The International Commission on the Balkans, a non-governmental body of experts led by Giuliano Amato, a former Italian prime minister, published a report in April that gloomily reflected:

The region is as close to failure as it is to success. For the moment, the wars are over but the smell of violence still hangs heavy in the air... Economic growth in these territories is low or non existent; unemployment is high; corruption is pervasive; and the public is pessimistic and distrustful towards its nascent democratic institutions.

But Croatia exaggerated the depth of its transformation for foreign consumption, and perhaps ended up believing some of its own publicity. [...] Croatia can scarcely afford to drag its feet. The job of reforming its public adminis-tration and its economy looks like at least five years' hard work. The state controls too much and delivers too little. Public spending accounts for fully half of GDP. Public debt rose from 30% of GDP in 1955 to 55% in 2003. External debt doubled from 41% of GDP in 1977 to 82% in 2003. Key health indicators are far below EU averages. Half the beneficiaries of social assistance are able-bodied but unemployed. Only 60% of adults have had more than eight years of schooling.

The solution proposed by the Amato commission mixes practicality with romance, optimism and desperation. Probably all those things are needed in equal measure if the Balkans are ever to be helped to help themselves.

Taming the Balkans, The Economist, June 25, 2005.

Quiz: which of the Balkan countries agrees with the borders drawn on the above map?

How could you be an optimist considering that 89.6% of Croatian population (2001) are Croats?