Peace in Kosovo: Rebuilding a Future for the Balkans
After this war, the first military conflict on the continent since 1945, Europe has surely to rethink its role in world politics. After all, NATO's victory was surely less brilliant than expected, although not even one casualty in combat occurred due to enemy action. The triumph of new military technologies was this time even more evident than during the Gulf War. Despite the skepticism and warnings of military advisors and strategists, this was the first war in history to be won exclusively by the use of air forces. But if the superiority of NATO has proved unquestionable, this was almost exclusively due to US Air Force technology and armaments. The European partners have recognized their lack of adequate modern armaments and will intensify their efforts in order to take up with the Americans. A major integration of European military structures and a unified European supreme command could be among the answers.
On the diplomatic field Europe has already had a perception of its growing scope and influence with the success of Ahtisaari's mission. Working together the Europeans have evidenced their ability in building a bridge between America and Russia. Unfortunately the problem to get the major European partners to talk with a single tongue exists since many decades. As former chancellor Helmut Kohl used to say, a leading role must always be played by the Germans, otherwise the whole process of European integration would inevitably come to halt. The experience of the EU-presidency in this difficult period has made his successor Schröder aware of this responsibility now.
Another answer to the European question arrived these days from the Cologne summit, where EU-partners agreed to go rapidly towards a commune foreign and defense policy. A EU-commissioner shall coordinate this policy from now on and in Cologne the prime ministers nominated the current secretary-general of NATO, the Spaniard Javier Solana, for this office. Next year Solana should lead also the West European military Union (WEU) into full integration with the EU.
As to the other powers, America's firm political, military and technological leadership has even grown its reputation, while Russia has been able to defend its role as a big power, obtaining an important diplomatic success. The Kosovo war, which
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