Kosovo Clamps Down on Serbian Structures in North, Escalating a Longstanding Standoff
It’s getting tense in northern Kosovo again. After years of simmering conflict, Kosovo’s authorities decided to go directly after the core of Serbian presence in the north—by shutting down the so-called parallel institutions that Serbia has maintained since the 1999 war. In January 2025, Kosovo took a bold step, closing what it called a 'Tax agency of Serbia' right in the middle of North Mitrovica, the unofficial Serbian capital in Kosovo. This wasn’t just a one-off move. The government has been systematically targeting post offices, social service centers, and other public offices that have long operated in Serbian-majority areas as outposts for Belgrade’s influence.
Belgrade did not take this quietly. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić slammed Kosovo’s moves as "acts of terror", saying Pristina’s campaign was designed to provoke and humiliate the local Serb community. Serbia insists these agencies are not illegal but essential services for its people in the north. The EU and the US aren’t exactly thrilled either—both Brussels and key Western capitals (sometimes called the "Quint"—France, Germany, Italy, UK, and US) voiced concern, urging both sides to keep calm and avoid escalation. They worry this could trigger the kind of street clashes and barricades everyone remembers from 2023, when tension over license plates spiraled into open standoffs.
Political Deadlock and Election Headaches
Dialogue? It’s basically on ice. The EU tried hard in 2022 with the Ohrid Agreement, which Kosovo hoped would nail down its international status. But President Vučić refused to give Kosovo’s independence legal blessing—he would not sign a text recognizing it, even as a non-binding deal was floated. The standoff means both sides are in a holding pattern, trading barbs and threats, but making no real breakthroughs.
What’s new is Kosovo’s push to actually govern these Serb-majority municipalities, mostly by putting ethnic Albanian mayors in charge after local Serbs boycotted elections since late 2022. Nobody really expects this to last. With new local elections scheduled for October 2025, Serbian parties are prepping to make a comeback, hoping to channel the frustration in the streets into political power at the polls. It sets up a direct clash: will Pristina respect the outcome if Belgrade-loyal Serbs win big, or will this lead to another round of chaos?
Caught in the middle, ordinary residents and civil society activists are getting squeezed. Local groups argue Kosovo’s government is acting too forcefully—raids on neighborhood institutions, police in riot gear, disruption of day-to-day life—but they’re just as fed up with Belgrade’s heavy hand, especially through power-brokers like Petar Petković and the Srpska Lista (SL) party, seen as mouthpieces for Serbia’s national agenda.
Security remains unpredictable. Every closure, every new mayor, every police operation risks flare-ups. It’s not just about who’s in charge, but whether two communities that barely trust each other can find any kind of normal life amid big power games. With local elections just months away, many eyes will be on North Mitrovica—and on whether things get calmer or, as so often happens, take a turn for the worse.