Kosovo Government and the international factor in Kosovo have begun a campaign to explain to the citizens the importance of decentralization. The process, which is seen as the largest compromise of the Kosovo institutions for the Kosovo Serb community, is closer to becoming reality.

In Kosovo, decentralization will not only bring governance closer to the people, but it will empower Kosovo municipalities with other benefits. International Civilian Office (ICO) has been tasked by the Ahtisaari Plan to supervise the implementation of the agreement, including decentralization. 

“The process of decentralization in Kosovo has begun. Laws regarding this process have been approved and the Government is leading the process, which will tell the citizens and journalist what decentralization will involve," said Andy McGuffey, spokesperson for the office of the ICO.

Difficulties are expected in the new municipalities that will be created with ethnically Serb majorities. It is possible that political participation of the Serb community will be lacking as well as the people that would work for the administration. Serbs in northern Kosovo municipalities where Serbs already constituted majorities have chosen to organize separate elections sponsored by Belgrade and have shunned the Prishtina authority. Although UNMIK said initially that such elections would be irrelevant, it has chosen to actively cooperate with the new authorities. It remains to be seen whether the new municipalities will be delivered on a plate to Belgrade, which is not a signatory to the Ahtisaari plan and has remained cool to decentralization.   

 

On the Albanian side, Self-Determination Movement has said it will support local citizens who oppose decentralization because their homes and lands will fall under new authorities. Gjilan municipality in southeastern Kosovo has voiced its opposition as well because it is bound to lose some of its territory.

Kosovo currently has 30 municipalities and 3 test-municipal units.

Ahtisaari Plan asks for six new municipalities of Serb majority and the three testing municipalities, one of which is majority Turkish, to be converted into full-fledged municipalities. 

Ahtisaari Plan allows municipalities horizontal cooperation with other municipalities and cross-border cooperation, designed  to allow the new Serb municipalities better cooperation with the government and people in Serbia.