In 2009 I visited my father in Kosovo, who was working there in the European Rule-of-Law Mission (EULEX) as a senior police officer. The Balkans have had a pretty unstable history and in 1998 a brutal one year armed conflict took place in Kosovo. After the war Kosovo declared itself independent, however, until this day various countries have not yet recognized the state. The country was then internationally governed for 10 years and in 2008 the European Union established a mission that would focus on the reform and strengthening of police, justice and customs institutions in Kosovo.
At the time of my visit I was very young, but the poverty and sceneries reminiscent of the war struck me. The images I saw were definitely not what I was used to back home and stayed with me for a long time. Throughout the years I had many a conversations with my father on the situation in Kosovo, local habits and values, and the trials and tribulations one has to go through being a part of an international organization with a strict hierarchy. I became familiarized with the major issues in Kosovo such as ethnic tensions, corruption, organized crime, a clan-based society and a weak economy.
When I was much older and was finishing my master's degree in International Politics, I naturally decided to hold a loop on EULEX to further deepen my knowledge on the situation in the Balkans and international intervention. I focussed on the concept of local ownership: how and to what degree were locals involved in the reorganization of their institutions? Local ownership, in my opinion, is vital for any chance at a successful realization of sustainable change. Through the analyzing of documents, information and interviewing local and international actors, it became clear how complex the situation really was. Which, isn't it always?
It's now 12 years later and EULEX is still present on the ground, which is being questioned by many. Some claim Kosovo has changed for the better and others reject this claim. As always, the truth will be somewhere in the middle.
COMING SOON: more detailed analysis and discussion
