Religion and Politics in the Post-conflict Kosovo*

• In Event: Religion, State, and Mass Attitudes

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that the Balkan national identities are tightly interwoven with religion, and that Balkan religious elites often enjoy substantial political clout as a result of connections with government and in their role as opinion leaders. Yet, we know little, or almost nothing, about how religious institutions and values are shaping politics and society in the post-conflict Kosovar society. This issue became even more important after the 1999 Kosovo war, and particularly after the 2008 Kosovo's Declaration of Independence. Nowadays, 15 years after the Declaration, the very position of Kosovo still remains a highly contested topic in the international arena, and particularly in the Balkans. In this paper I will show how religion matters for politics in the contemporary Kosovar society. Thus, in what ways religion affects politics in the post-conflict Kosovo? How do religious variables affect attitudes about whether and how to balance religious traditions in post-conflict Kosovo? And finally, what influences might religion have on preferences between democratic and authoritarian rule, and the legitimacy of social and political institutions? My presentation will be based on my empirical research in Kosovo, undertaken in September-October 2022 (N=600, f2f), and 10 in-depth interviews with clergy members from the Islamic community of Kosovo, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the Catholic Church. My survey data are primarily intended to allow analysis of how religious values and ethnic identity shape the way people in today’s Kosovo think about their new post-conflict circumstances. However, as religious institutions and actors matter just as much, I included clergy interviews in order to illuminate how key representatives of religious institutions in Kosovo are thinking about social and political issues.

Author

• Marko Vekovic, University of Belgrade