Serbia in the shadow of Milosevic: the legacy of conflict in the Balkans - 17

Since the regime of Slobodan Milosevi? was spectacularly overthrown on 5 October 2000, little has been written about subsequent political developments in Serbia.

The common perception of Milosevi? as a criminal leader who plunged the former Yugoslavia into bloodshed, used violence to achieve his aims and incited ethnic hatred is not widely disputed among Western observers.

However, to what extent is this view of Milosevi? shared by people in Serbia? Here Janine Clark provides an original insight into the Milosevi? period, by exploring the experiences and opinions of people who lived under the regime. _x000D_Collecting first-hand information from Serbians, two dominant images of MiloA evi? emerge. One is the view of MiloA evi? as a 'bad' leader; a leader who destroyed his country and impoverished his own people, who cared only about himself and about power, who was incompetent and lacked ability and who made crucial mistakes.

The other is the idea of MiloA evi? as a victim; a victim of himself, of the people around him - especially his wife, and of the West.

Clark explores the significance of these domestic perceptions.

Many Serbs do not regard MiloA evi? as a criminal leader but rather as a 'bad' leader whose greatest crimes were against his own people, and this has important implications for how Serbia deals with its past.

This in turn has major implications for reconciliation and peace-building in the former Yugoslavia._x000D_Janine Clark offers us the first comprehensive understanding of this troubled country and its relationship with its former leader.

She reminds us that although MiloA evi? is no longer alive, the way in which he is remembered and popularly perceived means that he will continue to have an indirect influence on Serbia's future.

The country remains, therefore, in the shadow of MiloA evic?._x000D__x000D_