Kosovo: controversial new census of the country's population

2024-04-06T06:49:37.504Z

Highlights: Kosovo is launching a controversial census of its population, thirteen years after a first consultation, boycotted at the time by the Serbian community. High birth rates and migratory movements complicate population counting. Relations between Serbs and Albanians have been going through a particularly tense period since Pristina tried to prohibit the use of the Serbian currency, the dinar. The main Serbian political party in Kosovo called for a boycott. “The Serbian population will not participate in the upcoming false census,” we read in a statement on social networks.

Kosovo is launching a controversial census of its population, thirteen years after a first consultation, boycotted at the time by the Serbian community.

Kosovo: controversial new census of the country's population

Kosovo is launching a controversial census of its population, thirteen years after a first consultation, boycotted at the time by the Serbian community.

Mother Theresa Boulevard in Pristina (illustrative image). RFI/Anastasia Becchio

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in the Balkans,

Laurent Rouy

As in all the Balkans, the number of inhabitants in

Kosovo

is unknown to the power in place. High birth rates and migratory movements complicate population counting. This is why Pristina is launching a census: the second after a first consultation in 2011.

Ethnic tensions

But in Kosovo, we have to count on ethnic tensions. If, for the Albanian population, Kosovo is an independent country, for the Serbian minority, Kosovo is a Serbian but secessionist territory whose government has no legitimacy. Also, the main Serbian political party in Kosovo called for a boycott. “

The Serbian population will not participate in the upcoming false census

,” we read in a statement on social networks.

Dinar

Historically very bad, having become execrable since the election of Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, relations between

Serbs

and Albanians have been going through a particularly tense period since Pristina tried to prohibit the use of the Serbian currency, the dinar, which circulates widely in the Serb-majority regions of Kosovo.

International reportIn Kosovo, Albin Kurti is on the verge of winning his bet for control of the north of the Serbian-majority country

Kosovo: controversial new census of the country's population

Kosovo: controversial new census of the country's population

Ethnic tensions

Dinar

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