Everyday anxieties in a divided society at the time of COVID-19 : consequences of the dual legal and administrative system in the North of Kosovo

english

2022

volume 15, issue 1

Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

This paper analyses the measures introduced by the governments of Serbia and Kosovo in the north of Kosovo aimed at suppressing the spread of COVID-19. Northern Kosovo is an interesting case due to the existence of dual legal and administrative system – one run by the Serbian government in Belgrade, and the second one run by the Kosovo authorities in Pristina. Drawing from the theory of contested statehood, the authors argue that the institutions of both sides, who have been vying for power in this region for years, used almost all available means to demonstrate their respective "statehoods" (ability to execute power) regardless of consequences this has had for the locals. The analysis has shown, first, that in such a conundrum, the majority of people attempted to adhere to the measures of both systems in order to avoid both formal (legal) and informal (social) sanctions; second, that the authorities do not shy away from fighting for supremacy even in the cases, where the cooperation of all stakeholders would be sine qua non for reducing the impact of pandemics.

20.12.2023