Session

Political Science

Description

Since 2011, the European Union (EU) plays a leading role in “facilitating” the normalization of relations between Prishtina and Belgrade. Considered a success in its early days, the dialogue is now at a critical moment. Indeed these past couple of years, the situation between Kosova and Serbia has escalated progressively to the point where the dialogue seems biased and a source of tensions. It is obvious that the parties hold diametrically opposed positions and a long term solution is not foreseeable. However, stability in the Western Balkans is a major concern for the EU, particularly since the start of the war in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine destabilized indeed the European politics and accentuated the violation of some of their fundamental values such as democracy, in showing support to a semi-autocratic State for the sake of a feeling of stability. Thus, this article aims to show that stability is the main affair for the EU regarding relations between Kosova and Serbia, but the means it is using is actually leading to greater instability and biasing its neutrality in the dialogue. Nevertheless the EU still remains a legitimate mediator and more than that, a third party in the dialogue.

Keywords:

EU, mediation, Kosova, Serbia, Belgrade-Prishtina dialogue, stability, stabilocracy

Proceedings Editor

Edmond Hajrizi

ISBN

978-9951-550-95-6

Location

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

Start Date

28-10-2023 8:00 AM

End Date

29-10-2023 6:00 PM

DOI

10.33107/ubt-ic.2023.94

Share

COinS
 
Oct 28th, 8:00 AM Oct 29th, 6:00 PM

The European Union mediation in the Kosova-Serbia dialogue: when stability prevails

UBT Lipjan, Kosovo

Since 2011, the European Union (EU) plays a leading role in “facilitating” the normalization of relations between Prishtina and Belgrade. Considered a success in its early days, the dialogue is now at a critical moment. Indeed these past couple of years, the situation between Kosova and Serbia has escalated progressively to the point where the dialogue seems biased and a source of tensions. It is obvious that the parties hold diametrically opposed positions and a long term solution is not foreseeable. However, stability in the Western Balkans is a major concern for the EU, particularly since the start of the war in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine destabilized indeed the European politics and accentuated the violation of some of their fundamental values such as democracy, in showing support to a semi-autocratic State for the sake of a feeling of stability. Thus, this article aims to show that stability is the main affair for the EU regarding relations between Kosova and Serbia, but the means it is using is actually leading to greater instability and biasing its neutrality in the dialogue. Nevertheless the EU still remains a legitimate mediator and more than that, a third party in the dialogue.