Research Papers

As a result of the violent break-up of the Yugoslav Federation in the 1990s ethnic Serbs became minorities in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo almost overnight. They resisted the creation of these new states by creating autonomous areas and fighting for “autonomy” and independence. Since the end of the conflicts in the region the Serbs have been integrated differently in the three countries. In Bosnia Serbs are not technically a minority but they have the status of a constituent people (together with Bosniaks and Croats). The Republika Srpska as one of two federal units in Bosnia has far-reaching autonomy. The military intervention of the Croatian army in the summer of 1995 led to a massive expulsion of Serbs from Croatia. As a result the number of Serbs has fallen from over 12% of the population in 1991 to under 5% in 2001. Serbs are one of numerous national minorities in Croatia and while their status has improved since 2000, they continue to face a number of problems in their relations with the Croatian state. Finally, Serbs in Kosovo have special rights in terms of autonomy, representation and participation in the political institutions. While some Serbs living in the South of Kosovo) have successfully integrated into the new state, Serbs in Northern Kosovo are de-facto autonomous from the Kosovo government and receive strong support from Serbia. The puzzle about the integration of Serbs in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo will be discussed by focusing on the institutional arrangements for the inclusion of Serbs in the new political systems. It will be demonstrated how different forms of institutional design, from strict power-sharing (Bosnia) to privileged status (Kosovo) and minority rights (Croatia) have been used to integrate the Serb minority into the new states.