In the Eye of the Storm
In the past year, a myriad of issues have captured public attention in Kosovo and Serbia.
These include events unfolding in northern Kosovo, coupled with actions by the Government
of Kosovo such as the heightened presence of Kosovo police special units, land expropriations
and construction of police bases and checkpoints in the north. The heightened fear of potential
intervention by both the Serbian Army and the Kosovo Security Forces stemmed largely from
the fearmongering tactics employed by officials from both Kosovo and Serbia. This narrative,
propagated by officials on both sides, exacerbated tensions and added to the overall sense of
insecurity in the region, particularly in the aftermath of the armed attack in Banjska. Additionally,
the stalemate in dialogue, with the European Union’s role under scrutiny, alongside the forma
tion of the Association of Serb majority Municipalities, and the ongoing emigration of Serbs
and Albanians from Kosovo, have dominated discussions. Amidst these complexities, official
statements from Belgrade and Pristina have often resorted to blame-shifting, each accusing
the other of destabilization.
To understand how people perceive the crisis in the North, NSI and CBM partnered with UBO
Consulting, a polling company headquartered in Pristina. The survey targeted residents of
South and North Mitrovica, two cities separated by the Ibar River and predominantly inhabited
by Albanians and Serbs respectively
