ABSTRACT This introduction to the special section argues that Kosovo is important to the West because it is considered to symbolise Western power and efficacy. The intervention, and subsequent statebuilding project, were less about Kosovo, and more about a determination to project a particular image of the West as both benevolent and powerful. Over the past twenty years, the clash between the motivations of the external actors and the aspirations of Kosovo’s citizens have become more apparent catalysing a tension between the official Western narrative which presents Kosovo as a “success” and the reality on the ground.

中文翻译：

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简介：科索沃的象征意义

摘要本节特别介绍认为，科索沃对西方很重要，因为它被认为象征着西方的力量和效力。干预以及随后的国家建设项目，与科索沃的关系不大，而更多的是决心投射出既善良又强大的西方形象。在过去的二十年中，外部行为者的动机与科索沃公民的愿望之间的冲突变得更加明显，这加剧了官方的西方叙事之间的紧张关系，后者将科索沃视为“成功”，并将其与实地现实相提并论。