Only in August did Kosovo and Serbia come closer - now new tensions are flaring up. All Kosovo Serbs are announcing their withdrawal from parliament, government and administration. The reason: a dispute about the affixing of Kosovar license plates. The EU is alarmed.
In the dispute over the obligation to affix Kosovan license plates, the representatives of the Serb minority in Kosovo have announced their withdrawal from state institutions. All Kosovo Serbs would withdraw from parliament, government and administration, said the leader of the minority's main party, Goran Rakic.
The EU was then alarmed. A retreat is "not a solution to the current disputes". Rather, he has the potential "to further exacerbate local tensions," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He called on both sides to "refrain from unilateral actions that could lead to further tensions".
The background to the withdrawal announcement is the obligation that has been in force since the beginning of November to affix Republic of Kosovo license plates to cars. The members of the roughly 40,000-strong Serb minority in northern Kosovo do not recognize Pristina's authority and, for the most part, remain loyal to the government in Belgrade. As a result, thousands continue to drive with Serbian license plates.
The latest step would jeopardize what has been achieved in the EU-sponsored dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and "impair the security situation in the region and beyond," Borrell said. He urged the Serb and Kosovo Serb representatives, as well as the Kosovar authorities, to honor "their own commitments".
The European Union recently mediated in the talks between Kosovo and Serbia with the aim of normalizing relations. In August, after a long dispute, both sides agreed on mutual entry regulations and negotiated a free movement agreement with EU mediation.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade still regards it as a breakaway territory and does not recognize it as a separate state. Both Serbia and Kosovo aspire to join the EU. Serbia has received candidate status and has been negotiating accession with the EU since 2014. The EU classifies Kosovo as a "potential candidate".
