The European Commission and United States have offered diverging views on the outcome of Sunday’s referendum to replace ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo with the US accepting the mayors will stay in place, and the EU refusing to comment but saying the vote is not enough to reduce tensions.

On Sunday, a referendum was held in Leposavic, Zubin Potok, Svecan, and North Mitrovica to decide whether ethnic Albanian mayors, elected with 3.4% of the vote in local elections boycotted by Serbs last year, should be removed. Around 1% of eligible voters turned out, while at least 50% plus one vote was needed to remove the mayors.

Euractiv asked the European Commission if they accept the result of the referendum and the incumbent mayors remaining in place, but the question was not answered.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Sunday, the US was clear that ““there is no decision by the voters to recall the mayors. The current mayors of the municipalities have been elected and remain in their positions according to the legal framework of Kosovo.”

This divergence in views is a chink in an until now, united approach on the need to call elections in the northern Serb-majority municipalities.

Does not diffuse tensions

When asked whether holding elections would be considered Kosovo fulfilling conditions for removing punitive measures, external affairs spokesperson Peter Stano said, “On the measures, in line with its Conclusions of 12 December 2023, the Council will discuss the EU measures based on a report by the High Representative on the fulfilment of the EU requests.”

The EU placed several punitive measures on Kosovo in the summer of 2023 following escalations of tensions in the north, conditional on de-escalation and meeting requests that include holding new elections.

“We hoped for another outcome, but Kosovo has met its obligations,” Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Sunday, while Elbert Krasniqi, the local government minister, called on the EU to lift measures imposed on Kosovo following the escalation of tensions last summer.

But this does not appear to be on the cards as while regretting that Kosovo Serbs in the north missed the opportunity to vote and elect mayors that would be truly representative, Stano said, “The outcome does not contribute to defusing tensions and paving the way for the return of Serbs to Kosovo institutions, which is essential for normalisation of relations.”

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Pristina told Gazeta Express that the vote was held in accordance with Kosovo’s legal requirements and line with the legal framework and CEC.

On Sunday, after the vote, President Vjosa Osmani said Kosovo Serbs chose not to take advantage of the opportunity to vote due to pressure from Serbia.

“This mainly happened due to pressure from Belgrade, executed by the Serbian List and illegal criminal structures. Once again, Serbia illegally interfered in another country’s election process. Once again, Vucic violated the word he had given to international partners,” she said.

Euractiv asked Stano whether the Commission considers Serbia has violated its agreements with Kosovo and the EU by calling for boycotts thus interfering in the electoral process of Kosovo, but the question remained unanswered.

Instead, the Commission said the boycott “resulted in a series of difficulties, including some polling station committees being established without any Kosovo Serb member.”

The Commission did however note that the decision of directors of Serbian-curriculum schools in Kosovo not to allow the premises to be used for voting a few days before the vote caused “serious challenges to the Central Election Committee” and “hindered citizens’ access to accurate information on the new locations of polling stations.”

At the end of the vote, there were 124 votes in Leposavic, 18 in Zubin Potok, 111 in North Mitrovica, and zero in Zvecan.

Serb non-participation

In December 2022, ethnic Serbs resigned en masse from government institutions, including all local government structures. New elections were called, but Serbs, particularly the Serb political party Serb List, chose to boycott them at the request of Belgrade, meaning Albanians were elected with a 3.4% turnout.

Serbs then held widespread protests to prevent the newly-elected mayors from taking their positions in the local municipalities. When Kosovo responded by pushing forward and increasing police presence, the protests resulted in violence and the injury of KFOR peacekeeping troops, journalists, and citizens.

Since then, Serbs have called for removing the Albanian mayors, supported by calls from the EU and US to hold a new vote. Kosovo announced a referendum would be held, in which 50% plus one vote of the eligible electorate would result in the Central Election Commission calling a new local election.

But Serb List announced they would boycott this vote as well, and pressure increased on local Serbs not to vote despite them calling for it for almost a year.

(Alice Taylor | Euractiv.com)

Read more with Euractiv