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Kosovo’s declaration of independence in February 2008 marked a new stage in the political trajectory of the disputed territory, but claims that Kosovo is now a democratic and multi-ethnic state are exaggerated. Nearly ten years of democratic regime-building under UN leadership have left mixed legacies for democracy, and progress has been limited by weak institutions and a deeply divided political society. International efforts have helped lay the foundations for democracy in Kosovo, but further advances will require greater autonomy from international authorities and greater concessions from Kosovo’s divided elites.