European leaders have given Kosovo and Serbia a stern warning to end the violent clashes that have erupted between the two countries, stating that they must lessen tensions or face severe consequences. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Kosovo must hold new local elections in the troubled north, while Serbia must ensure that ethnic Serbs in Kosovo participate, French President Macron informed late on Thursday.
The authorities from both sides must also put in more effort towards the creation of an Association of Serb Municipalities, which was initially agreed to in European Union-brokered talks over a decade ago. This body would grant the Serbs, who make up the majority of the population in northern Kosovo, greater autonomy in terms of development, education, and other aspects of their lives. Failure to do so will result in serious consequences for our relations, EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, stated on his Twitter account late on Thursday.
The unprecedented language used by the European leaders highlights Europe's increasingly decreasing patience with the two Balkan nations after several years of unproductive negotiations. These proposals are the first concrete demands from their allies aimed at ending the crisis and are set to be discussed with both sides next week. Over the past week, dozens of NATO peacekeepers and Serb protesters were injured in violence sparked by Kosovo's resolution to install newly appointed, ethnic Albanian mayors in their offices in the north of the country. Ethnic Serbs boycotted the elections, following instructions from the government in neighboring Serbia. Borrell, Macron, and Scholz met with the Presidents of Kosovo and Serbia on Thursday in Moldova.
Macron informed reporters, "What we asked both parties is straightforward: The organization as soon as possible of new elections in these four municipalities. Commitment from Kosovo. Clear participation by the Serbian side in these elections."
However, meeting these demands would require significant concessions from both sides. For Belgrade, it requires that it actively encourages Serbs in Kosovo to vote after the previous ballot yielded a turnout of just 3%. Kosovar Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has stated that the four mayors were justly appointed and has refused to bow down to pressure from Serbian protesters requesting their removal. Instead, he has accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of stoking the unrest.
Scholz was not optimistic regarding the resolution of the current tensions, stating that it would require courage from both sides due to how unpopular it would be in both countries. "This is a significant issue, and we have addressed the problem seriously. We will see what can be achieved," Scholz stated after the meeting.