Tien jaar Republika e Kosovës: Bestaat de Kosovaarse identiteit?

Abstract

During an era in which the headlines are dominated by refugee crises and tense international relations, national identity seems to be a topical issue and a relevant subject in the public debate. This applies in particular to Kosovo, which seceded from Serbia on 17 February 2008 and thus became a sovereign and multi-ethnic state. The newly formed country adopted its own national anthem, a new national flag and the Newborn Monument was revealed to emphasize the birth of Kosovo as a state. Consequently, this marks the starting point for Kosovo to build its own national identity.

Kosovo contains six officially recognized ‘minorities’. The largest minority is formed by ethnic Albanians; they make up over ninety percent of the Kosovar population. The question arises whether there is a need for an own national identity in the first place. In the streets, showing the Albanian flag is surely no exception and the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo seem to feel strongly connected with their ethnic roots and the Albanian nation. This research focuses on the question whether a Kosovar national identity seems to exist to ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, ten years after Kosovo declared independence.

Several scientific theories on national identity have been applied. Smith (1991), Canovan (1998) and the Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (2007) compiled six definitions on national identity, such as ethnic identity, cultural identity and state identity. These definitions form the core of this research. Various identities can coexist and are nested within each other, which will be described by using the nested identity theory (Herb & Kaplan, 1999; Medrano & Gutiérrez, 2001). Subsequently, theories about geopolitical codes, as drawn up by Flint (2012), have been used.

This research was conducted by using various qualitative research methods: in-depth interviews, a focus group, observations and desk research. Based on these research methods three different views on national identity can be distinguished: the Albanian national identity as first-order identity, the Kosovar national identity as first-order identity and the indefinite first-order identity. This research will illustrate how the different views on national identity relate to each other.