EU – LEX Kosovo: Alterity Shaping Capability Questioned?

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    • Presentation speakers
      • Nicasia Picciano, University of Flensburg, Germany

    Abstract:
    The European Union Rule of Law in Kosovo (EU – LEX[1]) is the ever largest civilian mission deployed so far. It is one of the most challenging state – building enterprises ever inherently committed to alterity[2] making in one region whose stability is much relevant to the EU´s inner security. After almost five years since its deployment the overall picture portrays a situation whereas the EU ever largest civilian mission´s alterity shaping capability is challenged in the north of Kosovo. But why EU(-LEX)[3], although extensively[4] committed to rule of law and multi – ethnicity Kosovo- wide, and even by acknowledging that there should never be a second Cyprus, allows de facto for two alterities at its very backyard? While going through the extensive literature on state – building, the author aims at providing new hermeneutic lenses for a better understanding of why EU civilian missions are incapable of addressing the complexity of an ethno – politicized environment Kosovo – like, and how they may better equipped to deal with it.

    [1] In the literature the acronym EULEX is written without dash. The author has intentionally used this revised written version so as to highlight the incisive role the European Union plays at externally imposing its own laws and/or views of the world.
    [2] This term was first used by Emmanuel Levinas. See Emmanuel Levinas. Alterity and Transcendence, translated by Michael B. Smith, (New York Columbia University Press):1999.