Tension Flares Up Again in Northern Kosovo – Why?

The recent clash between ethnic Serbs and Kosovar police has put Serbian forces on high alert in northern Kosovo. The tension arose after police used force to allow four ethnic Albanian mayors to take up office following local elections, which were boycotted by most ethnic Serbs who make up the majority of the region’s population. The geopolitical backdrop adds to the complexity of the situation, as Kosovo was once part of the former Yugoslavia, and now Russia backs Serbia while NATO supports Kosovo’s independence, with a large contingent of international troops present. The question remains as to what is behind this flare-up and whether it could spread. Folly Bah Thibault hosts the discussion with guests Dan Ilazi, Head of Research at the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, Helena Ivanov, Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, and Giorgio Fruscione, Research Fellow at the Balkan Desk of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies.