Kosovo and the Gates of Belief

Kosovo stands at Europe’s gate, proving democracy survives only when defended, not assumed, and warning what happens when belief gives way to indifference.

At the gates of Europe, Kosovo remains one of liberal democracy’s clearest and most inconvenient proofs. As Western commitment to democracy weakens, the Balkans reveal what is at stake, and what we should still believe in.

I landed in Prishtina last December through fog so thick it felt intentional. The plane hit the runway hard, tyres skidding for a fraction longer than felt comfortable. Through the window, lights bled into the grey rather than cutting through it. The airport appeared late, as if someone had forgotten to switch it on.

When the doors opened, the cold arrived first. Not a dramatic cold, an administrative cold. The kind that seeps through coats while you wait. Inside, the air smelled faintly of disinfectant and fresh coffee. Border control was efficient, unsmiling, untheatrical. Passports stamped. No fuss. No slogans.

From the air, Kosovo announces itself with gravitas — a dramatic frontier rather than a forgotten corner. Mountains surge up through cloud, their scale deny…