Crisis Chronology

Home About Discussion Contact ☰

KOSOVO

02/28/2023

Serbia and Kosovo sign agreement to normalize their relations. The details are not yet clear and the agreement not yet signed. However, it does call for Serbia to acknowledge Kosovo’s official documents such as passports and license plates and not block Kosovo’s membership in international organizations. It does not have to recognize Kosovo as an independent country. Kosovo will “ensure an appropriate level of self-management” for its Serbian community.

12/30/2022

Serbs in northern Kosovo agree to dismantle barricades on roads after talks with President Vucic, who warns that tensions remain high.

12/26/2022

Kosovo closes two border crossings to Serbia.

12/25/2022

Increasing tension in northern Kosovo.

12/14/2022

Kosovo formally requests to become a member of the EU. Serbia objects and says it will ask the five member nations that do not yet recognize Kosovo to vote against the request.

12/10/2022

Serbia asks NATO to deploy troops to northern Kosovo to quell violence there. President Vucic acknowledges that the request will not be fulfilled. A part of the UN resolution on ending the war in Kosovo, Serbia could request up to 1000 troops be deployed to Orthodox Christian sites, areas with Serb majorities, and border crossings. There has been a spate of incidents between Serbs and Kosovo authorities in the north. Fighting broke out again on 12/10. Serbs blocked main roads to protest the arrest of a former Serb member of the Kosovo police who was accused of attacking election commission offices, police officers, and election officers. Last month, there was substantial friction about Serbian license plates being replaced. That has still not been fully defused, despite the recent UN-brokered agreement.

12/10/2022

Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani delays some local elections until 4/23/23 in order to avoid tensions.

11/24/2022

Serbia and Kosovo reach agreement brokered by the EU on license plates. Serbia will cease issuing license plates with markings indicating Kosovo cities, and Kosovo “will cease further actions related to re-registration of vehicles,” according to the EU.

11/01/2022

Kosovo insists that ethnic-Serb residents must surrender their Serbian-issued car license plates by 11/21 or be fined.

08/27/2022

Kosovo and Serbia sign freedom of movement agreement between the two countries.

06/28/2022

Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia frustrated at EU failure to allow them to proceed with their applications after many years of waiting.

02/27/2022

In the midst of the crisis over Ukraine, Kosovo asks the US for a permanent military abase and also requests NATO membership.

09/26/2021

Serbian troops on a heightened state of alert on the Kosovo border after Serbia accuses Kosovo of “provocations” by sending special police units to the border. Kosovo denies this.

07/07/2021

The Assembly votes 89–0 to pass a resolution officially condemning the Srebrenica massacre and establishing a commemorative holiday for its victims. The Serb List boycotts the vote.

04/03/2021

Vjosa Osmani is elected president by the parliament. Opposition parties boycotted the vote. Osmani had the support of Vetevendosje.

02/15/2021

Leftist Vetevendosje (Determination Movement Party), led by Albin Kurti, wins 48% of the vote in 2/14 elections. The cneter-right Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won 17 percent and the conservative governing Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 13%. It is not clear whether Vetevendosje will have a majority in the 120-seat parliament

02/14/2021

Parliamentary elections.

11/05/2020

Thaci resigns

Thaci resigns after being indicted for war crimes by the Kosovo Special Chamber court at the Hague. The head of parliament Vjosa Omani will serve as acting president until a new one is elected.

09/24/2020

War crimes court at the Hague, the Kosovo Special Chambers, arrests its first suspect, Salih Mustafa, for murder, torture, arbitrary detention and cruel treatment.

09/04/2020

Serbia and Kosovo normalize economic ties in a ceremony in the US. Israel and Kosovo also mutually recognize each other as part of the agreement and Serbia will move its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.

07/06/2020

Talks between Kosovo and Serbia over tariffs resume.

06/25/2020

Hoti cancels his trip to the United States to meet with Serbian representatives.

06/25/2020

Hoti cancels his trip to the United States to meet with Serbian representatives.

06/24/2020

Thaçi and nine other separatist fighters are indicted by the EU Special Prosecutor’s Office for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Kosovo war.

06/24/2020

Thaçi and nine other separatist fighters are indicted by the EU Special Prosecutor’s Office for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Kosovo war.

06/21/2020

Ruling Progressive Pary (SNS) set to win large majority in parliament, perhaps as much as sixty percent, which would give it a supermajority in parliament and ease the prospects for an agreement with Kosovo. The opposition boycotted the voting as a risk to public health in the COVID-19 pandemic. Serbia has nearly 13000 cases and about 260 deaths.

06/03/2020

Avdullah Hoti becomes prime minister

Parliament approves Hoti government.

05/28/2020

Constitutional Court rules that a new government can be formed without a snap election. LDK nominee Avdullah Hoti, former deputy prime minister will now attempt to form a government. Hoti has promised he will renew negotiations with Serbia on trade.

05/12/2020

Caretaker PM Kurti says he will go into self-quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

05/12/2020

Caretaker PM Kurti says he will go into self-quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

05/01/2020

Constitutional Court agrees to review Thaci’s nomination of Hoti, suspending the nomination until 5/29.

05/01/2020

Constitutional Court agrees to review Thaci’s nomination of Hoti, suspending the nomination until 5/29.

04/30/2020

Vetevendosje asks the Constitutional Court to review Thaci’s nomination of Hoti.

04/30/2020

Vetevendosje asks the Constitutional Court to review Thaci’s nomination of Hoti.

04/24/2020

Kurti says he will not oppose protests against the formation of a new government despite the threat of COVID-19 spread.

04/23/2020

Thaci gives LDK the mandate to form a government. The party has already said it would nominate former Second Deputy Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti to be prime minister.

04/23/2020

Thaci gives LDK the mandate to form a government. The party has already said it would nominate former Second Deputy Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti to be prime minister.

04/21/2020

Thaci says he is taking further steps to form a new government without new elections. Vetevendosje objects.

04/15/2020

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), led by Isa Mustafa, says it can form a government with a number of smaller parties if the president gives it the mandate.

04/13/2020

Kurti rejects Thaci’s offer, saying that there have always been snap elections after the government loses a no-confidence vote. Thaci cannot offer any other party or group the mandate to form a government until the largest party has refused to nominate a prime minister. There is no time limit on the mandate.

04/10/2020

Thaci gives Vetevendosje Movement the mandate form a new government.

04/05/2020

Kurti and Thaci blame each other for lack of response to COVID-19 after a new outbreak in northern Kosovo. Much of the area there is de facto controlled by Serbia and hospitals have been sending COVID-19 test results to Serbia rather than Kosovo. Thaci criticizes Kurti for not controlling the north and Kurti says he knows the situation and is reporting to the UN peacekeeping force, KFOR.

04/01/2020

Kosovo lifts all tariffs on Serbian and Bosnia-Herzegovian goods, a gesture toward reconciliation. The tariffs had been imposed when Serbia tried to block Kosovar access to international organizations in 2018. However, soon after, Kosovo demands new quality controls on Serbian goods entering Kosovo, which some, including the US, consider to be a smokescreen for maintaining the standoff with Serbia.

03/26/2020

Government falls

Government of PM Albin Kurti falls. Kurti and coalition partner the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) disagree on coronavirus policy. Kurti fired the party’s interior minister last week for not being in line with government coronavirus policy and backing a state of emergency that would give Thaçi more power. Citizenry are shocked by political wrangling in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kurti and President Thaci also disagree about a proposed agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, which Thaci supports, but Kurti feels gives too much to Serbia. Kurti will remain as caretaker until a new election.

02/26/2020

PM Kurti says that grounds exist for the removal of President Hashim Thaci for violating the constitution when he signed a secret deal with NATO, giving NATO forces in Kosovo the power to veto actions by the Kosovo Security Forces.

02/03/2020

Albin Kurti elected prime minister

Kurti is elected prime minister as opposition boycotts the vote in parliament. Kurti was able to form a coalition with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

10/07/2019

Vetevendosje holds a small lead over Democratic League of Kosovo, 26% to 25%. The PDK wins 21% and Haradinaj’s alliance 12%. It will be the first time former guerilla leaders are not in charge of the government. Vetevendosje leader Kurti is open to removing the additional tariffs on goods from Serbia imposed by Haradinaj.

10/06/2019

Elections in Kosovo. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), led by Ramush Haradinaj, who resigned in July, is running in coalition with the Social Democratic Party (PSD), led by Pristina mayor Shpend Ahmeti. The Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA), led by former guerilla Fatmir Limaj, is allied with the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR), of construction magnate and foreign minister Behgjet Pacolli, and the Justice Party (PD). Kosovo’s two biggest parties – the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) led by parliament speaker Kadri Veseli and Isa Mustafa’s Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) will run alone, as will Vetevendosje, or Self-Determination, led by Albin Kurti. If LDK wins, Kosovo will get its first female prime minister in Vjosa Osmani. The main issues are corruption and strengthening the government. It is unlikely that any one coalition will win a majority of the 120 seats being voted on. Twenty other seats are reserved for ethnic minorities.

07/19/2019

Haradinaj resigns

PM Haradinaj resigns after being summoned for questioning by the UN prosecutor’s office in regard to its investigation of war crimes during the 1998-2000 war.

06/01/2019

Thaci calls for unification of Albania and Kosovo.

05/20/2019

Srpska Lista candidates win mayoralties in northern cities special election.

04/10/2019

Main Serbian Party, Srpska Lista says it will participate in northern elections, if only to prevent Albanians from winning. Srpska Lista leaders say that the destabilization of the Serb-dominated north is a goal of a secret agreement between Thaci and Serbia Pres Vucic, aimed at showing they have power in the region. They also call for protection for candidates because many politicians have been assassinated in Kosovo in recent years.

04/08/2019

Pres Thaci calls elections in northern municipalities, where Serbs are a majority. Mayors of four northern towns resigned in 11/18 to protest the imposition of tariffs on Serbian imports.

12/13/2018

Parliament approves a standing army, over Serb objections.

11/17/2018

Mayors of four northern cities, all members of Srpska Lista, resign to protest imposition of 100% tariffs on Serbian imports. Similar tariffs were imposed on imports from Bosnia.

10/20/2018

Kosovo votes to establish a national army. The Serbian goup boycotts the vote.

08/08/2018

Thaci says an agreement with Serbia might be reached in which several communities in southern Serbia might become part of Kosovo in what he calls a “border adjustment.”

08/01/2018

Thaci rules out any division of Kosovo.

07/31/2018

Government lifts the last of the tariffs it imposed on 7/18 on agricultural products, after a storm of criticism in central Europe.

07/26/2018

Serbian Pres Vucic suggests that northern Kosovo, populated mainly by Serbs, be given to Serbia, and a southern Serbian town, Presevo, populated mainly by Albanians, be given to Kosovo.

07/18/2018

EU-brokered talks between Serbia and Kosovo on normalizing relations end without progress. Further talks will be held.

01/17/2018

Kosovo parliament again fails to rescind the law establishing a war crimes court in The Hague when it fails to reach a quorum.

01/16/2018

Key Kosovar Serb politician, Oliver Ivanocič is killed in Kosovo on the day that negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia are to meet to continue technical talks in Brussels. Ivanocič was born in the Kosovo region when it was part of Yugoslavia, and has been at odds both with Kosovo officials and Serbian ones. He was convicted of war crimes by EU judges but the conviction was overturned by an appeals court in Kosovo. Both governments condemn the killing.