MEPs in favour of Kosovo recognition by all EU member states

Last week, MEPs in Strasbourg adopted a resolution on Kosovo calling for all EU member states to recognise Kosovo’s independence. The resolution stated that EU member states should “step up their common approach towards Kosovo”. To-date 22 member states have recognised Kosovo’s independence, while five have not: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
MEPs also called for more practical steps to make the benefits of co-operating with the EU more tangible to Kosovo’s citizens. Certainly, any progress towards visa liberalisation would be welcomed by Kosovo citizens as they placed “freer travel” at the top of the list of benefits they thought EU accession would bring – 93%, one of the highest figures in the region.
Returning to the issue of the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, it is interesting to see how the issue is seen closer to home. One in four Kosovo Albanians thought that Serbia would accept independence within five years. However, only 6% of Kosovo Serbs and 11% of Serb nationals felt that way. Indeed, 80% of Kosovo Serbs and 67% of Serb nationals thought that Serbia would never recognise Kosovo’s independence.