The parliamentary elections in Kosovo have intensified the split in the region. The Serbian population of the region is afraid of new oppression, the Albanian population is counting on accelerated accession to NATO and the EU. In the West, they hope that after the election, the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will resume.
The victory of the opposition in the parliamentary elections in Kosovo inspired the Albanian population of the region. For the first time, the government will be formed by politicians who did not participate in the wars with the Serbs in the nineties. Not among the winners those who are listed as war criminals on the lists of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
The warlike rhetoric of the former prime minister and field commander Ramush Haradinaya annoyed even the most ardent Albanian nationalists. Therefore, when in the summer he was summoned to the special Hague tribunal for Kosovo as a suspect, there were few sympathizers. Soon followed by his resignation.
From the new authorities, Kosovars expect constructive solutions to internal and external problems. Among the priorities is the abolition of 100 percent trade duties on goods from Serbia, which hit the pockets of the Albanians themselves. Due to the limited number of suppliers to the Kosovo market, local residents are forced to buy low-quality products at inflated prices.
Among the external problems, the main one is joining the Euro-Atlantic structures. But the West associated this process with the resumption of negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade on the status of Kosovo. And the Serbian authorities refuse to speak with representatives of the province until they cancel the inflated tariffs on goods.
The far-right ultra-rightists from the Self-Determination party and the liberals from the Kosovo Democratic Union during the election campaign promised to break Pristina from this deadlock. This ensured the sympathy of not only voters, but also of external partners.
The radical views of the former Kosovo authorities, their refusal to comply with the obligations of the 2013 Brussels peace agreements annoyed both Washington and Brussels.
The Kosovo winning parties themselves are still trying to form a coalition government. They are not talking about the abolition of duties on Serbian goods, as this is fraught with accusations of unpatriotism.
Serbian residents of Kosovo reacted warily to the election results. The nationalists from Self-Determination were remembered for their radical views and unwillingness to compromise with Belgrade. The ideologist and party leader Albin Kurti openly called for violence against those who do not recognize the independence of the region.
The “Democratic Union of Kosovo” is positioning itself as a moderate reformist force, but the Serbs do not believe this. Party leader Isa Mustafa convinces that he is ready to resume negotiations with Belgrade, but locals consider this part of the election rhetoric – which can not be said for the sake of victory.
Serbs have little hope that several deputies will represent their interests in the Kosovo Parliament. The right of various ethnic groups to seats in government is enshrined in the Constitution of the province. Counted on ten mandates.