European Journal | Kosovo: Struggling for Stability

Kosovo declared independence in February 2008, but one year on, the country remains volatile. Divisions between the Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Mitrovica in northern Kosovo led to eruptions of violence in early 2009. KFOR peacekeepers have stepped up their patrols and the EU has intervened. Serbia, meanwhile, is quite happy to see Kosovo struggling: Belgrade continues to reject Kosovo's independence. But even Pristina isn't too worried about these simmering tensions - they're a welcome distraction from the government's own failures.