Early Parliamentary Elections in Kosovo

Kosovo election (BETA/Sasa Djordjevic)

It is certain that relations between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as Pristina’s 100-percent tariff on products from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which Belgrade makes a new round of normalization talks conditional on, will be major campaign themes ahead of a snap parliamentary vote in Kosovo, on Oct. 6. It is also clear that Brussels and Washington are increasingly explicit in their messages to Belgrade and Pristina that the normalization talks have to go on, and that the tariff should be revoked quickly.

In the eyes of the international community, the early polls are very important and closely related to the political processes that the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue to normalize their relations had launched. The authorities in Belgrade and Pristina know what is going on and what they are expected to do, but are not prepared to offer a tangible plan to the public at home. Having that in mind, the campaign is bound to be imbued with strong nationalist rhetoric, among Kosovo Albanians and Serbs alike.