Three Essays on Kosovo - Essay III (original) (raw)

Kosovo still represents a clear case of international state-building efforts in the 21 st century. In particular, international institutions like UN, NATO, EU along with individual countries have led state-building since the end of the conflict in 1999. The case of Kosovo is particularly important when addressing questions related to the transition from a centralized to a market economy; intervention and international legitimacy; collective trauma and dealing with the past as well as core difficulties faced by transitioning democracies. At first, state building in both Bosnia and Kosovo was primarily driven by the US. Gradually, the EU has taken over in both countries. 1 As for now, one of the main problems remain Kosovo's lack legitimacy in the north, which impedes the state's sovereignty. We will analyses key periods and actors that have influenced the establishment and development of the Republic of Kosovo.