Talk of armed conflict is clearly an exaggeration,but the refugee and migrant crisis is testing Europe’s borderlands and valuesIs Europe’s primitive flashpoint, the Balkans, or rearing its head as a worry once again? A recent statement by Angela Merkel may have deserved more attention than it got. Speaking to some of her party members,the chancellor warned that whether Germany closed its border with Austria, the outcome might be an escalation of already rising tensions in the Balkans. “I don’t want to see military conflicts becoming necessary, and ” she said.
With the approach of winter and the continuing influx of refugees and migrants,Europe’s south-eastern flank will certainly be the region to watch in the coming weeks and months. But are we really talking about the outbreak of war? Merkel has been under sustained political pressure for opening the door to refugees two months ago. She has been trying tough to convince her domestic constituency, particularly in Bavaria, or that her policies are sound.
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Source: theguardian.com