PROROKOVIĆ: EUROPEAN UNION IN CRISIS

TREBINJE, JUNE 11 /SRNA/ – The EU is currently in crisis, just as the Ottoman Empire was in the second half of the 19th century, said Dušan Proroković, member of the Institute of International Politics and Economics, in Trebinje.

He emphasized the importance of drawing parallels between historical events and the present day, noting that there are political messages and processes very similar to today’s geopolitical situation. Proroković pointed out that the crisis of the Ottoman Empire created conditions for revolution, and something similar is now happening in Europe. “We are witnessing a whole series of small revolutions occurring across European countries. This is also a major financial crisis. The second half of the 19th century brought about the bankruptcy of the Ottoman Empire, which was constantly borrowing and began printing money. What is happening differently today, whether from the Central Bank or the U.S. Federal Reserve?” Proroković asked. He stated that another similarity between the two eras is the exhaustion of a certain ideology. “People in the second half of the 19th century sought modernization. When we talk about geopolitics, we see a constant struggle by transatlantic powers—the USA and the UK—against Russia, which they continually attempt to suppress. True, the front line today is a few hundred kilometers northwest of BiH, in Ukraine, but in principle, nothing has changed,” said Proroković in a statement to journalists in Trebinje, where he is participating in an international gathering marking 150 years since the Nevesinje Uprising. He said that the International Scientific Conference "150 Years Since the Herzegovina Uprising: Impact on Regional Security and European Geopolitics", which was opened yesterday in Nevesinje, was organized due to the symbolic significance of that historical event. “We have nearly 40 academic papers, so from an organizational standpoint, it was challenging to accommodate all participants in Nevesinje, which is why we are in Trebinje today. The proximity of the airport also influenced the decision to change the location for the second day,” Proroković explained. He pointed out that the current geopolitical situation is the reason for the strong interest from international participants from the United Kingdom, Paris, and Russia in the scientific conference ‘150 Years Since the Herzegovina Uprising: Impact on Regional Security and European Geopolitics’, and that a proceedings volume will be published by the end of September or beginning of October, including studies on the Nevesinje Uprising. The conference is organized by the Institute of Historical Sciences of the University of East Sarajevo and the Institute of International Politics and Economics from Belgrade, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technological Development of Serbia and the Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of Republika Srpska.