The Economist: Religious chauvinism Rises Again in the Balkans

The known magazine “The Economist” in a published analysis writes about the revival of the extreme right in Southeast Europe.

The known magazine “The Economist” in a published analysis writes about the revival of the extreme right in Southeast Europe.

In this article “The Economist” writes that religious and ethnic differences were the reasons the Balkan wars began since 1990.

During the Balkan wars in the 1990s, religious and ethnic differences were spreading across Europe with tragic outcomes. Muslim countries supported Bosnia; Europe's Catholic heart revived old ties with Croats, while Serbia gained moral support from the Orthodox ties it had with Russia, Greece and Cyprus”, writes the “The Economist”.

The magazine writes that religious influence has fallen after NATO bombings in Serbia during 1999. After this year, according to the Economist”, religious influence fell because of the Western influence the Balkans had after the bombing.

“S recently, religious nationalism and ultra-nationalistism have been restored to Southeast Europe even though not as dominant force, but there are sparks that are becoming even more visible”, writes The Economist”.

“Symptom of this is the Golden Dawn party in Greece, whose members are accused of participating in criminal organisations. In a video posted by this party, its members are seen celebrating the consolidation of relations with the Serbian Radical Party, whose founder, Vojislav Seshel, was tried for war crimes as he was released last year”, writes the popular magazine Koha.net broadcasts.

These extreme right parties rely heavily on religious rhetoric. In the manifesto held in Thessalonici, men in costumes celebrated the establishment of the common front against Islam and liberal globalisation in their religion” are later written in the article of the “The Economist”.

These extreme right-wing parties rely heavily on religious rhetoric. There are leaders of the two parties at the ceremony as they visit two of the monasteries near Mount Athos; that of Esphigmenou; and the Serbian monastery of Hilandari”.

The Economist” writes that the establishment of these parties is seen with votes they have taken through their respective states.

Neither the Golden Dawn nor the Serbian Radicals are on the trend through their states, but should not be underestimated. Golden Dawn has 16 deputies in the 300-member Greek Parliament. Serbian Radicals have received eight per cent in last year's elections in Serbia, enabling Scheel to return to parliament”, writes the popular magazine.

“Aleksandar Vuciq, the Serbian president, began his career as radical, but split from the party in 2008 to create a more modern political group”, writes the “The Economist”.

“Among the joints that have Golden Dawn and Serbian Radicals are the denial of foreign cultures, including those brought by immigrants; Vladimir Putin's admiration and warm relations with Russia, and the positive response to Donald Trump's election as president of America. Golden Dawn saw as justification for forces which are in favour of clean ethnic states and in favour of self-support in the national economy”.

“The Economist” writes that neither political life in the Balkans nor religious life have yet to begin and end with these [radical] voices. But they are obviously designed with great faith because for the first time in recent decades, history is on their side”.