Balkans: December 29, 2003

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The rabid nationalism of the Balkans was demonstrated again when Serb nationalists won 27 percent of the seats in recent Serb parliamentary elections. The Serb nationalist party was led by a wanted war criminal. The most nationalist, and violent, groups are the Serbs and Albanians. Both want to redraw many borders and extremist leaders openly call for using violence to establish "Greater Serbia" or "Greater Albania." Albanians and Serbs both took turns dominating the region in the past. These are not just the "good old days," but a template for the future. It's this kind of thinking that keeps the Balkans boiling.