France, Germany urge new elections in Kosovo following flare-up in ethnic tensions

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BULBOACA, Moldova (AP) — The leaders of France and Germany have urged new municipal elections in northern Kosovo in the hopes that another ballot will quell a flare-up of ethnic tensions that have led to violent protests in the region. Speaking at a summit in Moldova on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had urged Kosovo and Serbian leaders to agree to hold new mayoral elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo. The elections in question saw ethnic Albanian mayors elected in Serb-majority towns in votes overwhelmingly boycotted by Serbs. The resulting protests, which saw ethnic Serb demonstrators clash this week with NATO-led peacekeepers, injured 30 international soldiers and sparked fears of renewed conflict in the troubled region.