Is there anything in Kosovo?
Disappointment should motivate us to seek change, not increase our political apathy.
By Rrezart Dema | July 6, 2024
When I go out for coffee with my friends in my town of Gjakova, I often hear a saying that seems to have become an anthem for Kosovar citizens, especially the youth: “There’s nothing here.” This can be interpreted as the sentiment that Kosovo is a country without prospects and that there is no hope.
We should say that this “there’s nothing here” does not come from nowhere. There are many factors that have led to this apathy and loss of hope, especially among the youth. Young people in Kosovo face major problems in the main spheres of life. These problems are tangible.
For example, young people face a marked lack of quality education, from the early years to higher education. This has real consequences: it produces a workforce that is not prepared for the needs of the labor market.
The situation worsens, especially when we consider different groups within the youth — such as women and non-majority communities — who experience double discrimination. Consequently, their hope for a better future may be even dimmer.
By saying "there's nothing here" and giving up, we risk creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The context is difficult, but what’s even more difficult is the complete withdrawal from taking action and from efforts to change this context. In 2018, the Kosovo Democratic Institute published research on the attitudes and behaviors of young voters, surveying 1,200 young people from all over Kosovo. Of those surveyed, 46% stated that they almost never discuss politics within their family, while 33.1% said they rarely discuss it.
By saying “there’s nothing here” and giving up, we risk creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, a term coined by the American sociologist Robert Merton, which suggests that individuals believing something, perhaps not true, make it actually happen.
Thus, the young men and women of Kosovo, believing there is no hope in their country, are increasingly contributing to maintaining this reality, through action and especially inaction. This perpetuates a Kosovo in which there really are no opportunities or future.
Leaving is not an option
Part of the self-fulfilling prophecy for Kosovar citizens is political apathy — a conscious withdrawal from political processes. Political apathy in Kosovo has an explanation — it is a despair accumulated from failures, broken promises and the corruption in Kosovo’s politics.
I witnessed this political apathy in a situation I found myself in a while ago when my friend and I were the only people attending a meeting in the Municipal Assembly of Gjakova, where the work of the local government was to be discussed.
However, there is also another problem. Young people who are willing and directly involved in political parties do not necessarily have their voices heard. Even if young people vote, they still face challenges in securing meaningful decision-making positions, instead of roles that do not influence decisions. According to a 2020 report by Democracy for Development, young people who join political parties find it difficult to be included in electoral lists. The young men and women involved in political parties remain extensions of the old political mindsets and help to preserve them.
Not listening to the large number of young men and women in Kosovo, the country with the youngest population in Europe, neglects a crucial segment of society.
Not listening to the large number of young men and women in Kosovo, the country with the youngest population in Europe, neglects a crucial segment of society. This exclusion only fuels further apathy among them.
The exclusion of young people from political processes has a real long-term cost. When citizens do not participate in political processes, there is an undeniable risk that politicians will have more opportunities to abuse their power, continuing the cycle of dissatisfaction among the people.
Furthermore, it’s important to consider that the lack of citizen engagement, especially among young people, undermines the development of democratic tradition, in a country that does not even have a consolidated democracy.
By distancing ourselves from political processes to avoid the grievances of our policy mistakes, we actually worsen their long-term consequences. The self-fulfilling prophecy is also created by general pessimism about the future or the belief that things can change on their own. But in fact, we must be the change itself. We constitute the most vital engine for changing our conditions.
Thinking that “there’s nothing here,” guarantees there won’t be anything here. The youth remains an important asset for every state. It’s essential to find effective mechanisms that encourage this part of Kosovo’s population to be a productive part of society. The primary responsibility lies with the government of Kosovo, which would have to develop strategies -– a few exist — which focus on youth engagement in the decision-making processes and policy design that are important to them.
The government should also be committed to making life better for young men and women. This could begin by reforming education and municipal policies to create opportunities for youth. They need to understand their important role, by being enabled to participate in this role and to be able to see how this role is respected and appreciated.
It wouldn’t be fair, smart or honest to think that we, as citizens, should view situations from afar, merely as observers of what happens in our country. We must remember that we are always participating in and shaping our reality.
Feature Image: Atdhe Mulla / K2.0.
Want to support our journalism?
At Kosovo 2.0, we strive to be a pillar of independent, high-quality journalism in an era where it’s increasingly challenging to maintain such standards and fearlessly pursue truth and accountability. To ensure our continued independence, we are introducing HIVE, our new membership model that offers an opportunity for anyone who values our journalism to contribute and become part of our mission.
Become a member of HIVE or consider making a donation.