Brexit has echoes of the breakup of Yugoslavia

Is the stability of the European Union as a whole now under threat following the UK’s decision to leave? Catherine Baker draws a number of parallels between the dynamics that preceded the break-up of Yugoslavia and the ongoing developments that have followed the EU referendum. She highlights that while the demise of Yugoslavia was itself not inevitable, the violence that accompanied it could certainly have been spared. This represents a warning for political leaders, who should now be careful to listen to the alternatives proposed by the public and heed them, instead of suppressing them.