ABSTRACT
This chapter critically explores what the EU and its enlargement policy in Kosovo mean for the people of Kosovo. Drawing on the philosophical thought of Jean Baudrillard, the chapter suggest that Kosovo’s accession to the EU is what Baudrillard calls a “hyperreality” – a social reality in which discourses are ambiguous to the point where it becomes impossible to locate meanings. Facing internal divisions and complicated external relations, this chapter argues that the EU is unable to project real power in the case of Kosovo, and can thus merely simulate it, using creative actions that are not necessarily intrinsic to enlargement as we know it. I use two examples to illustrate how this takes place: first, I explain how the EU has scaled down most of its enlargement activities while facilitating a dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. Second, I explain how Kosovo has scaled down its membership aspirations to obtaining visa-free travel to the EU for its citizens.
