Unification with Albania - The Next Stop for Kosovo?

Abstract

Very few studies have been conducted on the topic of unification between Kosovo and Albania. This is an important issue in the Balkans as such unification could spark yet another conflict, which Kosovo and Albania’s neighbours believe is imminent. The formation of a ‘Greater Albania’ between Kosovo and Albania not only poses a threat to Serbia, but it could also potentially threaten Kosovo’s future within the European Union. Whilst Kosovo’s declaration of independence has been a major positive step for the Albanian majority of the nation, it has nevertheless resurfaced some of the deep-rooted historical issues which have been prevalent in the territory of centuries. A survey conducted by the Gallup institute in 2010 showed that 64% of inhabitant in Albania and 81% of Kosovo Albanians support a union of the two countries. The survey results however, contradict the official governments of both Kosovo and Albania, who do not openly support unification and unification is not a goal on their official political agendas. This thesis considers the available discourse on the issue of unification between Albanian and Kosovo and discusses the degree to which there is support for a ‘Greater Albania’ amongst Kosovo Albanians. The unification issue is a highly politically controversial concept both internally within Kosovo and outside it, which scholars only recently beginning to take the issue more seriously. Whether or not there is a strong desire by the Kosovo Albanians to merge their newly independent country with the Albanian state would not only have a profound effect on the minorities currently living in Kosovo, but the entire Balkans and Europe. This study aims to shed light on the potential for the emergence of a united Albania in order to learn whether there will be a repeat of the turbulent history that the Balkans has witnessed.