The Guardian view on Kosovo’s election result: a gateway to rapprochement with the EU
A new coalition government may seek to rebuild bridges with western partners, at a perilous geopolitical moment
Seventeen years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, its future remains shadowed and compromised by relations with Belgrade. More than a decade of normalisation talks have so far been a road to nowhere, stymied principally by Serbia’s refusal to recognise its former territory’s right to the attributes of nationhood. In the country’s four northern Serb-majority municipalities, the deadlock has occasionally turned deadly as Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, has attempted to enforce sovereignty, resisted by Belgrade-backed rebels.
There are tentative grounds for hoping that the outcome of Kosovo’s latest election on Sunday, in which Mr Kurti’s ruling party came first but lost its majority, can deliver a route out of this impasse. Mr Kurti’s understandable but sometimes heavy-handed moves to demonstrate Pristina’s control over the north – such as imposing ethnic Albanian mayors after a mass election boycott by ethnic Serbs – have been strongly criticised by both the European Union and the US. On the eve of the poll, Richard Grenell, the newly appointed US special envoy for special missions, said that relations between Washington and Pristina had “never been lower”.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading...Topics
-
The Guardian view on Trump’s trade betrayal: rhetoric hides trickle-down economics on steroids | Editorial
The US president’s tariffs pose as worker protection, but they’re a smokescreen – his bluster trades US credibility for a $4.6tn tax-cutting giveaway to the rich. In 2020, Donald Trump scrapped the ...The Guardian - 13h -
Kosovo faces political uncertainty as ruling party fails to secure election majority
PM Albin Kurti claims ‘victory’ and vows to form government but analysts warn of prolonged crisis and instability. The governing party of the prime minister, Albin Kurti, is on track to secure the ...The Guardian - 17h -
Kosovo PM's party leading but short of majority - partial results
Albin Kurti's party is on track to come first in Kosovo's general election but may not be able to govern alone.BBC News - 1d -
This Isn’t the Donald Trump America Elected
He is making us a corrupted, brittle superpower.The New York Times - 1d -
The EU needs the courage to imagine a different digital economy
Trump’s tech oligarchs are afraid of Europe’s regulatory power — as they should beFinancial Times - 1d -
Kosovo goes to the polls as the shadow of Trump looms large
Fears of partition that arose during Trump’s first administration have re-emerged as PM Albin Kurti navigates tense relations with both US and EU. Kosovo goes to the polls on Sunday in an election ...The Guardian - 2d -
Mexico authorities order factory cleanup after Guardian toxic waste investigation
Inquiry uncovered health problems in neighborhood near Monterrey-area plant that processes US hazardous waste. Mexican environmental regulators say they have discovered 30,000 tons of improperly ...The Guardian - 2d -
The Guardian view on Trump and the international criminal court: following the law of the jungle | Editorial
The US president’s attack on an essential institution speaks volumes about his broader foreign policy. Donald Trump’s vicious assault on the international criminal court is no surprise. His last ...The Guardian - 3d -
EU to offer lower tariffs on US cars
Bloc hopes olive branch will help to shield Europe’s ailing car industry from Donald Trump’s trade measuresFinancial Times - 3d
More from The Guardian
-
Trump says Gaza ceasefire should be cancelled if all Israeli hostages not freed
President proposes letting ‘all hell break loose’ if hostages held by Hamas are not returned to Israel at noon on Saturday. Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump has warned that if ...The Guardian - 7h -
Ukraine ‘may be Russian someday’, Trump says ahead of Zelenskyy meeting with Vance
US president also says he wants a return on US aid given to Ukraine such as rare minerals, in interview with Fox News. US president Donald Trump has floated the idea that Ukraine “may be Russian ...The Guardian - 1h -
Trump announces 25% tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum
Modified US duties will be enforced ‘without exceptions’, said president, in controversial bid to boost economy. Why Trump tariffs will be ‘very bad for America and for the world’ Donald ...The Guardian - 4h -
Elon Musk-led group makes surprise bid of nearly $100bn for OpenAI
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO and co-founder, responded that he would not accept and offered to buy X instead. Elon Musk escalated his feud with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman on Monday. The billionaire ...The Guardian - 10h -
Far-right populists much more likely than the left to spread fake news – study
Amplifying misinformation is now part of radical right strategy, says Dutch study of tweets by MPs in 26 countries. Far-right populists are significantly more likely to spread fake news on social ...The Guardian - 3h
More in World
-
Campaigner for migrants in Libya says his phone was targeted in spyware attack
Italy-based David Yambio, a critic of Meloni government, helps ICC find evidence of abuse of detainees in Libya. An Italy-based human rights activist whose work supports the international criminal ...The Guardian - 30m -
‘We’ll be brothers forever but business is business’: Sam Burgess on family, infamy and fears for Luke Littler
The Warrington head coach reflects on high expectations, learning from pain and a Super League opener against Huddersfield and his younger brother Thomas. “A lot of pain or adversity can be a great ...The Guardian - 30m -
‘Why can’t it be us?’: Exeter target FA Cup shock and fly fan-ownership flag
League One side with rich cup history are proud to be doing it their own way before Nottingham Forest’s visit. A Tottenham team of Hoddle, Ardiles and Archibald were the opponents that stopped ...The Guardian - 30m -
Dirty water and endless wars: why cholera outbreaks are on the rise again
The number of cases globally has surged since 2021, as war and the climate crisis pile pressure on vaccine supplies. Cholera, the scourge of the Victorian era, is staging a comeback fuelled by ...The Guardian - 30m -
Our four dogs sleep on the bed – so I haven’t had sex with my wife in 10 years
My partner doesn’t seem to care about our sex life or my needs as her husband. Should I have an affair?. I haven’t had sex with my wife for more than 10 years. We have four dogs and she has ...The Guardian - 30m