Serbia in the Shadow of Milosevic

Since the regime of Slobodan Milo evi? was spectacularly overthrown on 5 October 2000, little has been written about subsequent political developments in Serbia. The common perception of Milo evi? as a criminal leader who plunged the former Yugoslavia into bloodshed, used violence to achieve his aims and incited ethnic hatred is not widely disputed among Western observers. However, to what extent is this view of Milo evi? shared by people in Serbia? Here Janine Clark provides an original insight into the Milo evi? period, by exploring the experiences and opinions of people who lived under the regime. Collecting first-hand information from Serbians, two dominant images of Milo evi? emerge. One is the view of Milo evi? as a 'bad' leader; a leader who destroyed his country and impoverished his own people, who cared only about himself and about power, who was incompetent and lacked ability and who made crucial mistakes. The other is the idea of Milo evi? as a victim; a victim of himself, of the people around him - especially his wife, and of the West. Clark explores the significance of these domestic perceptions. Many Serbs do not regard Milo evi? as a criminal leader but rather as a 'bad' leader whose greatest crimes were against his own people, and this has important implications for how Serbia deals with its past. This in turn has major implications for reconciliation and peace-building in the former Yugoslavia.Janine Clark offers us the first comprehensive understanding of this troubled country and its relationship with its former leader. She reminds us that although Milo evi? is no longer alive, the way in which he is remembered and popularly perceived means that he will continue to have an indirect influence on Serbia's future. The country remains, therefore, in the shadow of Milo evic?.