PER report: Interethnic accommodation in Vojvodina
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Subject: PER report: Interethnic accommodation in Vojvodina
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PER report: Interethnic accommodation in Vojvodina
VOJVODINA: THE POLITICS OF INTERETHNIC ACCOMMODATION
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
SEPTEMBER 23-25, 1999
ATHENS, GREECE
FEBRUARY 13-15, 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Note on Terminology
THE VIENNA MEETING
Characterizations of the Problem
Proposals of the Vojvodina Hungarians and the Serb Response
What Should the Next Steps Be?
THE ATHENS MEETING
Changes Since the Meeting in Vienna
Is a Discussion on Interethnic Relations Timely?
The Vienna Communique
The Athens Communique
List of Participants in Meetings in Vienna and Athens
Other PER Publications
PREFACE
This preface to the account of discussions between the Serbian
democratic opposition and leaders of the Vojvodina ethnic communities
about the future of Vojvodina is being written in June 2000. We do not
know how much longer the Milosevic regime will remain in power, but
sooner or later it will collapse. Its most deplorable legacy will be
the deliberate and systematic destruction of the fragile interethnic
accommodation that had once characterized the region. Much of the
resulting suffering and damage is beyond repair any time in the near
future: It is difficult even to conceive of normal relations between
Serbs and Kosovar Albanians before another lifetime goes by.
Nevertheless, Serbia remains a multiethnic country. If the Serbian
democratic opposition is to succeed, it needs to work with the
minorities. It needs their support and their votes now, and it needs
to come to power prepared with a fair and effective minorities policy.
The minorities, in turn, need a democratic future.
Vojvodina represents one of the best opportunities for cooperation. It
is a multiethnic region of Serbia that has long been characterized by
a rich blend of peoples - Serbs, Montenegrins, Hungarians, Croats,
Romanians, Slovaks, Ruthenians, Roma, and others. The nationalist
assault by the Milosevic government upset traditional arrangements,
creating life-changing losses for many members of the minorities as
they were deprived of status, employment, and legal protection.
The minorities of Vojvodina did not turn toward secession or armed
resistance, but instead tried for many years to coax the Milosevic
government to reverse its practices. By the time of the Kosovo war,
however, even the most optimistic among them realized that their only
hope lay with a completely new government in Belgrade, and they
increasingly looked toward the democratic Serbian opposition.
But the opportunity for the Vojvodina minorities and the democratic
opposition to make common cause is more complicated than one would
wish. This document summarizes two discussions - one in Vienna in
September 1999, and a follow-up meeting in Athens in February 2000 -
between leaders of the Vojvodina opposition parties (including Serb
and ethnic minority parties) and the major Belgrade-based opposition
parties and coalitions. The talks produced a political document to
which all of the participants subscribed, but the difficult path to
this result and the problems of coordination since then are a forecast
of more complications ahead.
Briefly, the Vojvodina representatives argued for the restoration of
local administrative autonomy and for legislative and constitutional
measures that would recognize the self-governing authority (within
Serbia) of the several ethnic communities of Vojvodina. But the
Serbian opposition parties expressed reservations about granting
ethnically based autonomy, claiming that the Serbs themselves had been
so grievously wounded by recent events that any further dilution of
their status and influence would be unacceptable. Moreover, they
argued, taking up the cause of minorities at this time would expose
them to politically damaging charges by Milosevic that they were
anti-Serbian.
The fact that the sides were nevertheless able to reach full agreement
(albeit only after their second meeting) was therefore a considerable
accomplishment. We shall have to see whether their efforts will bear
fruit in a new Serbia. The opposition parties, which were to have
submitted the document to the collegium of presidents of the united
opposition, have not yet done so. Meanwhile, not only the opposition
political parties but all democratically minded people in Serbia are
under assault by a regime that becomes ever more repressive as its
demise approaches. Those who took part in these meetings under such
harrowing circumstances - within hours after the Athens meeting,
official Belgrade broad-cast accusations that they had betrayed
Serbia, and hinted at personal reprisals - deserve our admiration for
their courage.
Whoever succeeds to power in Serbia will find the question of
Vojvodina waiting. Fortunately, the discussion leading to resolution
has begun.
We are grateful to Tibor Varady and Dusan Janjic for their
indis-pensable advice in organizing these meetings. Their persistence
and wisdom during Serbia's long night will surely be celebrated in a
future democracy. Alex N. Grigor'ev, PER program officer, prepared
this report, and it was edited by Robert A. Feldmesser, PER senior
editor. PER assumes full responsibility for the text, which has not
been reviewed by the participants.
Alien H. Kassof, President
Princeton, New Jersey
June 2000
-----------------
The Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) was founded in 1991 in
anticipation of the serious interethnic conflicts that were to erupt
following the collapse of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe and
the former Soviet Union. PER conducts programs of high-level
intervention and dialogue and serves as a neutral mediator in several
major disputes the region. PER also conducts programs of training,
education, and research at international, national, and community
levels.
PER is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with
additional funding from the Starr Foundation, the William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the
Council of Europe.
Individuals and institutions wishing to receive PER publications
should write to:
Project on Ethnic Relations
15 Chambers Street
Princeton, New Jersey 08542-3707, USA
Telephone: (609) 683-5666
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E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.netcom.com/~ethnic/per.html
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