ABSTRACT
The Albanian question as such has existed since 1912. Although the Serbs were able to incorporate large ethnic Albanian territories, as the course of history showed, they could not do away with the Albanian question. The large and growing number of Albanians, with a well-developed national consciousness, combined with their regional compactness and homogeneity made sure that the Albanian question would continue to exist.1 Yet it existed only as a domestic question without posing a danger to regional stability. It was only after the dissolution of Yugoslavia that the Albanian question became salient at the regional level. The main factor that contributed to the internationalization of the Kosova issue was the weakness on the Serbian side. In terms of the elements of national power Serbia is much weaker than former Yugoslavia. Serbia was also suffering from international isolation, economic sanctions and the side effects of the wars in Bosnia and Croatia. Thus, the collapse of communism, disintegration of Yugoslavia and Serbia’s pariah status provided greater opportunities for the Albanians to challenge Belgrade. In addition, the demographic trends in Kosova further strengthened Albanians’ position. The population ratio of Albanians to Serbs was roughly nine-to-one, while the gap in the growth rate was even larger.2 This discrepancy between the ability of the Serbs to control Kosova in the short run, and Albanian calculations that time works for them, made the tackling of the Kosova issue extremely difficult, as both sides had adopted diametrically opposed goals.
