Razgraničenje kao rešenje za srpsko-albanski spor? Politike granica u postkonfliktnom razdoblju
Delineation as a Solution to the Serbian-Albanian Dispute? Border Politics in the Post-Conflict Period

Summary/Abstract: Despite the unilateral declaration of independence in 2008, the Serbian-Albanian dispute over the final status of Kosovo remains unresolved. Between the substantive autonomy proclaimed in the Constitution of Serbia and the full international recognition of Kosovo’s statehood, one of the proposed alternatives is the boundary demarcation between Belgrade and Pristina. Various scenarios for the delineation of borders are unified by the ethnic principle and “historical rights.” This analysis begins with the question: Why is partition or boundary demarcation presented as the dominant solution to the Serbian-Albanian dispute over Kosovo’s final status? Existing literature suggests that territorial division may prove more effective than broad autonomy concepts in societies burdened by the legacy of conflict. However, this paper will argue that, in the context of Kosovo, the politics of ethnic border delineation have not been supported by the population and carry with them a contingent future that could result in new population exoduses. The paper suggests that the enduring appeal of the idea of partition lies in the assumption of interethnic reconciliation, political and territorial satisfaction, the alleviation of national humiliation, as well as a tacit acquiescence to the declaratively contested independence of Kosovo.

• Details
• Contents