The Macedonian crisis and the EU's response

On the eighth day of the mini-war in Macedonia, many will surely wish that the European Union's rapid reaction force existed not only on paper but was operational and could intervene in the conflict with the Albanian guerrillas on the border with Kosovo.

Unless there is a quick end to the conflict, there is a risk it will become drawn out. The fact that it potentially can spread to other parts of the Balkans does not make it less urgent for the EU to act more forcefully then it has done so far. If the conflict escalates, countries like Albania, Bulgaria and Greece can be draw in, resulting in a major war.

History in combination with the ethnic mosaic still has an explosive 19th century-like force. The curse of the Balkans is that in a world where territory becomes less important for the power and status of countries, land is the only thing that counts. It will take time for the Balkans to evolve into a new century. Therefore, the EU should not hesitate about supporting modernization.

-- Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, Sweden