In 2016, Kosovo won its first ever Gold Medal in the Summer Games, just eight
years after the country announced its independence from Serbia.
This victory was a monumental step for the still-disputed territory, but amid the current
turmoil, Kosovo may not survive to see the next Summer Games.
With mounting economic issues, a tiny population, and relative insecurity, we wanted to know:
will Kosovo survive as an independent state?
Well, the road to its independence has been shockingly violent, unstable and very complicated.
Modern day Kosovo was once a part of Serbia which was itself once a part of Yugoslavia.
After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Yugoslavia fell apart in a series of regional
wars, including the Kosovo War.
This war was so incredibly violent and marked by war crimes, that in 1999, NATO was forced
to intervene and Kosovo was made a UN protectorate.
In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence.
So how has it fared since declaring sovereignty?
Well, after consistently being seen as the poorest region in the former Yugoslavia, little
has changed besides its name.
From 2008 to 2015, Kosovo’s GDP rose from about 5.6 billion to 6.3 billion dollars,
while unemployment is at around 31%, although CIA estimates have placed this figure closer
to 60% among the youth.
And for some minority groups in the region, unemployment may have even been as high as
90% in 2010.
In addition to barely maintaining an economy, Kosovo’s military force is tiny.
In 2009, the country established an estimated 2,500 person security force.
Then in 2014 the Prime Minister announced the creation of an army of roughly 5,000 active
soldiers and 3,000 reservists for a population of more than 1.8 million people.
Even then, it will be one of the smallest military forces in the world.
But one of the the biggest challenges to Kosovo’s future survival is ultimately recognition.
The country has garnered the support of more than half the UN’s member states.
But its former ruling country, Serbia, has actively refused to acknowledge Kosovo’s
sovereignty, although international law maintains that they recognize the country’s government.
And despite the support from most of the UN, Kosovo has been unable to join thanks to Russia,
which is an ally of Serbia, and is able to unilaterally veto admission to the UN.
Still, the country has seen some progress on joining the European Union.
Although it is still a disputed territory, full sovereignty is not a prerequisite of
EU membership.
As of 2012, Kosovo has fulfilled the legal requirements necessary to join, and negotiations
have been ongoing.
But perhaps one of the most unsettling aspects of Kosovo’s independence is that it has
become a breeding ground for ISIS fighters.
Kosovo has the highest per-capita rate of foreign fighters in Europe.
In the past two years, the New York Times reports 314 Kosovars have left to join
the Islamic State.
While the country recovers from its violent history, it has been grappling with a small
economy, small military, small population, and no international sway.
With few positive attributes nearly a decade after gaining independence, and despite the
Gold Medal, the future still doesn’t look bright for Kosovo.
Kosovo is one of the many nations around the world that receives funding from Saudi Arabia.
The money helps spread Wahhabism, a branch of Islam that many believe is fueling the
rise of extremism.
To find out more about the spread of Wahhabism, watch our video here.
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