Ivanovic killing may slow EU path of Kosovo and Serbia

Significance

The prominent ethnic Serb politician’s assassination has shaken Kosovo. It is unclear which of Ivanovic’s many enemies ordered the killing. His death complicates Kosovo’s politics at a critical juncture in its post-independence period.

Impacts

• Ivanovic’s killing will raise the political temperature in Serbia and limit Belgrade's scope for making concessions on Kosovo’s status.
• It distracts attention from the burning issue of Kosovo’s war crimes tribunal, which could see leaders facing imprisonment.
• Ivanovic’s death is a setback for the West as it tries to promote a form of institutionalised, law-bound politics in Kosovo and the region.