A Change of Winds or Business as Usual? Non-recognising EU Member States’ Attitudes Towards Kosovo

Kosovo celebrates the 15th anniversary of its declaration of independence in 2023. Although Europe’s youngest country is alive and well, it sometimes faces difficulties in international relations. As of 2022, 22 out of 27 EU member states have recognised Kosovo as an independent state, while Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain still have not done so. There are geopolitical, economic, and ethnic aspects behind the decision of non-recognition among these five countries, to protect the stability of their own statehood, as except for Greece, they all share fears of secessionism. This paper provides an overlook of Pristina’s opportunities in the global arena of international politics, focusing on the relations between Kosovo and the five non-recogniser EU member states between 2008 and 2022. Their position on granting recognition to Kosovo has remained the same; however, while attitudes in Greece, Romania, and Slovakia have shifted towards the softer side of non-recognition, Spain and Cyprus remain hard opposers.