TRUMP'S BALKANS

(Original text: Published in December 12, 2016)

Trump’s victory in US found its reflections in Balkans as well. Apart from the fact that the “first lady” is of Slovenian origin, Trump as the new president of US caused a sort of ambition among the dumb politicians in ex-Yugoslavia which were already polarized between supporters of Clinton and Trump before the elections.

Trump’s victory in the elections was in fact a shock in Eastern Europe. The early signs that Trump will have a more balanced foreign relations with Russia caused a fuss in the rusophobic administrations of Eastern Europe. Some countries have already tended to follow a balanced relation with Russia. Czechia, Hungary or Slovakia. A similar will appeared in Bulgaria and Moldova with the latest elections. However, Poland and especially Ukraine are quite uneasy with the upcoming new era and we suppose that they really have to be quite uneasy with the contemporary governments they have. As it is known: Both inner and international politics of both countries are established on consolidation based on rusophobia.

There will not be easy days for the liberals in Eastern Europe. On the other side, it should not be forgotten that the joy of populist and ultra-right wing politics about Trump’s victory absolutely do not offer better future for working class, employers and leftists. This shall be the subject of another article.

What about US’s “farm in Europe”; the Balkans?

Unsurprisingly, Balkans were divided into two camps even before the elections. A clear cut frontline between the anti-Trump and pro-Trump camps have already appeared.

Locals of Sevnica celebrating the election results. (photo: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-slovenia-trump-idUSKBN1342BF)

Slovenia can be identified as the folkloric member of pro-Trump camp. (Slovenia is not the one which is separated from Czechoslovakia, but the other one) The tiny country of Slovenia is proud of being the homeland of Trump’s (latest) wife Melania Trump from Slovenia. Yes, you did not read wrong: Donald Trump, who blackmails the immigrants to dismiss from US is married with a woman who migrated to USA in 1996 and gathered US citizenship only ten years ago! Melania Trump (Melianija Knavs) is from Sevnica, a small town of almost 5000 population at the skirts of Alps in Slovenia, where inhabitants celebrated Trump’s victory with parties. Nowadays the “aunties” who know little Melanija or Melanija’s old friends are invited to TV shows. Slovenians expect that the national brother-in-law (Donald Trump) will attach special importance to Slovenia and even a tourism boom is expected.

Seselj and his Serbian Radicals rallying for Trump. (Photo: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/file/show//Images/Images.New/Seselj%20Tramp%20640%20Beta.jpg)

However, the prominent songs of victory rose in Belgrade. President Nikolic have already declared his full support for Trump even long before the elections. Prime Minister Vucic did not show a direct support but declared his confidence of Trump’s victory after the election results were announced. The real enthusiasm was of Vojislav Seselj, ex-criminal of war, just left the prison and began to lead his Serbian Radical Party. It has to be noted that Milosevic or Karadzic can be identified as naïve when compared with Seselj. This arrogant Chetnik murder enjoyed to show his support to Trump by dressing t-shirts with Trump’s poster on it.

The love for Trump of Serbian nationalists is not limited with that of from Serbia. In Banja Luka, where a truck showed off in the city the whole day of election with huge posters of Putin and Trump, some celebrated Trump’s victory as well. Since Trump declared a more balanced relation with Putin, Serbian nationalists surely declared themselves as Trumpists. In Macedonia, icons are prepared showing Trump as a saint. Nikola Gruevski, the nationalist arrogant leader of Macedonia is quite happy with the anti-Islam discourse of Trump.

A truck for celebrating Trump's victory, not fırgetting the respect for Putin in Banja Luka. (Photo: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/file/show//Images/Images.New/Seselj%20Tramp%20640%20Beta.jpg)

It is not surprising that in ex-Yugoslavia polarization became a part of daily political life. So is the same case with the US elections. Bosnian Muslims and Kosovar Albanians are surely unhappy with US election results with the hope that like Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton would also “protect and support” Bosna and Kosovo.

People of different nations in Balkans are in search of some hope from distant countries since some time, without any trust or expectation from the local politicians.

TITO and FIDEL

(Original text: Published in December 5, 2016)

Since Fidel left us, many from ex-Yugoslavia shared photos in social media in which Fidel and Tito appear together. The“Yugoslavs among us” did the same indeed. On the other side it is known that political relations between Fidel and Tito was not that much cordial.

Just after it is announced that Fidel have died, an article published in Klix, one of Bosnia’s well known web portals caused some discussion not only among leftists in Bosnia, but also those from other ex-Yugoslav republics. While photos of Fidel and Tito, signifying their friendship were shared in social media, the article in Klix was pointing out the reality behind the scene. (1)

Tito and Fidel have met face to face for the first time in United Nations in 1969 when Cuba was in trouble in international relations. Giving direct support to revolutionary movements in South America, Cuba was facing with harsh sanctions from imperialism, leaded by aggressive politics of USA resulting with a diplomatic global isolation of Cuba. Exception was support of USSR. While at the same time, Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia under the rule of League of Yugoslav Communists, which was dismissed from Cominform in 1948, was enjoying close relations with the imperialist countries who were imposing unjust sanctions against Cuba. It also has to be noted that almost 8400 communists in Yugoslavia were imprisoned with the claim of being Stalinist or supporting Cominform.

Yugoslavia was in a political isolation in 1950’s and Tito’s solution for that was to become closer to imperialist countries in 1960’s. Thus, by reforms of 1965, decentralized state federative structure was strengthened and self-management was transformed into a system which was more coherent with market economy.

Of course, Yugoslavia’s move towards more harmony with market economics was not one sided. Western countries, appreciating Yugoslavia as a trump card against Soviet Union were likely to donate Yugoslavia with low-profit rated financial credits. Thanks to those Western financial credits, Yugoslavia enjoyed the most prosperous period ever. In fact, the end of 1960’s and the beginning of 1970’s are mostly referred by Yugonostalgia claimers as the time period when the life in Yugoslavia was the best. (2) On the other side, despite enjoying such a prosperous time period, the symptoms of dissolution and collapse of Yugoslavia could already be observed. Even a CIA report dated in 1970 was mentioning the beginning of the end. However, Tito and League of Yugoslav Communists were far away from reality without being able to analyze the situation. The concept of “self-management” which was certainly not specific to Yugoslavia signifies an anachronism. Yugoslav self-management practice was anachronist, since the idea of self-management of those utopic socialists of 19^th century like Proudhon, Fourier and Owen was already surpassed by scientific socialism, though still referred widely by Eurocommunism in indispensable search for an alternative against Soviet experience. Indeed, the new Yugoslav constitution of 1974 was the declaration of dissolution: Yugoslavia was not anymore a federation but a confederation.

It was that time when Fidel directed harsh criticisms against Tito. He was already distant to Tito, since Yugoslavia used to sell weapons to Fulgencia Batista which were directed against revolutionaries in Cuba. Moreover, Fidel was criticizing the luxurious and hedonistic lifestyle of Tito who almost became an iconic figure of Western magazine while hanging out with Hollywood stars or enjoying safari in Africa. The principal ideological break between Fidel and Tito was during the 1979 summit of non-Aligned Movement where Fidel criticized the movement, especially Tito, for their silence against global operations of imperialism. At that time, for sure two communist leaders of two communist countries should have given sincere poses to the journalists from worldwide.

Tito and Yugoslav partisans with their mythical guerilla resistance against fascism, forcing Nazis to kneel in the Dinar Alps take an heroic place in the international history of anti-fascist struggle. However, like many other communists Fidel was also aware that Tito and Yugoslav communists could not show the same will of struggle against imperialism. It also has to be noted that one of the reasons behind the current actual weakness of left and class struggle in ex-Yugoslavia despite the ongoing economic crisis, political problems is the political legacy of Tito and Yugoslav experience which could not pass through a process of self-criticism where a quarter century passed by since the bloody dissolution of Yugoslavia.

Apart from the fact that Yugoslavia and practice of self-management and Tito did not pass through a process of self-criticism, for us Tito is still the heroic commander in the anti-fascist struggle and one of the founders of socialist Yugoslavia with the motto “Protect fraternity and unity like the apple of your eyes”. But if we will put Fidel and Tito in the same photo, it we also have to keep in mind that it is not because of Tito’s political stance, but because of the essence of international solidarity which Fidel have never left behind.

(1) For the aerticle in Bosnian language click here.

(2) For my article on politcal impasse of Yugonostalgia click here

THE POLITICAL IMPASSE OF YUGONOSTALGIA

(Original text: Published in January 5, 2016)

There is usually a general tendency to overrate Yugoslav experience in left wing politics. For most, Yugoslavia and Tito are the smiling, humanistic face of socialism and the post-Yugoslav tragedy is just an outcome of nationalism provoked and supported by imperialism.

No doubt that nationalist separatism received support from imperialism and the political impact of West, especially Germany, on the bloody process of breakup of Yugoslavia cannot be ignored. On the other side, it would be a bit naive not to foresee that the constitutional reform in 1973 in Yugoslavia which transformed the Yugoslav federation into confederation would end up with the breakup of Yugoslavia. Especially, at the time when USSR was collapsed and imperialism did not any more need the smiling face socialism.

Despite the fact that almost a quarter century has passed since the breakup of Yugoslavia, the memories of good old times are still alive for some. Almost in all of ex-Yugoslav countries, a café fancied with materials about Yugoslavia or a monument is evitable cherishing the memories Yugoslavia. Even sometimes some new ones opened. For example in Bosnia, Tito Café located at the ground floor of the Sarajevo History Museum is a popular place with canons and armories from the World War II located at its garden where Tito’s birthday is celebrated every year with fireworks. A few more Ex-YU cafés do also exist. One of the main streets in Sarajevo city center is still “Marshall Tito Alley” and a Tito monument in the campus of Sarajevo University still stands. Ex-YU is the abbreviation for ex-Yugoslavia and is widely used in popular culture. Not only in Sarajevo, but also in Serbia, Montenegro or any other ex-Yugoslav countries ex-YU ornaments or places can be found. Even in Slovenia which was the first to claim independence from Yugoslavia.

The nostalgia for Yugoslavia, or as we shortly call; Yugonostalgia, is prevalent in all over ex-Yugoslavia. Differing from “Ostalgie” (nostalgia for German Democratic Republic), or nostalgia for USSR (which is widely exploited by Putin), Yugonostalgia is not alive only in the hearts of ex-partisans or the elders who lived during the most prosperous times of Yugoslavia, but also in the hearts of youngsters who even were not existing in Yugoslavia.

Now, just imagine a country that leaders from 122 countries were in the funeral of your leader including kings, presidents… It is clear that neither in Serbia, nor in Croatia, nor in Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro, nor in Macedonia, a similar funeral will never happen again. Just imagine: You were a citizen of a country of 22 million population, not only respectably recognized in Europe, but also worldwide, your leader is main figure of non-Aligned Movement and has a top prestigious position respected in both camps of the world during the Cold War. You have a respected army, a serious economy and then suddenly: Puffff! You are a citizen of a country where people even do not know if your country is separated from Czechoslovakia or Yugoslavia, or you are citizen of a country which is recognized only with the national football team with funny looking jerseys. Those two are the so called better off countries of ex-Yugoslavia who are both members of EU. Or you are a citizen Bosnia and Herzegovina, a monument of instability or a citizen of Macedonia even whose official name is not recognized in UN. Or a citizen of a country like Serbia which is shrinking through decades. Or a citizen of mafia-state like Kosovo or a citizen of Montenegro which resembles like a fictitious state. Would not you miss Yugoslavia?

Despite the tendency of Yugonostalgia, class movement and left wing parties are very weak in ex-Yugoslavia. Yugonostalgia obviously does not have any political implication in daily politics, which relies mostly on the anachronic character of Yugonostalgia. The main reason behind the anachronistic character of Yugonostalgia is the exemption of any kind of criticism of Tito and the practice of self-management. More than a political will, Yugonostalgia is a reflection of memories from relatively prosperous good-old days thanks to the financial credits donated by Western countries as a gift to a “socialist” country for her role in Cold War opposing USSR.

In contemporary political atmosphere, it has to be noted that Yugonostalgia, as an outcome of popular culture does not have any political implication. On the contrary, it has negative effect on class struggle and socialist politics in ex-Yugoslavia by blocking any political free of Titoism or Yugonostalgia.