The history of the Balkans has been a distillation of the great and terrible themes of 20th century history-the rise of nationalism, communism, fascism, genocide, identity and war. Written by one of the leading historians of the region, this is a new interpretation of that history, focusing on the uses and legacies of nationalism in the Balkan region. In particular, Professor Veremis analyses the influence of the West-from the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise and collapse of Yugoslavia. Throughout the state-building process of Greece, Serbia, Rumania, Bulgaria and later, Albania, the West provided legal, administrative and political prototypes to areas bedevilled by competing irredentist claims. At a time when Slovenia, Rumania, Bulgaria and Croatia have become full members of the EU, yet some orphans of the Communist past are facing domestic difficulties, A Modern History of the Balkans seeks to provide an important historical context to the current problems of nationalism and identity in the Balkans.

This text analyzes the foreign policies of EU Mediterranean states and applicants in the context of wider EU Mediterranean relations. It provides a comparative analysis of current members and applicant Mediterranean states in the 1990s at a time when EU processes of enlargement and integration raise fundamental needs to define interests of the EU in its Southern and Eastern relationships.

Presented here are the views of experts and intellectuals from South-East Europe regarding the need for regional reconstruction and development in order to foster regional stability. The cardinal issue addressed by each of the contributors is how the region can avoid political isolation and enhance its chances of attaining economic stability and social cohesion. If achieved, this could pave the way for gradual political and economic integration with the European Union in the future.

Presented here are the views of experts and intellectuals from South-East Europe regarding the need for regional reconstruction and development in order to foster regional stability. The cardinal issue addressed by each of the contributors is how the region can avoid political isolation and enhance its chances of attaining economic stability and social cohesion. If achieved, this could pave the way for gradual political and economic integration with the European Union in the future.

Focusing scholarly attention on a little known area of Europe, the book brings together analysts with an insider's view to examine the short and long-term challenges facing the region, the intricate relationship between politics and economics and the irrelevance of quick fixes in the postwar reform of Southeast Europe.