Ethnic decentralization in Kosovo

Abstract

The Declaration of Independence of Kosovo on February 17, 2008 was based on the so- called “Ahtisaari package”, prepared by the envoy of the General Secretary of the United Nations, Martti Ahtisaari. The general conditions were related to the democratic and multi-ethnic nature of the state, but particularly they had to do with the granting and guaranteeing the rights of national minorities or minority communities as referred to the document. Among other elements, the proposal presumed that through decentralization of local government and the foundation of new municipalities where minority communities live, to guarantee their self- government as a process of acceptance and integration in the state of Kosovo. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that decentralization and the foundation of new municipalities, especially the Serb community in Kosovo, more than helped with their self-government has led to their disintegration and isolation, deepen even more the separation from the ethnic majority population in Kosovo. The Association of Serb municipalities reached in Brussels on August 2015, demonstrates the tendency of the local Serb municipalities to connect to an autonomous political organisation, as a preliminary phase towards the total boycott of the Kosovo state.