Yugoslavia Won at Eurosong Before Falling Apart

After the victory of the group Riva in the 1989 Eurovision song contest, the end of Yugoslavia began. Facing

Serbian representative Marija Sefirovic convincingly won at this year`s Eurosong contest, just like Riva in 1989. Soon after this musical success at the European level, Yugoslavia, with six republics and two provinces, stated falling apart. Today, Serbia remained from that Yugoslavia, with Vojvodina and Kosovo in its composition. Opponents of Kosovo independence are expecting with fear voting at the Security Council, which will be crucial for the future organisation of Kosovo. Once more, like in 1989, Eurovision is won.

Yugoslav political crisis was more complex and dangerous for region stability at the beginning of the 1990`s than it is today. Throughout the Federation, meetings started to be held with Slobodan Milosevic convincing the masses with demagogy in the realisation of the dream of Greater Serbia. Croatia reaches a decision to break away via a referendum, which Belgrade does not accept. In the summer of 1990 the so called “Barricade revolution” (“Balvan revolution”, armed rebellion of Serbs in Croatia, initiated from Serbia) broke out, deepening the crisis even more. The first victim of the Croatian-Serbian conflict is taken at Easter on Plitvice lakes, in the spring of 1991. Conflicts in eastern Slavonia and Baranja became serious and war broke out. The Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia lost Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia (countries broke away), while Montenegro remains true to its northern neighbour Serbia. Yugoslavia fell apart.

End of Serbian-Russian friendship?

Voting at the Security Council on accepting the independence of the Kosovo province with the majority Albanian population is awaited in Serbia with much concern. Opponents of its independence hope for Russian veto and stopping UN`s plan.

While Marija raised her country`s image in Finland, Serbian Assembly representatives vigorously discussed the dismissal of Tomislav Nikolic. When the Parliament members found out that their neighbours, with whom they were once in a unified country, gave them the maximum number of points, and Russia only 5 points, they received a reason more for radical Nikolic`s dismissal.

Namely, Nikolic said earlier that Serbia „was unfortunately not a Russian province“, but that it also cannot be a “European province” and that he hopes that Russia will come up with an alternative way of uniting countries which oppose US hegemony and the hegemony of the European Union”.

Government aims to keep Kosovo

The old-new Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica presented the programme of the government. Solution to the Kosovo issue is one of the most important tasks for the new authorities. Kostunica pointed out that according to the Constitution, Kosovo and Methonia were constitutive and inseparable parts of Serbia.

Still, on the same day, US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice looks back on Kosovo, saying that it is impossible to be kept as a part of Serbia. Chances are Kosovo will become independent.

Those who are superstitious probably feel uncomfortable when reminded of the last victory at the Eurosong competition. They are not comfortable because they believe in the old saying: History repeats itself.