Serbia After the Criminal Past: What Went Wrong and What Should be Done

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between the recent criminal past and the contemporary socio-political condition in Serbia. Basic assumptions employed are that the recent past is defined by collective crimes, this past has retained relevance after the regime change of October 2000 and that Serbia has thus far chosen the wrong methods for dealing with its criminal legacies. Due to the persistence of damaging political, cultural and moral attitudes about the past, the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic has failed to bring about the necessary political and moral break. Thus, it is legitimate to explore alternative ways of coming to terms with the legacies of past crimes, including, as this article proposes, the establishment of a truth commission in Serbia.