Mirjana Markovic is almost a gothic figure, wielding as much power in Yugoslavia as her husband, Milosevic. Perhaps more, as he reportedly follows her advice implicitly.
Her ethnic hatred for Yugoslav Muslim and Croats has figured largely in her public condemnations of all things non-Serbian.
Last November, while efforts were underway to establish a dialogue between the Serbs and the Albanian Kosovars, she publicly lashed out at "the enemies of the Serb people". Her list of enemies was pretty inclusive. As external enemies, she listed the Kosovar Albanians (that's pretty telling right there. She didn't consider the Kosovars as part of Yugoslavia), NATO, the Croats, the "Muslim world conspiracy", and for some reason, the Magyars (ethnic Hungarians)even though there is no significant current hostilities between Serbs and Magyars. For internal enemies, she listed the "independent media", young people, all opposition parties, and corrupt intellectuals.
I have to admit, if I had to choose between her and Hillary as a dinner date, I'd probably choose her. At least the conversation would be interesting.
In the end, if Milosevic is held truly accountable for his crimes against humanitiy, Markovic should be held likewise accountable, perhaps sharing the fate of that other famous first couple of ethnic cleansing, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu. |
