Serbians call it “the season”. Several times each day, wedding processions, largely consisting of late-model BMWs, clog the narrow, potholed streets in Presovo, an ethnic Albanian town on the Serbian-controlled side of the boundary with Kosovo.

Late last month, most of the cars bore Swiss number plates. Now most are German, indicating the next wave in the cycle of guest workers returning from western Europe to show off a hard-earned fortune and take care of the family left behind. A few cars turn up from further away, displaying US registration.