I figured I’d do a Kosovo post, because of my experience there. Here’s a roundup of the European press reaction to the unilateral declaration of independence:
From the Independent, Optimism!
Today, Kosovo becomes only the third new country of the 21st century. Its declaration of independence will be recognised by a majority of the European Union, including the United Kingdom , and by the United States , but not by Russia . Its birth is more contested and difficult even than that of Montenegro in 2006, which was also detached from an unwilling Serbia , or of East Timor in 2002, which was wrested from Indonesia .
The pessimists have had free run of the Balkans recently, so let us for one day at least join in the celebrations of most of the Kosovar people and reflect on why their statehood is a good thing. Of course, as the nay-sayers point out, Kosovo is a barely viable statelet where life for most of the population is poor nearly a decade after a Nato intervention to “save” them. Unemployment is around 50 per cent; national income per head is little more than £800 a year.
True, but I would adjust “barely viable” to “not viable.” They say that most countries have a mafia, but in Macedonia that mafia has a country. Add Kosovo to that list, as it will be a infested with organized crime along with its parent state, Albania .
From the Telegraph, Pessimism!
It’s always easy to spot anything Serb – house, church, monastery – in Kosovo. That’s because it’s inevitably ringed with razor wire, and is usually guarded by bored looking KFOR troops.
They’re not always bored though, because very occasionally a rocket or grenade is lobbed in the direction of whatever they are protecting. Today Kosovo declares independence as a multi-ethnic state. Its constitution has lots of noble language about equal rights, and lists Albanian and Serbian as its two official languages. But that is a sham.
A Serbian Orthodox church in Kosovo
Look, being a Serb in Kosovo is tough, but this description is vastly overblown. Kosovo is just not that exciting. As the US and other EU nations recognize Kosovo, here’s a look at what’s ahead:
Serbia’s insistence that secession will unleash “a disaster of unfathomable proportions” may be overstated, but Russia’s muscle-flexing on Belgrade’s behalf only adds to the tensions building up with the West on everything from gas supplies and missile defences to the Kremlin’s alleged assassination of dissidents abroad.
Europe cannot claim unity on Kosovo despite its mission to take over from the UN administration in Kosovo. While Britain , France , Germany and Italy will lead the field of recognitions of an independent Kosovo , Greece , Spain , Slovenia and Bulgaria will hold back, nervous that the move would embolden their own secessionist fringes. Cyprus , fearful of setting a precedent for the unilateral succession of its Turkish-ruled northern half, will probably never recognise Europe ’s newest state.
Neither, without Russia ’s say so, will the UN. Russia ’s stance on Kosovo is less about its support for Serbia and more about itself — its ability to hold on to its own separatist fringes.
We’ll have to see where this goes, and if it sets off a race for ethnic separatists around the globe to declare independence. My guess is that it is headed toward a “frozen conflict” and there are enough bad actors-on both sides-still hanging around to keep the place on the brink of chaos for many years to come.
