Noticeably absent from President Obama’s recent jaunt through Europe is any update or attention on the Balkan nations of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and the fledgling state of Kosovo. This absence is not surprising. The Balkan states, scene to a brutal civil war in the 1990’s, have remained seemingly hidden from international media of late, bar a few exceptions. Now, 14 years after the massacre at Srebrenica, it is time for politicians on both side of the Atlantic to push past the negative stigma of the area and re-examine the Balkans.
The Balkans still confront several large problems. First, corruption remains rampant in nearly every country in the region. Croatia experiences bouts of violence at the hands of a powerful mafia that continues to exert significant control. Among the victims are politicians, journalists, lawyers, and policemen. To speak out against the corruption and the mafia is to face swift repercussions, as the murders of journalist Ivo Pukanic and the daughter of a well-known Croatian lawyer unfortunately demonstrate. Others are on the receiving end, as the pockets of politicians have an odd propensity to suddenly become thicker.
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