http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/

- Apart from Mardell's general great blogs on all EU topics, not much has been discussed about Kosovo's coming independence, despite so much being made of the campaign in the '90s.

Is this one success story that nobody is capitalizing upon?

I think it's also quite momentous for the EU, especially in light of its increasing acceptance - and capacity - to deal with foreign duties. An EU force in Chad/Darfur and now a police force in Kosovo.

But most importantly, what does this mean for the Balkans, and Russia? Do we have a right to support an independent Kosovo? We daren't support a 'Kurdistan' - so why is this different?

Haven't the Serb leaders vowed retaliation if Kosovo declares independence? I think terming it a success might be a little too soon.

Well, Serbia want to be in the EU.

There's not really anything they can/would do against an EU Protectorate, except protest to no avail, and at the end of the day they have more to gain from the EU then they do in clinging on to Kosovo.

These are some good updated links:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7249034.stm#map

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7248625.stm

The farther east you go, the more you will regret it.

Can't explain why, but uncle 2's post is somewhat prophetic. suprises me Halo as both and englishman and a historian that your not seeing the dangers in empire building.

It's less the empire building and more the inevitable conflicts that arise as you add more pieces to the EU puzzle, none of them cut to quite the right shape.

I dont disagree with you at all Thor. I do. don't ask i dont know.
While i see the efforts of the EU as a genuine benovelent endeavor atm. its only atm that this is a truth. look deep into and there you see the pattern of what begins an empire. the worst of human behavior has often begun for the greatest ideals.
Power corrupts and as the EU begins to gather greater power the potential for corruption gains momentum. as it stands it's not the EU thats seeking this expansion of power but the poorest of nations on the fringes of the empire that prostrate themselves to this power.
If the EU is indeed building empire it's bieng done in the new way economic above bombanonic. this is not unpresedented(sp?) the US achieved this post WW2, but somehow fumbled on the goal line. oh right we call that Reagonomics.
History is not the sum of specific events.
more so the patterns of human behavior both individualistic and collective(accent on the collective) wich most sadly is a repetative cycle.

Oh come on guys... only the least informed can believe the EU is anything like empire-building.
It doesn't even have a constitution yet, member states have terrifically massive powers of independence (the UK is a prime example, it is difficult to see how the EU have impinged on almost any part of domestic, or of course as you will all agree, foreign policy), and the powers of democracy are unlike any other multi-member-state organism yet known to history. You have a loose federation of democratic states - there is no opportunity for 'empire building'.

On a macro level, take the Euro, for example. Members are free to accept or not.

On a micro level, look at the constitution - it was defeatedthrough democratic referendums in France and the Netherlands and thus abandoned, despite being ratified in a majority of country's.

Most governments of the EU are liberal/labour governments, not republican/conservative. It's reflected in Europe's early beginnings in foreign policy (of which most can scarcely say there is one yet). The EU is coming on par with the US in humanitarian aid, we have also deployed policing missions to Chad and Kosovo. We are one of the few polity's to have an arms trade ban with China and were a strong voice during the Burma crisis.

These are, of course, negligble baby steps in foreign policy. But as an early indicator to what lays ahead, it is promising. In the post-WW2 world Europe has learnt the harsh lessons of empire and of conflict, and many individual states are still being effected by those very lessons. In an age where many British subjects are embarassed to mention Empire, many Frenchman who still remember the gruelling Algiers War, or when there is legislation against not believing the holocaust in Germany, I find it hard to believe individual, liberal, very independent members of the European Union would even adopt a course of empire building to the tragic state you all mention above.

Having a combined economic policy and adopting very loose constitutional ties with the beginnings of a common defence and foreign policy while expanding to the countries on Europe's periphery is a positive step for Europe. Indeed, membership to the EU is an encouraging and promising venture, one that has seen former poverty drenched countries turn themselves around. The Old Eastern Bloc have done marvelous. The Czech Republic, Hungary and recently Bulgaria have shown increasing and even amazing economic growth, unemployment and inflation reductions that would have otherwise been unthinkable. As repugnant as the Farming Subsidy is in Britain, it is an overwhelming relief to millions of agricultural holdings across Eastern Europe tha allows a subsistence and productivity unthinkable otherwise, and as has been shown in the Czech Republic, enocurages industrial and commercial sectors as a consequence.

There is no empire here. There is no example in history for a loose confederation of democratic and liberal states with large independent powers coming together through a common economic policy - then turning on the world and gobbling up its neighbours to become an imperial power.

To have another, large and prosperous liberal polity on the scene such as (one may argue) the US is a positive, very much needed, counter-balance to those growing countries such as China who are everything the EU is not - responsible, liberal, enlightened and progressive.

You can't knock that, guys.

As repugnant as the Farming Subsidy is in Britain

Why dont you take your rebate and shove it up your arse, mate. :)

This'll sink Halo's day... I agree completely.

A strong EU expanding its sphere of influence as much as possible is good for us and the world. Just no more Chirac's please.

Wish we had something to encourage the industrial sector over here. :(

'This'll sink Halo's day... I agree completely. '

- Ok, I actually said "fuck me" out loud.

My belief system is now totally messed up. Maybe the EU is evil....

edit: But speaking of that, there's no more room for the Schroeders or Chirac's of the world, it's a new era baby.

:)

Wish we had something to encourage the industrial sector over here. http://ayonae.ro/images/smilies/frown.gifDon't worry, Obama or Clinton will tax the hell out of what's left.

Don't worry, Obama or Clinton will tax the hell out of what's left As oppossed to letting China and her Ilk peddle lead filled toys, poisened dog food and tooth paste,and flat out tainted pharmasutical(sp) compounds?

There is no example in history for a loose confederation of democratic and liberal states with large independent powers coming together through a common economic policy - then turning on the world and gobbling up its neighbours to become an imperial power.



And you present yourself as learned and vaunted student of history?????
Dude!! the answer to that is frakking obvious and in your face i'm not even gonna bother to profer up a clue for you!!
ok a small one, give it 228 years.

As oppossed to letting China and her Ilk peddle lead filled toys, poisened dog food and tooth paste,and flat out tainted pharmasutical(sp) compounds?So taxing our manufacturers is going to create more jobs in those industries? Oookay.

No, but enforcing the trade laws and the standards of safety written into EVERY single one might be a start. it's great to have trade agreements , ignoring the provisions pertaining to them because it might cause ToysRus a 1.25% loss in thier profits from last year wich OMG lets all freak out now means they will only make 2.4 billion in profit this year.
But hey.. whats a few dead toddlers between friends really? as long as the share holders are happy!

P.S. please do not Google profits/toysrus those stats are made up and only cited in an attempt to make a point!
They in no way reflect the real numbers of American children actually poisoned in pursuit of profit.

Back on topic a little bit.

For all of the things Bill Clinton did that I hate/disagree with; the one thing he did do right was moving us into Kosovo. And Nato/UN/EU has done a wonderful job in the region. It's great to see something I helped along come to fruition. I'm just worried about the Serbian military, they tend to get stupid. During the riots of '04 we had to block them from moving in to 'help'.

Well here's a little update:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7254686.stm

- The obvious Serbian backlash to independence. And, of course, Russia's mounting aggression.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2008/02/kosovo_lights_up_the_eu.html

- Another good Mardell blog on the EU perspective. I'm pretty sure historians will see Kosovo as EU foreign policy's first 'step' on to the world stage.
We'll see how successful it turns out to be.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7256158.stm

- It seems this will be a real test for the EU. The world will be watching. What cooperation Serbia proper will give the Serbs in Kosovo remains to be seen. How the EU takes over from NATO/UN missions in light of this backlash will be interesting, hopefully the dutch Commissioner will keep border security and policing at a high for long enough to allow Kosovo to stablise after independence.

Either way, to allow these embassy's to remain unprotected at such a time of political tension was crazy.

Oh well.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/24/wserbia124.xml

Hopes for a peaceful conclusion to the declaration of Kosovo's independence were fading as the European Union announced it had withdrawn its staff from the north of the fledgling country in the face of increasingly angry Serb protests.