Questioning territorial autonomy: failed attempts to institute the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo

Abstract

This thesis analyses the official statements of Kosovo, Serbia and the EU and examines how the issue of territorial autonomy for minorities, more precisely the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities has been approached during the most active episodes of debate over 10 years. The focus is on the two research questions: Why has the Association of Serb majority municipalities not been formally established in Kosovo? and How do Serbia, Kosovo and the EU articulate their positions around the Association? The thesis is designed as a process-tracing single case study focusing on three different episodes in the Brussels Dialogue during which the debate of the ASM has been especially prevalent: The Brussels Agreement (01.06.2012-01.06.2013), the Second Agreement (01.01.2015-31.12.2015) and the Ohrid Agreement (01.11.2022-01.11.2023). Qualitative Content Analysis is applied to analyse the official statements of all three actors across the episodes. Over the more than 10 years of negotiations in the Brussels Dialogue, Kosovo and Serbia expressed considerable incompatibilities in their arguments related to the ASM, which had to do with the extent of powers it should hold, the legal obligation to implement it, its compatibility with Kosovo’s constitution and the effect it would have on the security situation in Kosovo. Furthermore, the thesis shows how the EU went from being a normative mediator to taking a tougher stance on the issue, gathering resentment from Serbia and Kosovo.