The EU faces a major test in northern Kosovo

After the EU sanctioned Kosovo so much for its actions in the north, and now considers that "normalcy is returning" with the return of the Serbian List to local government, now it is its turn to prove itself. The EU will either change its behavior, or it will fail in the north and through this finally sink the dialogue. The EU must now prove whether it really wants the normalization of relations, the integration of Serbs into Kosovo's structures, where they will realize their rights, or whether it will serve as a protector of the illusion of Serbia's sovereignty over Kosovo. The EU must act decisively in the first destructive action by Belgrade, whose representative is the Serbian List. If it plays the game that Kosovo is both a state and not a state, that parallel structures can function in Kosovo, it will not only damage the future of the dialogue, but also the few results that it claims have been achieved so far.

Everything seemed normal on Friday, December 5th before noon when the elected mayors of the four municipalities in northern Kosovo took the oath and took up their positions, which the majority of citizens entrusted to them with their votes. Among other things, they respected the state symbols of Kosovo and its legal framework. Exactly as the European Union has insisted for a long time now. On the other hand, none of the central state authorities of Kosovo contested the legality and legitimacy of the winners of these elections to be in local government in these four municipalities from now on. And the EU rejoiced at this, considering it a return to a more normal situation. The EU did not fulfill its promise to lift the measures from Kosovo as it had promised, but this should not be surprising. Because the measures are more of a punishment for the Kosovo authorities because of the anger and frustration with them. The EU itself admits that those measures are hypocrisy, but they are not being lifted even after a long time.

The situation in northern Kosovo has many paradoxes. Even though the majority of citizens there live in a confused situation, security incidents in that part have never been less since NATO entered Kosovo. But, on the other hand, it has not been normal that in municipalities where Serbs make up more than 90 percent of the population, Albanians are at the head of them. This situation, however, has not been the desire of the Albanians, but a consequence of the withdrawal of Serbs from Kosovo's structures. The EU itself, from the beginning until today, has called this action of the Serbs and Belgrade, since it is known that it was done at the behest of the Serbian Government, as "the most serious setback in the obligations from the dialogue". The EU had condemned every step of the Serbian structures and Belgrade in the north, the exit from the institutions and the boycott of the elections. But, while the “punishments” against Serbia were only verbal, severe sanctions were imposed on Kosovo, which the EU does not have for Georgia or Serbia, while it has also lifted sanctions against Syria. Thus, the north of Kosovo became the main cause of the Kosovo Government’s greatest irritation with the European Union, but also with the United States of America and Great Britain. At one point, Albania also announced sanctions against Kosovo due to actions in the north, aligning itself with “international partners”. But even these international actions were paradoxical, because on the one hand they said that Kosovo is right for the actions it has taken, since they also agree that only the authorities of the state of Kosovo should exist in Kosovo, but, on the other hand, they said that “this cannot be done in this unilateral way”. And every time it was tried that something could be done with coordination, it did not happen. The EU had the opportunity to coordinate, for example, to open the bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica (which has only symbolic importance), but it did not do so. It did not do it out of spite. And Kosovo, as if out of spite, built two other bridges next to the one that the EU did not open.

Now the situation in northern Kosovo will be a challenge for the EU, since the north is precisely the key point in the process of normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia. There is no doubt that Serbia wants to use the north to challenge Kosovo's sovereignty. And there is no doubt that it will exert all kinds of pressure on the Serbs in that part. The EU knows this better than anyone else, even though it tolerates it intentionally. The EU itself has concluded in numerous reports that only in northern Kosovo have there been no equal electoral competitions, there has been intimidation and pressure on those who have run against the Serbian List. And the EU, having always cooperated with the Government of Serbia, has directly or indirectly supported the Serbian List. And this political entity, in cooperation with the EU and the international community, has always acted within the bounds of the law by taking measures against Kosovo, but taking care to avoid legal prohibition of its actions.

It now remains to be seen what the behavior of the winners of the local elections in northern Kosovo and, most likely, the winner of the majority of Kosovo Serb votes in the parliamentary elections on December 28 will be. Will they truly work in the interest of the citizens, cooperate with the international community and central authorities in Kosovo, or will they act by remote control from Belgrade, ready to take violent action if such a thing is suggested to them by the Serbian authorities?
The Serbs have a very appropriate saying for this situation: “Ajde da se ne lažemo” (Let's not lie to ourselves). This should serve as a reminder that in the time before the Serbs left local government, the police and the courts in the north, there were burning cars, physical attacks and intimidation of political opponents. Parallel structures, including paramilitary ones, were also operating. Neither the EU nor the Serbs, and no one should forget that Banjska happened, that attacks on KFOR soldiers, the media and citizens took place. Since the EU always repeats that “there can be no justification for violence”, now it must prove that it really thinks this. It must insist that both Belgrade and the local government structures in the north influence the bringing to justice of those responsible for the acts of violence and who have been identified. This is the main test, which will determine whether the situation in the north, interethnic relations, and relations between Kosovo and Serbia will move towards normality or not.       

After the EU sanctioned Kosovo so much for its actions in the north, since it now assesses that "normality is returning" with the return of the Serbian List to local government, now it is its turn to prove itself. The EU will either change its behavior, or it will fail in the north and through this finally sink the dialogue. The EU must now prove whether it really wants the normalization of relations, the integration of Serbs into Kosovo's structures where they will realize their rights, or whether it will serve as a protector of the illusion of Serbia's sovereignty over Kosovo. The EU must act decisively in the first destructive action by Belgrade, whose representative is the Serbian List. If it is going to play the game that Kosovo is both a state and not a state, that parallel structures can function in Kosovo, it will not only damage the future of the dialogue, but also the few results that it claims have been achieved so far.

In this not-so-normal situation in the world, everyone in Kosovo and around it needs normality. This is what the Serbs living in northern Kosovo need the most, but also in other parts of Kosovo. Kosovo needs it and the EU needs it. When the EU proves its extreme weaknesses on the global stage, it should at least prove that it can do something in its own backyard in the Balkans and especially in Kosovo. Blaming one or both sides for every failure or lack of progress should no longer be an excuse for the EU for its own failures.