Balkans

This week on War & Peace, Olga is joined by Marko Prelec, Crisis Group’s consulting senior Balkans analyst, to discuss the political landscape in the Western Balkans, the risks of Bosnia and Herzegovina falling apart, simmering tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, and prospects for EU enlargement. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the verge of falling apart as Republika Srpska, the smaller of its two ethnically divided parts, threatens to break away. In this excerpt from the Watch List 2024 – Spring Update, Crisis Group urges the EU to help stop the fragmentation.

Tensions are rising in Kosovo’s restive Serb-majority north, as Pristina enforces its writ against the backdrop of continuing disputes with Belgrade. The parties and outside supporters should first work on defusing the short-term risk of violence and then look for ways to foster lasting stability.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have soared since 2021, with protests in Kosovo’s northern municipalities at Pristina’s assertions of authority. In this excerpt from the Watch List 2024, Crisis Group encourages the EU to foster bilateral dialogue aimed at normalising relations.

This week on War & Peace, Olga Oliker speaks with Marko Prelec, Crisis Group’s consulting senior Western Balkans analyst, about the latest flare-up of tensions in northern Kosovo, what it means for the prospect of normalisation between Belgrade and Pristina and the potential for further escalation.

In late May, violent protests broke out in Kosovo’s four northernmost municipalities, where Serbs form the majority. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Marko Prelec explains what caused the unrest and what should be done to defuse tensions.

Kosovo-Serbia relations have floundered in recent months, reflecting underlying tensions over Kosovo’s northern municipalities. In this excerpt from the Watch List 2023 – Spring Update, Crisis Group encourages the EU to mediate and promote normalisation of relations between the two countries.

The barricades may be down for now, but long-term peace in northern Kosovo depends on a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.