News from Berlin - A hundred years ago, on June 28th,1914 the Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. The goal of the assassination was to push Austria-Hungary into breaking off with its south-Slav provinces, so that they could be joined to become one Yugoslavia. Historians agree that it directly led to the First World War as Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum against Serbia following the assassination, which the Serbs rejected. Serbia was then invaded by Austria-Hungary, which led to Russia declaring War on Austria-Hungary. Germany then joined the war as they had a treaty in which they agreed to attack any country attacking Austria-Hungary. The assassination and the local crisis turned into a world war due to excessive nationalism, failure of diplomacy and military alliances.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, commemorated the anniversary of the assassination in the Berlin Dome last Saturday (28.06), underlining that a lesson should be learned from that sad day. The key to European peace is the balance of power, which was disrupted on that day. Steinmeier said that Europeans should remember that Wars did not solve Europe’s problems in the past as we have seen after the 1914-1918 War, which was followed by the Second World War. Therefore, no one should believe that they will solve Europe’s problems in the future; no European country should try to disrupt the current balance of power, created by the EU.

State Minister Roth travelled to Bosnia Herzegovina to talk at the “Young Europe” conference and encouraged the youths who were in the audience, to participate in European integration. He also added that the “Division of Europe” will not be overcome, until all ex-Yugoslav states as well as Albania join the European Union.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global