| Abstract [eng] |
Experience of 1999 NATO intervention has had a major influence on Serbia’s national narrative, strategic culture and political decisions. Academics determine that perception of NATO intervention is the main factor that shapes relations between Serbia and NATO. Since 2015 relations between Serbia and NATO intensified, new cooperation plans were established, the number of military exercises increased significantly. All of this draws attention to a couple of theoretical ideas, the first one presents that narratives are extremely important in political decision making when the second one explains that narratives are not stable and tends to change over time. These things lead to the question: what narrative about the 1999 NATO intervention currently prevails at the Serbian political level, and how much does it differ from the previously widespread narrative? Academic literature on this political narrative is quite limited to various summaries of political understanding until 2014. However, it is still difficult to find an analysis of Serbia's political narrative on intervention after 2014. The significance of this narrative to Serbia’s current relations with NATO is also underdeveloped. So, this thesis aims to analyze the early and current Serbia’s political narrative on the 1999 NATO intervention, assess the change in the narrative and its significance to Serbia’s decision to intensify cooperation with NATO. To accomplish the aim several research steps were performed. Firstly, the concept of the political narrative was described and a detailed research method was determined. Then, a systematic analysis of secondary sources was performed and a political narrative on NATO intervention in the period of 2000-2014 was identified. Later on, analysis of this political narrative in the period of 2015-2020 was conducted by analyzing the content of statements of political actors. Both analyses are focused on three components of political narrative – a story about a 1999 intervention as an event; a story about NATO as an actor; a story about Serbia’s role in the intervention. Finally, both narratives were compared and the significance of the political narrative was assessed in the context of Serbia’s decision to intensify cooperation with NATO. This thesis gave the conclusions that Serbia’s political narrative on 1999 NATO intervention remains very similar. The perception of the intervention events together with the understanding of Serbia’s and NATO’s role in the intervention has not changed, however, the understanding of NATO became moderate. The most significant change in NATO’s political perception is the shift from the understanding that NATO is a hostile great power to the view that NATO is not Serbia’s enemy but a necessary partner, which is crucial to the security and the progress of Serbia. Political narrative on NATO intervention is only to some extent aligned with Serbia’s choice to strengthen its partnership with NATO because narrative change is minor. Moreover, it was identified that the use of this political narrative is quite selective. Political leaders in different situations tend to emphasize different components and features of political narrative. Due to the lack of similar research, this thesis could be considered as an input to the literature about the development of Serbia’s political narrative on NATO intervention since 2014. This analysis to some extent illustrates theoretical ideas about the selective use of narratives and the relationship between narratives and political decisions. Finally, this thesis is an initial attempt to discuss the significance of Serbia’s political narrative on NATO intervention to the country’s decision to intensify relations with NATO. However, further research on the relation between Serbian political narratives and political decisions are very much needed to better understand the current situation and development of the country’s strategic culture and its historical memory. |
