the internal and external factors: eu Contestation in Kosovo as a Peripheral Country 4

Kosovo, as a peripheral country in the context of the EU integration process, remains a potential candidate country with one of the most isolated populations in the Western Balkan region. The citizens of Kosovo are still unable to travel to EU coun - tries without a visa. Unfortunately, this process has been a condition with Kosovo - -Serbia dialogue, facilitated by the EU. This article assesses the influence of both processes, from the internal and external perspective, on the contestation of the EU’s actress among different actors in Kosovo – political elites, experts, and citizens. An analysis of existing relevant research, statistical data of national and interna - tional organizations, and above thirty media articles published between 2015 and 2023, shows a decline in Kosovo citizens’ trust in the EU from 89% in 2015 to 73% in 2022, and lately a substantial drop with only 42%.

Tom 16, nr 1/2024 DOI: 10.7206/kp.2080-1084.661 the internal and external factorS: eu conteStation in KoSovo… 103 Ukraine and Russia war 2014 -ongoing): the EU backed the Minsk Agreements' compliance by imposing economic sanctions, targeting exchanges with Russia in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, even though these sanctions were not consistently upheld.Moreover, in response to the invasion, February 2022, the EU lunched unprecedented sanctions against Russia and Belarus, demonstrating unwavering support for Ukraine in various dimensions.These actions included breaking established norms, such as utilizing the European Peace Facility to procure weapons for a third country at war and provide protection to the country at war.However, the Russian aggression on Ukraine has brought the EU's foreign policy deficiencies to the surface.There is an ongoing criticism of the European foreign policy system and its apparent inadequacies.Scholars claim that the collective norm has not been codified in the treaties nor explicitly championed as a political objective within the domain of foreign policy.Instead, it has evolved organically through recurring and institutionalized interactions between the capitals of member states and their representatives in Brussels, both within and beyond the scope of foreign policy. 11 addition, the EU's effectiveness in security and foreign affairs policies continues to be subject to scrutiny by many scholars. 12Fischer argued that the EU's security policies in the Black Sea region failed to yield significant improvements. 13ima similarly highlighted the ineffectiveness of the EU's neighbourhood policy, despite substantial financial investments. 14This trend of ineffectiveness extended to the EU's involvement in conflicts such as the wars in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, with the EU's inability to resolve these issues without US intervention. 15ith this in mind, we turn to examine the EU involvement in Kosovo.Following the Kosovo war, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1244 in 1999, placing Kosovo under the administration of the United Nations through the Western Balkans who require Schengen visas for EU travel. 24Furthermore, despite nearly 12 years of EU-mediated dialogue, no resolution has been reached, and Kosovo has remained a potential candidate country for over 20 years due to the non-recognition of Kosovo's independence by five EU member states. 25his article will assess how these processes, from the perspective of internal and external factors, have influenced the contestation of the EU actress in Kosovo by different actors -political elites, experts, and citizens.The opinions of the three abovementioned actors' opinions are relevant to provide a realistic assessment on the EU actress in Kosovo. 26Indeed, this article contributes to the existing research on how the EU's actress is perceived in countries outside the EU. 27o achieve this aim, the analysis seeks to answer the two main research questions: (1) How do political elites, experts, and citizens of Kosovo perceive the EU actress in Kosovo?(2) Do the visa liberalization process and the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue impact the contestation of the EU actress in Kosovo by these actors?
The answers to these questions help verify the following two hypotheses: Hypothesis I: The trust of political elites, experts, and citizens in the EU actress in Kosovo has been declining, and the EU has been contested for its ineffectiveness to deal with Kosovo's main processes such as visa liberalization and Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.Hypothesis II: The visa liberalization process has directly impacted, while the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue has indirectly influenced, the contestation of the EU actress in Kosovo by political elites, experts, and citizens.
In terms of content, the article starts with research methodology applies.After that, it continues with literature review on explaining the term Kosovo as a peripheral country and the EU contestation, the EU's actress and its effectiveness on 106 Gjylbehare Murati, Sabiha Shala, afriM hoti Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and visa liberalisation process for Kosovo citizens.After, the research is focused on qualitative and quantitative findings research about the EU's actress and effectiveness on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and the visa liberalization process.These two processes are critical for Kosovo's European perspective.As, the EU has conditioned visa liberalization with progress on Kosovo and Serbia dialogue, the opinion of Kosovo citizens about the EU actress and effectiveness becomes very relevant too.

Methodology
Two research methods are employed to test the above hypotheses.
The qualitative method that made possible the Gathering of diverse views from Kosovar political elites and twenty experts on the European integration process in Kosovo.Only secondary data are used and this involves analysing various sources such as books, scientific articles, media article, speeches by political leaders, and official documents from the Kosovo government and the EU.A selection of above thirty-five media articles published between 2015 and 2022 is based on credibility and the volume of content related to the EU actress in Kosovo with focus on visa liberalization and Kosovo-Serbia dialogue as the dominating and sensitive topic of public and political discussion.
The quantitative method helps measuring Kosovo citizens' trust in the EU through the analysis of surveys conducted by credible organizations and researchers between 2015 and 2022 (the same period selected for articles).This quantitative method complements the qualitative analysis.Both methods made possible to measure perceptions of the EU as not sufficiently effective in Kosovo as a peripheral country based on the opinions of political elites, experts, and citizens.

Kosovo as a Peripheral country, eu actress and the eu Polity Contestation
There is no unified definition of EU peripheral countries, but several researchers use this term in various contexts. 28 the internal and external factorS: eu conteStation in KoSovo… 107 is positioned as a peripheral country within the context of EU integration and the visa liberalization process within the broader framework of EU affairs.As indicated in this study, Kosovo, as a potential candidate country to join the EU, has made progress in its European integration path and visa liberalization discussions, but it still faces significant hurdles.These challenges position Kosovo as a peripheral country.Similar to Barcevičius et al.'s study, the actorness perspective is used to analyse what kind of actor the EU is perceived in Kosovo, whether is it effective, fair and reliable. 29he term contestation has garnered the attention of various scholars, each offering unique insights.Wiener presents a conceptualization of contestation as a mode of critique, emphasizing its proactive nature. 30Michailidou sheds light on the evolving role of citizens in shaping and commenting on news within the EU polity contestation -a sphere traditionally dominated by journalists and political elites. 31eha highlights the contestation surrounding the EU actress in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. 32Troncotă contends that the EU's mediation strategy, characterized by 'constructive ambiguity', can inadvertently provoke resistance among local political actors, particularly during the implementation phase. 33Ivic contested the EU's visa liberalization process for Western Balkan countries, arguing that it contributed to the division of people in the region rather than fostering unification. 34Contestation, as understood here, seeks to analyse the stances of Kosovo politicians, assessments by political media analysts (experts), and the claims made by Kosovar citizens regarding the EU actress in the visa liberalization process and the Kosovo-EU dialogue.108 Gjylbehare Murati, Sabiha Shala, afriM hoti the effectiveness of the eu as Mediator for the Never-ending Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue and Visa liberalization Process Barcevičius et al. tie EU effectiveness to its actorness but delve deeper into the EU's success in specific areas and on particular issues.Since 2011, the EU has been mediating the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, resulting in over ten agreements on several sectors, including the one on establishing the Association of Serb-majority munici palities in Kosovo. 35EU officials lauded these as significant EU accomplishments. 36s Bergmann contends, the EU's full effectiveness was hindered by unimplemented agreements and unresolved issues in northern Kosovo. 37Kosovo grapples with the 2015 First Agreement and constitutional disparities, impeding the Association's establishment. 38On the flip side, Serbia did not meet its obligations, maintaining parallel institutions, opposing Kosovo's UNESCO membership in 2015, and refusing to acknowledge Kosovo's independence.In the 2020 Washington Agreement, Serbia vowed a one-year halt to opposing Kosovo's independence. 39Kosovo reciprocated by postponing international organization membership for that period.Yet, Serbia vehemently opposed Kosovo's Council of Europe membership in 2021, persistently lobbied against recognizing Kosovo's independence, even threatening the international community. 40A similar response followed Kosovo's EU application in December 2022.Tadić highlights Serbia's hindrance and oversight of past Previously, while in opposition, the LVV strongly criticized the government's handling of the dialogue, particularly for its lack of transparency and the perceived detrimental impact of agreements such as the First Agreement for Association, which the LVV viewed as a step towards the 'Bosnification of Kosovo'. 48However, as the party in power today, the LVV, led by Prime Minister Kurti, has been urged by the EU and the USA to advance the dialogue process and establish the Association in Kosovo, as it represents an international obligation for Kosovo. 49n the other hand, opposition parties have criticized the government's management of the dialogue and have called for US involvement, in addition to the EU's 47 Kosovo Parliament, Parliamentary Groups, 2022, https://www.kuvendikosoves.org/eng/parliamentary-groups/# (access: 20.08.2022).mediation. 50While opposition party leaders have not openly criticized the EU actress as a mediator, they have advocated for greater US engagement.In contrast, Bislimi, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo for European Integration and Dialogue, recently voiced criticism of both the EU and Serbia, alleging that 'They are only interested in signing the agreement, not its implementation'. 51egarding the visa liberalization process, political parties in Kosovo have for the first time achieved unanimity across the spectrum.Initially, during the early stages of the process and when Kosovo had to fulfil additional criteria, opposition parties closely monitored the government and other Kosovo institutions to ensure compliance.While they did criticize the government for delays in meeting the EU's prescribed benchmarks for progress in the visa liberalization process, politicians in Kosovo also shifted their approach by directly requesting the EU to treat Kosovo's citizens on par with others in the region.
Prominent political figures, including Çitaku, Tahiri, Haradinaj, Abdixhiku, Gërvalla, Kurti, and Osmani, expressed disappointment with the EU for not de livering on visa liberalization despite Kosovo's fulfilment of all requirements. 52Mustaf, a former Prime Minister and member of the LDK, criticized the current Prime Minister and President for delays in the visa process, alluding to their previous hindrances, particularly regarding the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro.53

experts Contesting the eu actress in Kosovo
Media outlets in Kosovo consistently report on developments in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and the visa liberalization process, frequently seeking insights from national and international experts.Beyond traditional print and social media coverage, these topics have also been subjects of live debates, featuring input from national experts.50 Prishtina Insight, Opposition Call for US Involvement in the Dialogue, 2021, https://prishtinainsight.com/ opposition-call-for-us-involvement-in-the-dialogue/ (access: 22.09.2023).
112 Gjylbehare Murati, Sabiha Shala, afriM hoti Over 20 political analysts express scepticism about the EU's ability to solve Kosovo-Serbia dialogue without US involvement (Figure 1).Professor of International Law, Hasani, while acknowledging the importance of the United States in the process, remains sceptical about Serbia's recognition of Kosovo resulting from EU-facilitated dialogue. 54Peci, a renowned political media analyst in Kosovo, shares a similar perspective.Other analysts have expressed similar views. 55Figure 1 shows that 46% are sceptical of the EU's dialogue-solving ability, 20% are in favour of US involvement, and 7% question EU sincerity.Turning to the EU's role in the visa liberalization process, analysts have offered varying assessments over the years, particularly since 2016.In 2016, for the first time, the European Commission confirmed that Kosovo had met all the necessary crite ria for visa-free travel, signalling a significant turning point.the internal and external factorS: eu conteStation in KoSovo… 113 In 2015, analysts such as Ujkani and Hoti held that Kosovar institutions needed to intensify their efforts to advance the visa liberalization process, with Hoti suggesting that Kosovar institutions bore partial responsibility for the lack of progress. 56n 2019, Rexha, a senior researcher from GLPS, expressed disappointment at the EU Council's failure to confirm visa liberalization for Kosovo despite positive evaluations by the EC and parliamentary support. 57n 2020, Emini characterized the EU's role in the visa liberalization process as sluggish, while Mehmetaj placed blame on the Kosovo Government for perceived delays. 58Bujani echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Kosovar institutions had not enacted necessary reforms. 59However, Vasolli suggested that, despite meeting the criteria, Kosovo needed to lobby EU countries that remained unconvinced by the EC's favourable assessment. 60y 2022, Smajljaj attributed the lack of visa liberalization for Kosovars to France and the Netherlands, stressing the need for Kosovo institutions to engage in diplomatic efforts targeting these countries. 61aci, 62 Sarrazin,63 and Shasha 64 all shared the perspective that the EU conditioned visa liberalization for Kosovars on the resolution of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.
In 2015, Kosovo's public opinion regarding EU membership was overwhelmingly positive, with 89% of respondents viewing the process as beneficial for the economy. 65While this percentage dropped to 80% in 2016, it remained the highest in the region. 66Support for EU accession rebounded to 90% in 2017, again marking Kosovo as the Western Balkans leader in support for EU membership. 67In 2018, despite a slight dip from 90% to 84%, Kosovo still maintained the highest level of support in the region. 68nother survey conducted in 2018 by the International Republican Institute (IRI) found that 85% of respondents in Kosovo were ready to vote in favour of Kosovo's accession to the EU in a hypothetical referendum. 69n 2019, support for EU integration showed a significant decrease, dropping from 84% to 69%. 70This decrease was closely linked to the EU's indecision on visa liberalization, as suggested by the same source. 71onversely, in 2020, a study by Kosovar researchers Rexhepi, Sahiti, and Rullani reported that 87.3% of respondents believed that EU integration was in Kosovo's best interests, and 86% favoured Kosovo's accession to the EU. 72These findings closely aligned with those of the European Fund for the Balkans in 2020, where approxi-Tom 16, nr 1/2024 DOI: 10.7206/kp.2080-1084.661 the internal and external factorS: eu conteStation in KoSovo… 115 mately 94% of respondents supported Kosovo's accession to the EU. 73However, it is worth noting that the National Democratic Institute's research indicated that only 48% of interviewed Kosovar citizens thought that the EU treated Kosovo as an equal partner. 74n 2021, both the IRI and the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB) reported high levels of support for EU membership among Kosovo citizens, with 91% and 90% in favour, respectively. 75Nevertheless, they also expressed concerns about the EU institutions' sluggishness in Kosovo's integration process.
Kosovar public opinion in 2022, as reported by the Voice of America, showed a decline in support for the EU's work.Only 42% of respondents had a positive attitude towards the EU compared to NATO and the USA, with 64% believing that the EU and EULEX exhibited bias.Furthermore, 77% of respondents felt that Kosovo's foreign policy was more positively oriented towards the EU, marking a decrease from previous years. 76n the same year, the RCC highlighted that regional support for EU membership experienced its first decline since 2015, with 60% of respondents indicating that EU membership was good for the economy. 77For Kosovo specifically, the data showed that 73% of those surveyed believed EU membership was beneficial for the economy. 78ccording to Figure 2, the trend of Kosovo citizens' trust towards the EU's institutions was not constant and decreased year to year, with an exception in 2019. 79So, the EU actress is contested by the Kosovo citizens, considering the decrease of trust towards the EU (from 89% in 2015 to 73% in 2022).After comparing data from Figure 2 with the dates published by other organizations, a similar trend is noticed.Figure 3 shows that Kosovo citizens' support towards the EU increased when the EU promised the visa liberalization process in 2021 and decreased when the EU promise was not kept in 2022.So, the Kosovo citizens' contestation about the EU varied from year to year, pending on the EU promise regarding the visa liberalization process.

Conclusions
Based on the findings of this analysis, it can be concluded that political elites, experts, and citizens of Kosovo perceive the EU actress in Kosovo as not enough effective.These qualitative and quantitative research results prove the European Union actress in Kosovo is perceived as immensely important in Kosovo but has been marred by ineffectiveness.The trust of political elites, experts, and citizens in the EU actress in Kosovo has been declining, and the EU has been contested for its ability to deal with Kosovo's essential processes such as the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and the visa liberalization process.Notably, the involvement of the United States has been increasingly sought after by all major political parties in Kosovo, underscoring the growing frustration with the protracted nature of EU-mediated negotiations, which have spanned over a decade with no clear resolution in sight.
The link between the visa liberalization process with the progress of Kosovo--Serbia dialogue has been contested by political elites, experts and citizens.Namely, they are contesting the EU using the visa liberalization process as a 'stick and carrot' policy with regard to the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.All political leaders in Kosovo unanimously assert that Kosovar institutions have fulfilled the requisite criteria for visa-free travel within the EU.The European Commission's positive assessment since 2018 serves as a clear endorsement of Kosovo's readiness for this privilege.However, experts' opinions have varied in early stage, with some attributing delays to Kosovar institutions and others assigning partial blame to the EU for its failure to grant visa-free access.In 2022, experts recommended ongoing efforts by the Kosovo government to lobby EU countries hesitant about granting visa-free travel to Kosovars.Some experts have linked the visa liberalization process with the broader discussions surrounding the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, suggesting that the EU employs it as a 'stick and carrot' policy to incentivize progress in the dialogue.Unfortunately, these processes remain entrenched, and experts express deep scepticism about the EU's approach.So, it can be stated that this link between visa liberalization and Kosovo-Serbia dialogue progress impacts the contestation of the EU actress in Kosovo.Public support for European integration, 118 Gjylbehare Murati, Sabiha Shala, afriM hoti which was largely positive until 2019, saw a significant decline that year.Although the situation improved in 2021, the most recent international research report reveals a substantial drop-in support, with only 42% of the population expressing a positive opinion about the EU's work, and 73% according to Eurobarometer data.This decline in support is likely attributable to the EU's prolonged indecision on visa liberalization and the resulting lack of freedom of movement within Europe. 80bibliography