Are there any other Albanians here who are against the idea of unification of Albania & Kosovo? Like, I'm totally for Kosovo's independence but I don't think our countries should ever unite into one.
Posted by Substratas@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 71 comments
Non-Albanians are also welcome to give their opinions as long as they keep it civil.
Valuable-Layer-7798@reddit
Well, I guess that you will see some sort of story similar to the Macedonia/Bulgaria shared roots ... which obviously went completely in a different way compared to uniting.
They will support and love each other while they are in the same sh!t ...... but when Albania enters the EU, oh my things will change.
Miserable_Sense6950@reddit
That's a complexly different situation though. Bulgaria and Macedonia don't like each other for unique reasons that don't apply to Albanians.
Idontusespacebars@reddit
u/Substratas Did you live through the war? In my experience, Albanians born after the war are usually more critical of unification than the ones who've breathed "frymën e luftës".
Substratas@reddit (OP)
I did, but it was never explained to me what was going on, probably because I was very young. I don’t think I ever truly understood the magnitude of what had happened until my teen years.
This unification opinion rings controversial to many Albanians because they instantly assume I hate Kosovo, which is far from the truth.
Miserable_Sense6950@reddit
What is your reason for being against it then?
Idontusespacebars@reddit
Ah, sorry. I thought you were a Kosovar Albanian.
Aioli_Tough@reddit
I’ve yet to hear an argument about how unification would hurt anyone except the people whose political positions would become unified into one.
Soft_Temperature5184@reddit
Same
Miserable_Sense6950@reddit
Why?
LowCranberry180@reddit
The best solutions is to give Serbia some land and if required reparations. Albania and Kosovo will be under EU anyway.
leobutters@reddit
Would you be ok with giving us the Antalya region? In return, we can give you some land and if required reparations.
Thanks!
LowCranberry180@reddit
You can take the 'Belgrade forest' in Istanbul one of the most valuable lands in Turkiye
leobutters@reddit
And Albania can take Čačak, the best city in Serbia
LowCranberry180@reddit
My offer was for Serbia to take land not Kosovo
leobutters@reddit
I didn't mention Serbia taking Kosovo, how can we take what's already ours? But we do want Antalya, would be a really nice addition.
LowCranberry180@reddit
Russia is getting weaker. US and EU will push for a solution. I am not against Serbia. Trying understand a solution.
Imaginary_String_814@reddit
the good thing is the EU doesnt even ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo but to normalize relationship. The EU itself doesnt recongnize kosovo fully (5 Members dont)
Who cares about Russia ? They have no hard power in the Region unlike US/Nato
LowCranberry180@reddit
Hungary Slovakia Serbia still have good relations with Russia.
How will there be relationship If you do not recognise it.
Imaginary_String_814@reddit
Who cares about Russia, once again Russia has no hard power in the region. Russia getting weaker is a net positive for Serbian citizens.
Kosovo was an autonomous region within Serbia, so it can go back to this status or stay in an limbo forever. Serbia has no interest in changing its approach nor benefit.
Kosovo is currently showing how much of a banana project it is. Elections 6 months ago still no government, Supreme Court gets ignored by elected officials and recently even insulted. Unimaginable even in Africa nations
big_cat112@reddit
Kosovo and Albania should unite, we would be much stronger
Imaginary_String_814@reddit
Not really
Bad economy + bad economy = still bad economy
big_cat112@reddit
Bigger economy, stronger military and everything
Imaginary_String_814@reddit
Nonsense, bad leadership stays bad leadership regardless of hectare you own.
Albania is currently in EU talks, and member of NATO. Would you be in favor of Albania leaving the NATO pact and EU talks for such ambitions ?
big_cat112@reddit
Not right now but in the future, the EU might not always exist you never know
Imaginary_String_814@reddit
EU disbanding in our lifetime ? not very likely
Alhamdulliah514@reddit
Allah Akbar! We'd be an Islamic SuperPower
-consilium-@reddit
There are probably some Albanians, specifically the Orthodox and Catholic, who may not want unification with Kosovo. Kosovo is 95% Muslim and on average slightly poorer.
Albania is currently at a plurality with Muslims at 45%, Kosovo joining would make it 65% Muslim. I’d say there is also a cultural disparity, Kosovo is more influence by Yugoslav culture and they never had the Hoxha regime which brought brutal communism
big_cat112@reddit
Most albanians from Albania want to join Kosovo no matter the religion.Kosovo is richer than north Albania and would offer a nice balance since the north is very mountanous and has few major cities.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
Then what are you? Orthodox or catholic?
big_cat112@reddit
I'm just agnostic
DK_Aconpli_Town_54@reddit
The top elite of the Albanian state helping UCK at the time were exclusively Christian Albanians. Not really sure why they wouldnt want unification when that would benefit both of our countries.
_Botko_@reddit
It won't happen because it would just show that Kosovo war was actually a conquest war from Albanians against Serbia. That doesn't play into "Serbia genocidal evil" card that West is playing since 90s.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
This is true.
Imaginary_String_814@reddit
Won’t happen, Kosovo is despite its high Albanian population not a Albanian state. Any attempt would backfire, also Albania is on their EU path so literally impossible.
They are ruining their own democracy currently through shenanigans by Mr.bean and spitting on their Supreme Court, showcasing what a banana republic they are.
Citaku357@reddit
There is no way in hell that the west would allow the unification of Albania and Kosovo. That's like opening Pandora's box go geopolitics
DownvoteEvangelist@reddit
I feel like in the last 10 years, the world just can't resist openning that pandora's box..
Citaku357@reddit
Wait so you are for the unification of Albania and Kosovo?!
DownvoteEvangelist@reddit
Didn't say that, just that I think even without Kosovo and Albania uniting, the box is getting opened..
Citaku357@reddit
Yes true but can't see what happens if Kosovo and Albania unite? The Serbs of BiH want to join Serbia, Croats Croatia etc.
DownvoteEvangelist@reddit
Bulgarians Macedonia.. etc.. But if USA takes Greenland.. Same shit happens...
flowgert@reddit
No.
OkRun880@reddit
As a Serb, it makes more sense for me for Kosovo to unite with Albania than to stay independent, even though i would love to see it as an autonomous part of Serbia. Kosovo in its current state, is in a constant form of limbo, used as a tool by greater powers to sow disconnect in the Balkans, to pit Serbians against Albanians, to control the region and to act as a base for NATO. It benefits nethier Albanians or Serbians at its current state.
Plus, the majority of people in Kosovo call themselves Albanians, speak the Albanian language, wave Albanian flags. Ive never seen anyone just identify as Kosovar alone. There's no reason for Albanians not want Kosovo and Albanian to join each other.
The only reason Kosovo isnt part of Albania now is because it doesnt suit the greater powers for Albania or Serbia to be stronger.
Unable-Stay-6478@reddit
There are Serbs living in Kosovo that definitely don't want to live in Albania. Your logic is flawed. Same way should Srpska unite with Serbia, according to you.
Citaku357@reddit
It will never happen because to do that you need to change the constitution which needs to be approved by other minorities like the Serb one
DownvoteEvangelist@reddit
Maybe if they got some degree of autonomy in exchange they would agree? Or maybe even full independence..
Citaku357@reddit
I actually agree with that
OkRun880@reddit
Yeah a constitution that wasnt even made by an Albanian or a Serb, but a Finnish politician Ahtisaari who shilled constantly for NATO and cared for its interests before anyone else's.
DownvoteEvangelist@reddit
If it was made by Albanians and Serbs together, it would also include that clause... That's the only fair way to build a joint country..
Citaku357@reddit
You seem to know a lot about this
cyclopsontrampoline@reddit
You mean like it was approved in 2008. when the indipendence was declared?
Citaku357@reddit
Yes it's true that Serb didn't approve but Kosovo was created as a nation for all the people living in it not for Albanians
cyclopsontrampoline@reddit
Why it would be created when the people were already living in their own country?
Citaku357@reddit
What do you mean?
cyclopsontrampoline@reddit
People were already living in Serbia. Why to create a new nation?
Citaku357@reddit
Are you forgetting that Serbia was bombed by NATO? Why do all that stuff, so in the end to leave Kosovo under the control of Serbia with the idea that people get along?
Either-Weather1452@reddit
What pit? We have daily/weekly stories of Albanian woman r**ed and more by serbian army during 98s including children as well. We don’t see you as friends
OkRun880@reddit
I didn't say anything about being friends, but its navie to think that any of the great powers both east and west dont use our conflicts to suit themselves. For example if the West and NATO really cared about Albania and Albanians they wouldn't have created Kosovo, they would have used their might to annex Kosovo into Albania, which they easily have could. But it suits both the powers to keep our conflicts into a constant stalemate, to fuel fires to never at least normalise the relations between the two countries.
Poorpartofeuropean@reddit
And you also have stories of women and children being raped and killed by albanians, oh also organ trafficking until recently… so whats your point? In every war there is innocent casualties. Those with brain know and try to go over it, those with no brain live in the past and hate on everything
albo_kapedani@reddit
From an economic and security point of view, it makes no sense to have two small countries. Hence, the need for Kosova to be unified into Albania. And to be honest, I'd say the same for other Balkan and eastern nations. For economic growth and prosperity, national defence and regional influence would be better to either join into another country or be divided between two countries. Don't mean to piss off anyone or open a can of worms, just my opinion on the matter.
Soft_Temperature5184@reddit
nah
GoodZealousideal5922@reddit
At this current moment, Kosovo is moving in the right path in a lot of fields, meanwhile Albania is moving backwards. We have a pseudo dictator at the helm, our healthcare and education fields are some of the worst in the world, we have zero funding into sports; meanwhile Kosovo is growing greatly in all those fields. I wouldn’t drag them into our mess.
Also I wouldn’t want to give Serbia any more reasons to start wars, we don’t have anywhere close to the military needed to fight any possible wars. Our army has literally been picking garbage off the mountains these past two years because there is no serious military training being done here.
latalatala@reddit
Why are you against unification?
EriDoes@reddit
Unification is for the better bc our corrupt politicians will not develop the countries to have 2 beacons of Albanian centers. So since we would still be miserable let us at least be miserable together.
On a more serious note if the border is there, there will always be division and after a while we would not be very similar anymore. Even united the differences would be there but we would have at least a united country.
2 different countries are only good if we ever are like Greece and Cyprus.
Life-King-9096@reddit
While I'm a Serb, my father only identified as Yugoslav, when he wasn't claiming to be Italian. I'm raised in Australia and I don't hate any Balkan people.
If the big powers that supported Kosovo's independence allowed Kosovo and Albania to come together, then they would have to allow the formation of greater Serbia and greater Croatia. That will not happen.
Kosovo has independence regardless of recognition, it is now the job of their (and all Balkan) leaders to address the economy so less people want to leave. Some Balkan countries could also benefit from addressing corruption.
ByzantineCat0@reddit
History shows that as time passes countries that share nationalities, but can't unify due to a boogie man usually grow apart, economy incentives, different political views, political gain by remaining independent all matter for a reunion to occur.
Citaku357@reddit
Germany is still divided for 35 years since unification.
ByzantineCat0@reddit
Officially not, but societally yeah. But I do think that it's a case of divide where both consider themselves ethnically German, so it's a matter of politics that won't result in a separate nation.
Substratas@reddit (OP)
https://i.redd.it/8qw16bfhtpif1.gif
Sensitive_Ad4599@reddit
I don't think that is the case in the Balkans, like Srpska and Serbia, if allowed it will unite next day...
ByzantineCat0@reddit
Keyword: if...
That's exactly what I said.
ovomijepetiprofilotp@reddit
I dont think the US would allow that.