Local elections in Balkan towns rarely make international headlines.
But when masked men used baseball bats to smash ballot boxes in Kosovo's north Mitrovica one Sunday in November, the world took note.
It was, perhaps, the last gasp of die-hard ethnic Serbs who reject Pristina's rule after a monumental deal between Kosovo and Serbia, brokered in the salons of the EU foreign service in Brussels.
Behind one woman who chaired the meetings, EU foreign relations chief Catherin...
Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a member for as low as €1,75 per week.
Already a member? LoginAndrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.
Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.