Ethnic Albanian mayor takes office, raising tensions in Kosovo

Tensions in the northern region of Kosovo, on the border with Serbia, gained a new chapter this Friday, with the inauguration of an ethnic Albanian mayor in the divided city of Mitrovica this Friday (19). Erden Atiq takes office almost a month after elections in four municipalities in the region, which were strongly boycotted by the Serb majority residing in the region.

“I will work with my entire team for all citizens, without any discrimination,” said new mayor Erden Atiq, according to Reuters information. The swearing-in ceremony took place next to the main bridge over the river that divides the Serb-majority Serb and ethnic Albanian sides of Mitrovica.

Tensions between the Serb majority and the Kosovar population, of Albanian origin, increased after the announcement of elections for autonomous local governments in four municipalities in Kosovo’s north – Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Leposavic and Mitrovica. The Serbs were against the election, claiming that it was directly linked to the Kosovar government, which is not recognized by Belgrade.

With the possibility of the four elected mayors taking office, the Serbs reacted with anger. This Friday (19) the representative of the Serbs for the region of Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, accused the Prime Minister of Kosovar, Albin Kurti, of encouraging an “occupation” and that an eventual possession of mayoralties by the Albanians would trigger a new conflict with Belgrade.

The Kosovo government’s initial plans were to hold the elections in December last year, but the strong boycott by the Serbs provoked a postponement to April 23.

Despite the new date having been stipulated, the Serb List, the main party of the Serbian majority, continued to boycott the elections. Even so, the elections were confirmed. “It is impossible to tolerate further election postponements. We cannot tolerate a vacuum in institutions,” said Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the time.

On the 23rd, the elections were actually held, with a meager turnout: only 3.47% of voters (1,566 Albanians and 13 Serbs) went to the polls. Serbs in the region cited the low turnout as an argument for not accepting the results of the polls.

There is still no information on when the mayors of the other three cities will take office. However, with the inauguration of the mayor of Mitrovica, the possibility of violent events involving the Serbian and Albanian populations is considerable, especially since Serbs have been showing growing discontent with the current geopolitical situation in the region.