Kosovo 101: What's Going On in Europe's Newest Would-Be Country?
By Cameron Hewitt, Co-Author, Rick Steves' Croatia & Slovenia guidebook
On Sunday, February 17, the "Republic of Kosovo" declared its independence from Serbia. Is this good news or bad news? It's still too early to tell.
If their independence takes hold, Kosovo will become the seventh country to emerge from the break-up of Yugoslavia. About nine out of every ten people in Kosovo are ethnically Albanian (and generally Muslim). Fewer than one in ten is Serb (ethnically Slavic and generally Orthodox Christian). (For more on the make-up and general history of this region, read our Understanding Yugoslavia article.)
Why do the Serbs care what happens to Kosovo, with its tiny Serb population? It's partly because they fear for the safety of the Serbs living in Kosovo, but it's mostly because many of the important historic, cultural, and religious sites of the Serb people are in Kosovo. To put it into context, a Serb once told me, "Kosovo is the Mecca and the Medina of the Serb people."
For most of the 20th century, Kosovo was considered part of Serbia, the largest constituent unit of Yugoslavia. Understanding that Kosovo is a political hot potato, the communist dictator Tito set it up as a semi-independent "autonomous province" within Serbia. That compromise didn't last long.
The Yugoslav wars of the 1990s actually started in Kosovo in the 1980s, when the Albanians there began to push for more independence from Serbia. Serb strongman Slobodan Milošević went to Kosovo to support the Serb minority, and made provocative statements implying Serb aggression toward Kosovo. This started a chain reaction that led to Serbia's annexation of Kosovo, Slovenia and Croatia declaring independence from Yugoslavia, and a decade of fighting in the region.
After the Balkan Wars and the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, it became a UN protectorate — still nominally part of Serbia, but for all practical purposes separate and self-governing (under the watchful eye of the UN).
The plan was always for Kosovo to eventually become independent. But on February 17, the provisional government unilaterally declared its independence without going through proper UN channels. (It had grown impatient that its UN bid for independence was being stalled by Russia.) The Republic of Kosovo has been recognized by the US, UK, France, Germany, and several other countries, but not officially endorsed by the UN. Serbia is backed in its opposition by Russia, Spain, and others.
So, what now?
Pessimists fear that Kosovo's declaration of independence will upset the delicate postwar balance of the Balkans; that militant Serbs will flock to Kosovo to fight to keep it as part of Serbia; and that it might even provoke the Serb half of Bosnia-Herzegovina to secede from the Bosniak/Croat half. A few months ago, a well-educated, articulate, and Western-looking young Serb who lives in rural Bosnia-Herzegovina told me, "Ninety percent of the people in this town have never been to Kosovo. But ninety percent of us will take up arms and fight to the death to defend it." He acknowledged that he was one of those people.
Optimists are holding their breath to see how the Serbs will fight Kosovo independence. The new Kosovo government has very carefully stated it will protect the rights of its minorities (including Serbs). And Serbia has said it will not take military action. (But then, much of the fighting of the 1990s was not "officially endorsed" by the government, either.)
If Kosovo independence works, it will be the final chapter of a long and ugly Yugoslav succession, and everyone there can finally get on with their lives.
Kosovo Q&A
We've been getting questions about what's happening in Kosovo. Here are some (admittedly oversimplified) answers:
How is this affecting travel to the region?
The destinations covered in Rick Steves' guidebooks and tours — including all of Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro, as well as Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina — have so far been unaffected. Travel to these places (where few Serbs live) remains as safe as before.
In Serbia and other Serb-dominated areas, peaceful protests have occasionally sparked isolated outbursts of violence, sometimes targeting embassies and other institutions of countries that support Kosovo (including the US, UK, and Croatia). While no American tourists have been endangered, anti-American feelings are running high. Therefore, for the time being, it's probably wise to avoid Kosovo and Serbia. If you do plan to travel to there, keep a close eye on the news and make your travel decisions thoughtfully.
Why is Kosovo so important to the Serbs?
As with many other ethnic groups in Europe (including the Basques, Hungarians, and Croats), the Serbs' ethnic boundaries do not match their national boundaries. Outside of Serbia itself, there are large Serb populations in Bosnia-Herzegovina (the Republika Srpska), Montenegro, and Kosovo. And, while the Serbs have often been depicted as aggressors in this region, they view themselves as persecuted. (For example, when Croatia's Nazi-backed puppet government took over Yugoslavia in World War II, vast numbers of Serbs were killed in concentration camps.) Most Serbs wish to be politically united with Serbs in other countries, and also fear for the safety of Serbs in places where they're in the minority (such as Kosovo).
Historically, Kosovo also has great importance to the Serbs, who consider it their "cradle of civilization." Kosovo is home to the most historically significant churches of the Serbian Orthodox faith. It's also the site of the Battle of Kosovo Polje, an epic 14th-century battle that is considered the foundation of Serbian cultural identity...even though the Serbs lost to the Ottoman invaders (sort of the Serbian "Alamo").
Where did the Muslims of the Balkans (such as the Albanians) come from?
A vast swath of southeastern Europe was controlled by the Ottoman Empire for centuries. While the Muslim rulers typically didn't force their subjects to convert (unlike many Christian overlords of the time), it was financially beneficial to do so. Therefore, many Europeans in places like Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina adopted Islam, and some even intermarried with Turkish or other Central Asian citizens of the empire. Even after the Ottomans left the Balkans more than a century ago, these people continued to follow the Muslim faith (as their ancestors have for centuries).
Is the dispute about religion?
Because most Serbs are Orthodox, and most Albanians are Muslim, this might seem like an issue of faith. In fact, like all of the Balkan wars of the 1990s, it's about politics: Which ethnic group will control which territory? What's confusing is that in the former Yugoslavia, a person's "ethnicity" is defined by their religion — so, for example, an Orthodox South Slav is by definition a "Serb"...even if she's never entered a church.
Why do Russia, China, and Spain support Serbia?
Russia, which shares an Eastern Orthodox heritage with Serbia, has long been its great political ally. But in this dispute, Serbia is also supported by several large countries who are involved with disputes about ethnic regions (like Kosovo) that would like to secede: Russia (areas of Georgia), China (Taiwan), and Spain (Catalunya, the Basque Region, and others).