Kosovo as Serbia’s Sacred Space: Governmentality, Pastoral Power, and Sacralization of Territories, Politicization of Religion, the Power of Symbolism pp 159-184

Abstract

When Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Serbia rejected this move as a fundamental threat to its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national identity. The Serbian government, however, shifted its foreign policy approach in 2010 when it started to gradually relinquish its claim of territorial control over Kosovo through a series of European Union (EU)-sponsored BelgradePristina negotiations. The only red line Serbia vowed not to cross was the recognition of Kosovo’s independence. Throughout this period of profound policy change, the discourse about the centrality of Kosovo to Serbia’s state identity remained intact.