Kosovars stick to red flag

Kosovo Albanians still have much stronger feelings for the Albanian flag than for the one adopted when Kosovo's independence was declared in 2008.

The official flag is blue with a yellow map of Kosovo in the middle and six white stars representing communities living in Kosovo.

But the deepest feelings for the old flag often come forward, especially during national holidays such as November 28th, Albania's Independence Day and the “day of the national flag”, which Kosovars also celebrate by hanging the Albanian flag in squares, shops and cafes.

“Emotionally, the red flag is another story, we grew up with love for this flag, but we should also respect the Kosovo flag”, Shyhrete Beqiri, 38 years old from Pristina, told BIRN.

“As far as the national aspect is concerned, there is a huge difference between the Albanian and Kosovo flag. The red flag is our flag, wherever Albanians live. For the Kosovo flag, I can only have respect”, another Pristina resident, Fetah Krasniqi, 48, told BIRN.

Xhafer Bardec, 63, commenting on six white stars on the Kosovo flag representing all major communities in Kosovo, said it was a difficult message to pursue.

“We are not as good as a country to follow the message this flag has, co-operation among all communities. We're not working that direction”, Bardhci said. “I only have a very poor sympathy for the Kosovo flag”, he acknowledged.

A resident of Gjilan, Albion Basha, 18, said he thinks the Kosovo flag was purely political.

“I think the red flag belongs to all Albanians, while the blue one belongs only to Hashim Thaci [the president of Kosovo]. The flag on our hearts is that national”, Basha said.

Civil society activist Rron Djindjic said it is unfortunate that this is still an issue, whether to identify yourself with the Kosovo or Albanian flag, as a person may easily have two or more identities.

The origin of this misunderstanding stems from the blending concept of ethnic affiliation and nationality. One could be Albanian by ethnicity and a Kosovo according to nationality. These two identities are not mutually exclusive”, Djindovci told BIRN.

Explaining that life under a oppressive regime when the “s since 1989, the identity of Kosovars was denied in different forms by the Serb depressive institutions of [Slodan] Milosevich”, Djindovci added: The more an identity is denied or printed, the more aggressive it becomes. ”

Estessically, according to Djindovci, Kosovo's “flame is a disaster and the product of an undemocratic process to approve it”, but that does not mean that Kosovo citizens should not be proud of it at specific events.

“This is the flag that made Kosovars proud when Majlinda Kelmendi won the first gold medal at the Olympic Games, and when she was proclaimed the jungle world champion in Russia in 2014”, Djindovci said, remembering the athletes' triumph.

“may need more time and a change of generations for both [flammers] to find their places in people's minds and hearts”, Djindovci noted.

Kosovo was freed from Serbian rule in 1999, following an armed conflict between the Kosovo Liberation Army, The KLA and Serb forces, following a NATO air campaign against Serbia.

The KLA fought under the Albanian flag, but this did not find support with international sponsors of Kosovo who wanted something less ethnic. As a result, since Kosovo declared independence on February 17th 2008, it has been represented by the new blue, yellow and white flag.