Europe’s Security Flashpoints
9 May 2012
Over the past two days we have traced the post-war evolution of European security integration (see article and podcast). Our analyses of key events and treaties have tried to demonstrate that greater European security integration remains subject to fluctuating financial conditions and the vicissitudes of political will. And yet, the fact that the European security project has persisted – and often flourished at the bilateral level – confirms that the concept has enduring strength and appeal. The concept of collective security, however, has always been Janus-faced. Yes, it is (and can be) a vehicle for greater European integration, but that does not mean it is also a foolproof prophylactic against political disintegration. Despite the best efforts of the European Union and the United Nations, for example, portions of the Balkans and Eastern Europe remain what they were – a source of political tension and potential violence. Moreover, within the borders of the European Union (EU) there remain several long-standing regional conflicts that are defined, among other things, by a decided preference for secession ahead of integration. Indeed, these flash-points are where socio-political ideas and identities not only collide with each other, but also with the European Project. Today’s multimedia feature outlines the current ‘state of play’ when it comes to Europe’s security flash-points. It happily suggests a future where some of Europe’s most enduring regional conflicts may increasingly be addressed by EU-driven dialogue rather than violence, particularly in the case of the Balkans and Cyprus. At the same time, however, the fragile peace currently being maintained in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Northern Ireland and between Serbia and Kosovo suggests that conflict within Europe is by no means a thing of the past.
Map 1: The Balkan Tinderbox
Map 2: Europe’s ‘forgotten’ conflicts