Kosovo – November elections loom
For there to be any chance for a peaceful evolution of the Kosovo stalemate two things must happen – agreements and implementation must be status-neutral, and the... Read More
Kosovo – who gets to decide EULEX’s departure?
No one can force EULEX to stay in Kosovo if the EU and Pristina agree it’s time to go. But that would simply pass the... Read More
Kosovo – what or who can convince the northern Kosovo Serbs?
“Multi-ethnic democracy” is a peculiar Western myth that few in Kosovo really believe in but that the Albanians have been very clever at using to... Read More
US foreign policy and the pursuit of “democracy”
The problem with the US effort to push “democracy” is that it doesn’t seem to help anyone. When the US talks democracy, it means the... Read More
Kosovo – Serbia still on Germany’s short leash
While the northern Kosovo Serbs have not openly defied Belgrade, the agreement cannot be fully implemented if they don’t fully engage in the process. Passive... Read More
US decision to send arms to Syrian rebels may make bad situation worse
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that President Obama has ceded too much to the pressures and assurances from “aides and critics.” Perhaps as... Read More
Time for the UN Security Council permanent five to give up their vetoes?
Why has the relationship between Washington and Moscow not become more “normal” and permitted a greater degree of partnership in the Security Council? Reasons exist... Read More
Kosovo – can everything “agreed” get done this month?
Following the Belgrade-Pristina April accords, the parties agreed to an implementation plan which remains just an outline with important details still to be determined. It seems... Read More
Kosovo – what role will US combat troops play in the north?
While sending US combat troops to Kosovo may be just a benefit of drawdowns elsewhere, the Germans, Americans and Austrians – the three largest national... Read More
Fear and loathing in Kosovo
The conflict over the north has been – and remains – zero sum. No matter what the Kosovo Albanians say to their internationals, the local... Read More
Kosovo – more negotiations
For progress to be made, there needs to be a second set of negotiations, this time with the northern Kosovo Serbs. As long as they... Read More
Kosovo – Belgrade moving too fast?
The pace of events over the north should not be dictated by getting an EU date in June. That’s just not a reasonable amount of... Read More
Kosovo – what should the northerners do?
If the northerners come to decide it worth the effort to try to make the agreement into something they can live with, resistance as a... Read More
Kosovo – implementing the agreement
Brussels should delink EU accession from implementation of the Pristina-Belgrade agreement. Granting Serbia a date in June would still leave many years to track the... Read More
Kosovo – some hope but bigger dangers?
The agreement initialled by the prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo offers on only an outline of a possible approach. Even if everyone accepted this... Read More
Kosovo – what next from Pristina and friends?
A continued frozen conflict over north Kosovo is not the best option. It would have been better for the EU to break itself free of... Read More
Kosovo – so what is Plan B?
It is about the time to settle the issue of the north as a continued frozen conflict is good for no one. Indeed, stalemate leaves... Read More
Kosovo – talks need not remain stalled over courts and police
Despite EU and US pressure, the latest round of talks between Belgrade and Pristina failed to produce agreement on the north and an “association” of... Read More
Kosovo – is Belgrade seeking a Republika Srpska?
The Quint would be rightly concerned over a Serbian demand to give an association its own powers, funds and representation at central level. That would be... Read More
Kosovo – painting into a corner
Leaving the northern Kosovo Serbs out of the process of determining their future leaves open the possibility that whatever Belgrade might come to accept under... Read More
Serbia, Kosovo and EU enlargement
Only Washington can push Pristina to accept a compromise over the north. Yet despite the fact that the Ahtisaari Plan clearly allows them to have... Read More
Kosovo – remembering what the Ahtisaari Plan says
The latest round of talks between Belgrade and Pristina appears not to have reached agreement, with the north still remaining the issue. Yet, the Ahtisaari... Read More
Kosovo – trust and distrust
That the EU dialogue has made certain progress – not all of it implemented in the north due in large part to the distrust –... Read More
Kosovo – what about north Mitrovica?
Defining the boundaries and relationship between the two Mitrovicas will require acceptance of the fact that North Mitrovica is perhaps the most zero-sum issue of... Read More
Peaceful change in the Balkans?
The pre-modern politics that still define the Balkans’ adaptation to the end of empire cannot be simply be pushed aside by visions of post-national Europe.... Read More
