Voices of the Serb Minority in the Assembly of Kosovo

Abstract

The performance of minority politics hinges upon various demands and expectations. While claiming to represent, Members of parliament (MPs) do not work in a vacuum. They rather work against particular institutional and cultural backgrounds, which, at least in part, set up the structure of opportunities open to them. In post-conflict societies such as Kosovo, international actors, kin states and their often conflicting peace-building strategies can make strong constraints on the behaviour of minority representatives. This chapter explores how Serb MPs in the Kosovo parliament respond to the incentives and constraints they face, and whether they manage to raise their authentic voice or merely give in to various pressures and expectations raised upon them...