Conference paper
THE INTEGRATION OF EUROPE AS THE REINTEGRATION OF SMALL NATIONS
Darko Plevnik
; Journal "Slobodna Dalmacija", Split, Croatia
Abstract
The author looks into the concept of the “small nation” and whether it is high time for its scientific or linguistic revision. If “small nations” are a qualitative category, why define them quantitatively as “small”? Small nations gained independence in two waves: between the German-French war (1870-1871) and the end of World War One, and after the close of the “cold war” in 1990. However, not all small nations gained independence (e.g. Basques, Catalonians, Bretons, etc.). They pose a major challenge for Western Europe. The example of Croatia and its relationship with Serbs serves to illustrate the vacillations in the European ideology and attitudes towards small nations. The pressures exerted on the Croatian state regarding the political attitude of the Croatian people towards small nations did not stem from the logic of globalist economism or neoliberal political doctrine but were the consequence of the war which the mother country of the Croatian Serbs (Serbia) waged with the aim of annexing the territories on which they were a majority population.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
27141
URI
Publication date:
28.7.2000.
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