The (non) consolidation of Kosovo’s statehood: The Brussels dialogue ten years after Kosovo’s independence

Abstract

The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is one of the most important processes that the Republic of Kosovo has been engaged since its independence in 2008. However, from the beginning, the so-called Brussels dialogue has been characterized by the lack of transparency, dishonesty, and ambiguity. This article concentrates on the effect of the Brussels dialogue on the consolidation of Kosovo’s statehood. The article reveals that the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue has damaged Kosovo’s statehood internally and weakened it externally. While in the domestic aspect, the agreements reached in the dialogue have posed a serious challenge for Kosovo’s political and judicial systems, in the international arena, the dialogue has been an obstruction to Kosovo’s efforts to consolidate its position in the international relations. The Brussels dialogue is rather unique and unprecedented for the state consolidation literature in the sense that a democratic and sovereign state interferes, with the support of all international actors, in the internal affairs and organization of another democratic and sovereign country. This article also shows the EU’s impotence as a mediator in this process.