slovene,and not a Croat, then everything would have been exusable??"

Actually Pijetro, Tito was actually half Croat, half Slovene.

More and more complaining coming from the Serbs. Its like everyone else is at fault except Serbia and the Serbs. Give it a break already.
Simple fact. If Slovenia was exploiting Serbia then the fact that Slovenia is doing much better now then under Yugoslavia shows you that Slovenia as a matter of fact was not exploiting Serbia, rather Serbia or Yugoslavia for that matter was hampering its progress. No need to compare Slovenia with any other country be it Serbia, Portugal etc. Just compare Slovenia then and now and it is easy to see Slovenia was being exploited under Yugoslavia. That explains the much faster progress Slovenia has now than before.

Bob Petrovich,

Seeing it from the Slovenian side thinks are quite different. Already under Tito the Slovens complained bitterly of being exploited by Serbia. If the Serbs would have been in the position of the Slovens I am sure they would not have liked to be exploited either.
One thing is obvious: since independence and EU membership Slovenia's economy performed like a rocket. The GNI per capita according to an article of today on BBC is $17,350. This is trully amazing (much higher than in Hungary and close to that of Austria). Where is Serbia's number....by $4,500?
When one reads about Slovenia on any French, German, English or US site one get reminded that this prosperous small country shared a bigger country with Serbia. They automatically compare the too and draw conclusions.

The EU empire is expanding woe to any one how dares to oppose it. Lenarcic says that "for the sake of the European project we must not fail again. Slovenia will also have the task of pushing EU member states to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. We all now where this is leading us against them and more world wars can the earth take it anymore of stupidity.

"Sixteen years after independence" is a British way to say sixteen years after illegal violent secession from Yugoslavia.

Slovenian violent secession set the tone for bloodbath and misery that befell peoples of Yigoslavia. Once "independent", Slovenia continued meddling in the affairs of other peoples of Former Yugoslavia (e.g. weapons smuggling in contravention of UN embargo).
It seems that Slovene leadership feels that there is not enough blood on their hands.

The despicable history of Slovenia, from the beginning of WWI should not be forgotten.

It started with racist yell "Serbs, we will make you a cold grave on the willow tree"
and is ending with Slovene support to ripping of heart of Serbia.

Slovenia was net beneficiary of both Yugoslavias.

Sick.

It's obvious that Slovenia forgot where you were/came from. Those who forget as destined to fail!

Lenarcic says that "for the sake of the European project we must not fail again".

With two significant tasks on its hands, Slovenia is likely to find the presidency a big challenge.

Think before you speak as before you were in the shadows & now you're the current scapegoat member states of the EU.

Bob, actually, the Slovenes, unlike the rest of the former YU, respected the Monarchy, and didn't have a beef with the Serbian people..
Your Slovenian complaints sounds like sour communist grapes to me.

Joe,
YOUR comments sound like sour grapes that post WW2 diaspora fascists like to pick, selectively eat, and feed their grandchildren...

"under Tito the Slovens complained bitterly of being exploited by Serbia."

Yes, everybody liked to complain Joe. It's a common theme.
By the same token SERBIANS feel exploited for harvesting foods and supplying heavy industry needs to the Slovenes, just to have THEM wrap it up in a pretty package, ship to the west, and reap the economic benefits..
Did you ever ask yourself how a country of no heavy industry was able to live so prosperously?

Perhaps if Tito was a Slovene,and not a Croat, then everything would have been exusable??

Your "so called" complaints are common fodder for ignorance..
If it's Slovenian/Serbian comparisons that you enjoy, let's start off with the simple fact that Slovenia is Geographically, and genealogically closer to Germany than Serbia is, and it's population is more concentrated..

Let's not ignore the facts that Slovenia was never levelled to the ground several times in a century, and has had unfair sanctions strangle it's economy for 10+ years, in the worst possible time that was possible..
While we're getting things into perspective, let's try and remember that, although Slovenia had to sink money into the poorer states, Serbia is the largest holder of that debt...

After all those factors, it's quite amazing that Serbia isn't totally an economic wasteland Joe...

I have no grudges against the Slovenes, just against comments that keep blaming the Serbs for all the woes that the Balkans face..

Your GNI comparisons are easy to digest from behind a computer desk, but they're certainly not tangibal or equal.

The Slovenes have had success due to neutrality and timing, and to think otherwise is naive..And i'm sure that most Slovenes know this..That's why most Slovenes don't seem to carry the same arrogance that you would, on behalf of their name...
But we'll see how they perform this year...

Whether it's simply to prop up their own posture, or genuinely help the straggling situtation Down South...

Well in 1989 Yugoslavia as a whole and Portugal had similar GDPs per capita. As Slovenia's (which was the richest republic in Yugoslavia) GDP per capita isn't much more than Portugal's is now then its progress isn't that spectacular. Its GDP might be higher than Hungary's but is no where near Austria's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita

You cannot really compare Serbia's figure to Slovenia's due to the sanctions.

It has been reported in the
FT that Slovenia will be
helped by the French in its
six month EU presidency due
to lack of expertise in
international affairs.Does
this statement imply any
confidence in solving the
Kosovo problem? Furthermore,
Slovenia's current position
on the Kosovo problem has
already accentuated the
existing animosity with the
Serbs and any further
attempts will be futile.
Slovenia will only succeed
if it refers the matter to
the Security Council which
is the proper authority for
solving it.

More and more complaining coming from the Serbs. Its like everyone else is at fault except Serbia and the Serbs. Give it a break already.
Simple fact. If Slovenia was exploiting Serbia then the fact that Slovenia is doing much better now then under Yugoslavia shows you that Slovenia as a matter of fact was not exploiting Serbia, rather Serbia or Yugoslavia for that matter was hampering its progress. No need to compare Slovenia with any other country be it Serbia, Portugal etc. Just compare Slovenia then and now and it is easy to see Slovenia was being exploited under Yugoslavia. That explains the much faster progress Slovenia has now than before.

"Perhaps if Tito was a Slovene,and not a Croat, then everything would have been exusable??"

Actually Pijetro, Tito was actually half Croat, half Slovene.

I think that Gorbachev was quite accurate in his statement about the EU and NATO getting involved in a country (Serbia) that is neither in the EU nor in NATO. This issue sits firmly in the seat of the UN and we know that it will not pass there as there are many other countries with the same issues.

Who is the EU to tell the Serbs to give up their land, culture and history while they themselves have crushed any such movements within their own borders? The British having robbed a large slice of the Irish nation, the Spanish with the Basques, the French with the Corsicans?

Even if the EU does manage to force the Serbs hand at this moment in history, there will not be peace. Within perhaps 5, 10 or 50 years blood will be spilt again for this peace of land that the Serbs will never let go. Just because a minority becomes a majority within a country it does not give them the right to carve up a piece of land and annex it to Albania. Would the US allow Texas or California to secede and become a part of Mexico? Somehow I doubt it. The only reason that NATO got involved in the first place was that there was no longer a Warsaw Pact and they had to fabricate a reason to justify its existence.