The concept of collective memory is a grappling one. The Western Balkans went through political turmoil and wars in the 1990s, and the effects can be felt even today, after more than 20 years. It is understandable for war veterans and civilians who have lived through atrocities of wars to be haunted by remnants of the past, but how do we explain younger generations being emotionally attached to those times as if they were present or old enough to remember them?

The attitude of the right towards women’s rights has evidently undergone an evolution. In has remained misogynistic in essence, but with one important difference: right-wing politics has acquired the ability to mimic modern society. Today, it does not hold a banner containing the explicit message “No to women’s right to vote!”, but rather a shiny paper that guarantees every woman the right to her dignity, albeit defined in right-wing terms. Also, right-wing politics is making some effort to make room for women’s right to health care on its agenda, except that the disaffected will notice that, in its vocabulary, the term health is mostly reduced to reproductive health.

In the territory of former Yugoslavia, the past is still one of the most contentious topics despite the fact that more than 20 years have passed since the conflict ended. The question of how to deal with past crimes and human rights violations tends to open up a wide range of legal, political and psychological issues.

Text by BCSP Director Igor Bandović, originally published on portal On Think Tanks.