In an effort to de-escalate tensions in the northern regions of Kosovo, authorities have announced a 25 percent reduction in police presence around the buildings of predominantly Serb-inhabited municipalities.
This is the second time the Kosovo Police has scaled back their presence following an agreement reached on July 10 during talks in Bratislava between Kosovo’s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi, and the European envoy for Kosovo-Serbia negotiations Miroslav Lajčák.
The agreement also included support for holding new elections in four Serb-majority municipalities as a means to ease tensions.
Welcoming the move, Miroslav Lajčák expressed on social media that it is an important step towards full de-escalation in the northern region of Kosovo.
I welcome today’s first joint security assessment between Kosovo Police, @EULEXKosovo and @NATO_KFOR as agreed in Bratislava. This is an important step towards full de-escalation of the tensions in the north of Kosovo.
— Miroslav Lajčák (@MiroslavLajcak) August 3, 2023
Tensions escalated in May when Albanian mayors of northern Kosovo municipalities took office with the backing of the police following local elections in April, which were boycotted by the Serb community due to their demands for increased autonomy as per a European Union-brokered agreement.
Western diplomatic efforts have since urged for measures to reduce tensions, which include suspending police operations in the north, relocating municipal mayors to alternative offices, and organizing snap elections with the participation of Kosovo Serbs.
To ensure the legal basis for holding these elections, the Kosovo government has been working on a document that will enable citizens to petition for the removal of their mayors.
There are two pathways being considered to enable new elections: voluntary resignations of current mayors or the introduction of a petition system, which authorities believe would be a more democratic approach and encourage greater participation of the Kosovo Serb community in the electoral process.
