The peaceful and trouble-free transfer of power from Albanian to Serb mayors in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo has been welcomed by the German Embassy, which described it as an important sign of continued de-escalation in the region.
In North Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Zveçan and Leposaviq, the newly elected mayors from Lista Srpska were sworn in today following their victory in the local elections. The inaugural sessions were held in the presence of Kosovo’s state symbols, although Serbian flags were also observed in some instances.
This calm transition in municipalities that have been centers of tension over recent years was welcomed by several international missions in Kosovo.
The German Embassy stated to Gazeta Express:
“We are pleased to see a peaceful and orderly transition of municipal governance today. This constitutes an important signal of further de-escalation in the north.”
However, when asked whether this development means it is time for the European Union to fully lift its punitive measures against Kosovo, the embassy did not give a direct response — a silence that many view as part of the EU’s inconsistent and slow-moving approach toward Kosovo, despite Prishtina’s repeated fulfillment of obligations.
The northern municipalities had been led by Albanian mayors since May 2023, after Lista Srpska mayors resigned in November 2022 in protest against government decisions at the time.
The subsequent tensions — fueled in part by Serbia’s destabilizing influence and its refusal to discourage parallel structures — prompted the EU to impose restrictive measures on Kosovo, a step widely criticized as disproportionate and politically unbalanced.
Following the gradual stabilization of the situation, the European Union began slowly lifting the measures in May of this year, though many observers argue that the EU continues to reward Belgrade’s obstructionist behavior while holding Kosovo to tighter scrutiny.
The British Embassy also welcomed today’s developments, encouraging cooperation between local and central authorities.
