Monday, February 18, 2008

kosovo

So Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. I remember hearing about all of the turmoil going on over here when I was growing up. It's so weird to think that Serbia is just to our south. Being that we are so close to all of this, I am trying to find out how Hungary feels about this. I have read lots and watched news clips on the internet, but Hungary is only mentioned once or twice in something I read but in nothing I have seen. Although I am an American, I do live here now and need to know this country's stance.

There is a significant ethnic Hungarian minority in Serbia, so from what I have gathered, they are most interested in keeping this region stable. That makes sense for Hungary. But I have yet to read where exactly they stand. Most of the major European powers in the EU have recognized Kosovo. There are several countries in the EU who have not, including Spain, but I have not read which side Hungary is on.

I know a woman who came to Hungary as a refugee when all of the stuff was happening in the '90s. Her story ended happily after she was able to flee with her children and then finally be reunited with her husband. It is just a story that is only heard on US news and one that fortunately most Americans have not had to experience. It has whole new meaning when you know someone who has experienced that tragedy and scary situation. It has whole new meaning when what is happening is not across the ocean but just a few hundred miles away.

2 comments:

Audrey said...

Indeed. Thank you for sharing this perspective. I've been interested in seeing how these changes in Kosovo will be portrayed in the international news but more interested to see how people in the area respond.

Stefanie Schocke said...

So I am patiently waiting for the "world of seth" coming to a blog near you.