The barricade (Kosova Sot)
The paper’s front-page editorial notes that the agreement for normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia foresees the removal of every barricade in order to enable the free movement of people and goods, but the agreement is not being implemented. “Serbia, which has great influence in the north, is obliged to respect the agreement. Kosovo authorities must not back down, but rather insist on securing lawfulness throughout the territory of our country. A barricade can be removed by force in a matter of hours, but barricades in the minds of some Serbs will hardly be ever removed. The greatest battle is with this mindset. After local elections everyone expected softer positions from the Serb side, but developments in the north require a stronger reaction. Kosovo must resolve the problem of the north once and for all because it has become a great burden to the country’s image. The European Union, which mediated and guaranteed the implementation of agreements with Serbia, must apply pressure on the Serbian government. Barricades should no longer be tolerated, regardless of who is behind them”.