As many as 70 percent of Albanians see the CSM as a threat to Kosovo, while 68 percent of Serbs expect the situation to worsen

More than two-thirds of Serbs in Kosovo, specifically 68.36 percent, expect the situation to deteriorate further, while as many as 70 percent of Albanians see the Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities (CSM) as a threat to Kosovo, according to the results of the research “Perceptions of Compromise in the Normalization Process Between Kosovo and Serbia – Difficult Questions Ahead,” presented today in Pristina.

The author of the study, political scientist Ognjen Gogic, stated that 79.19 percent of respondents assessed the position of the Serbian community in Kosovo as bad or very bad, while senior researcher at the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies, Ramadan Ilazi, noted that 74 percent of respondents believe Serbia is responsible for the poor relations between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo.

The public opinion poll was conducted by the NGO CASA with the support of the Open Society Foundation.

In the survey portion of the research, 300 respondents of Serbian ethnicity from both the north and south of Kosovo participated, while the second part included opinions of Albanian respondents.

Among Serbian respondents, as many as 82.65 percent said the position of the Serbian community had worsened in recent years, while 68.36 percent expect the situation to deteriorate even further in the future.

“Serbs in northern Kosovo evaluate their position more negatively than Serbs in the south. Additionally, 76.87 percent of respondents do not believe that Kosovo institutions act in the interest of all citizens, while 56.46 percent believe that the participation of Serbs in institutions is important for improving quality of life. More than 50 percent of Serbs believe that the withdrawal from institutions in the north was justified, although when divided by region, people in the north are more likely to believe the decision was justified than those in the south. When asked whether the position of Serbs improved or worsened after the withdrawal, around 94 percent said it had worsened. Regarding whether Serbs should return to the institutions, one-third said ‘yes, but under certain conditions,’ such as the formation of the CSM — an opinion shared by every second respondent — while 34 percent believe the return should be collective,” said Gogic.

He added that acceptance of the Kosovo legal framework is conditional on guarantees for consistent application of the law, with 43.54 percent of respondents believing that Serbs should accept the Kosovo legal framework, while 31.74 percent believe it would be justified if Serbs were involved in drafting laws and making decisions.

Gogic also pointed out that emigration has been identified as the greatest challenge.

On the other hand, one of the lead authors of the study, Ramadan Ilazi, presenting the data collected from Albanian respondents on dialogue and normalization, noted that there is a prevailing belief that relations with Serbia are tense and that the responsibility lies with the Serbian side, a belief held by as many as 74 percent of respondents, while only 15 percent of them desire friendly relations.

According to him, only five percent of Albanians believe normalization will happen, 67 percent think normalization is not possible, while 27 percent are unsure whether relations will normalize or not.

“At the same time, 14 percent of respondents believe that dialogue must be a priority for the government, while in response to whether the Kosovo government should implement the agreements from the dialogue, 18 percent said they should be implemented in Kosovo’s interest, 35 percent said it is necessary if Serbia does the same, while 12 percent said they should not be implemented at all,” said Ilazi.

He added that only 29 percent of respondents see compromise as necessary for peace.

Regarding the Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities, 70 percent of Albanians see it as a threat to Kosovo’s sovereignty and perceive it negatively, Ilazi emphasized.

“The Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities would be supported by 64 percent of respondents, but only if certain conditions are met, the main one being Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo. This view is shared by 33.5 percent of respondents,” said Iljazi.

CASA Executive Director Miodrag "Miki" Marinkovic pointed out that the topic addressed by the research is not easy for the communities involved, and that there was significant pressure, noting that the final conclusions from the Serbian and Albanian communities will provide a broader overview that could assist in the normalization of relations.

Marinkovic stated that there are three main conclusions explaining why the normalization process remains fragile and contested.

“The lack of pluralism in public opinion. Everyone is willing to compromise — if the other side gives something — which tells us that public opinion holds fixed positions and does not reflect on what each community could gain. This dynamic can be seen as an opportunity, but an open dialogue is needed. The second conclusion is that there is no public debate in Kosovo on normalization. Public opinion is shaped by political decisions, there are many prejudices, and there is a lack of parallel discussion. The focus of our work must clearly go in that direction. The third conclusion is openness to compromise through reciprocity. Despite all the statistics, it is clear that citizens are not ready for compromise but instead seek reciprocity. This is a result of the current dialogue and a reflection of historical mistrust between citizens. But if approached the right way, everything can be resolved,” said Marinkovic.

Executive Director of the Kosovo Open Society Foundation, Lura Limani, emphasized the importance of hearing the voices of both Serbs and Albanians in order to reach a compromise.

“For us, it is important that the voices of Serbs and Albanians are present, so that a compromise can be achieved. There is a great deal of skepticism regarding the CSM. Serbs in Kosovo perceive the situation as difficult and tense, and there is a lack of trust in Kosovo institutions. Normalization cannot happen only in Brussels — it must happen among citizens, in schools, supermarkets, institutions...” said Limani.