This paper does not aim at discussing the political implications of the collapse of Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, after the 1992-1994 war, negotiations, and the fragile peace settlement, the author states it is necessary to ask what has been learnt from the Yugoslav crisis, and whether anything can be done to prevent the spread of what is euphemistically called ‘the Balkan problem’. The author aims to look only at the consequences of the Yugoslav war which might alter our thinking about the nature of language and the role of translation.