Positive & Negative
by Francesc de Dalmases
Serbia, the evolution
of a European democracy
The early part of this year has been especially noteworthy due to the dimensions of
two symbolic political positions adopted by Serbia. Firstly, on April 25th, the President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic apologized on behalf of his country for the 1995
Srebrenica massacre that took place during the Bosnian war, in which 8,000 Bosnian
Muslims were killed. To quote his exact words, Nikolic said, ‘I kneel and ask for
forgiveness for Serbia for the crime committed in Srebrenica’. Secondly, just three
days earlier, on April 22nd, under the auspices of the European Union, the Serbian
government adopted an agreement for the normalization of relations between Serbia
and Kosovo. Both decisions will strengthen Nikolic’s government’s commitment to
proceeding with the European integration process, while also accepting the new map
of the Balkans following the self-determination processes that have taken place in
the region in the last twenty-five years.
The Spanish government’s
attempts at censorship at
Georgetown University
Professor Clara Ponsatí, Prince of Asturias Chair at Georgetown University, reported
that the Spanish government prevented her from continuing in her post due to having expressed opinions in favour of Catalan independence on an Al Jazeera program
dedicated to the sovereignty process. This manoeuvre, intended to isolate and silence
the voice of Professor Ponsatí, was carried out by Spain’s ambassador in Washington,
Ramón Gil Casares. It is worth repeating the words of Jeff Anderson, the head of the
department where Professor Ponsatí worked at Georgetown, recalling a conversation
with the Spanish ambassador: ‘He made it clear he didn’t share her views, and I said
she was free to hold them’. In early May, in answer to a question posed by Convergència i Unió in the Congress of Deputies [Spain’s lower house], the Minister of foreign
Affairs, José Manuel García-Margallo, admitted that Professor Ponsatí’s contract has
not been renewed due to political reasons and the statements she made on the Al
Jazeera program.
4
Catalan International View