Kosovo - one year after...

posted by Julia on 2009/02/18 22:53

[ Kosova-o ]

Kosovars did not have to go to work for two days, the President of Kosovo pardoned or shortened the sentences of 62 people convicted of various crimes, and the Kosovar Prime Minister visited a baby girl born on 17 February 2008 and named Pavaresia (Independence)...
The accounts of Kosovo's celebration of "1 year of independence" are a good occasion to publish reports on every-day life in Kosovo (cf. an easy-reading article by the TAZ/in German or an (mp3) audio-report by D. Auer/Deutschlandfunk/also in German)... or to recall that most "promises" by the Kosovo government or the international community are still not realised:

The energy situation is bleak; most people in Kosovo - and in particular people belonging to a minority group - suffer from unemployment, weak social and health care, and the difficult economic conditions. Kosovo needs "a social revolution, an economic and institutional revolution" according to G. Knaus from ESI (quoted in the EUObserver) - a revolution which could be helped by a clear EU perspective.

Nevertheless, gaining credibility on EU level and attracting foreign investors proves difficult without a functional legal system. The legal dispute between Kosovo and Serbia does not help either: In October 2008 the UN General Assembly (following a proposal by the Serbian government) asked the International Court of Justice to give an advisory (non binding) opinion on the compliance of the Kosovar declaration of independence with international law.

Stabilizing Kosovo will not be possible without the co-operation of Kosovo-Serbs and the Serb government. Marc Hoch and Enver Robelli describe Kosovo as "one country, two nations".

The Financial Times thinks that "the effort of the new US administration to repair ties with Moscow should improve the climate over Kosovo. But with the global agenda dominated by the economic crisis and the greater Middle East, it would be rash to hope for an early breakthrough."





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This weblog is a forum for discussion on the political and social processes linked to EU integration in the Western Balkans. We would also like to use this space to create a virtual network of researchers on this topic. You are most welcome to contribute to this weblog with comments, postings, links, or photos. Please use the "add comment" function at the end of each posting!
All photos by the Photo Arts Collective of Kosovo. First photo by Burim Myftiu (Swimming olympiade in Klina). Second photo by Mimoza. Third photo by Dashmir Izairi.
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