The north is not Kosovo’s only problem

Naile Ejupi of Bota Sot asked questions, I replied Monday:

Q: One-on-one attacks on police officials, EULEX, and journalists from Kosovo, now since Saturday, the border points of the north of Kosovo with Serbia have been blocked by groups of Serbs, how do you comment on this situation?

A: This is Vucic pursuing his ambition of the “Serbian world.” The criminals conducting these operations in northern Kosovo are under Belgrade’s control.

Q: Kosovo has postponed the elections in the north of the country, which is why the attacks in the north first started, but Serbia still continues to block that part, now they demand the release of the ex-policeman arrested as a suspect for the attack on the Kosovo policemen and on the officials of the CEC. What is the Serbian president, Aleksander Vučić, trying to achieve?

A: He already has de facto control over the north. He is trying to ensure impunity for his criminal gangs and continued Belgrade control in the north.

Q: The Serbian president, Aleksandër Vucic, has threatened to send the Serbian army to that part of Kosovo, why does Serbia continue to be pampered by internationals and do not respond to its actions?

A: You’ll have to ask the “international community,” but in my opinion they have unfortunately a good deal of confidence in Vucic’s good intentions. I have no reason to confirm that. Certainly there is nothing about the current behavior of criminals in the north that confirms good intentions.

Q: The Russian Embassy in Tirana has supported Serbia for these actions, are we at risk of another war?

A: Not another war, but some serious instability. Russia has only a few troops in Serbia and the Serbian Army won’t want to enter any Albanian-majority parts of Kosovo. But Serbian security forces exist throughout the Serb-majority municipalities, especially in the north. They can cause a lot of trouble.

Q: On the other hand, Serbia’s actions have been condemned by European countries, even the Netherlands has voted in the Parliament to restore Serbia’s visas, how do you see this Dutch action, would this be an appropriate punishment?

A: You will have to ask the Dutch this question.

Q: The EU’s special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue met with Prime Minister Kurti on Tuesday and requested the implementation of the Association of Serbian municipalities, as a solution to the situation. The Association of Serbian municipalities gives competence to the Serbs and contradicts 23 points of the Kosovo constitution, how should Kosovo act?

A: I think the Association is something that cannot be implemented until Serbia recognizes Kosovo. If done earlier than that, there is a serious risk to Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Q: The Franco-German proposal, initially unacceptable to Serbia, now with improvements. It is not yet known exactly what it contains, but it is reported that it is one of the other reasons that the situation in the north is tense, how do you evaluate this proposal?

A: I find it hard to evaluate something I haven’t seen. An earlier published version wasn’t so bad from Kosovo’s perspective. It did not include the Association or recognition.

A: Before the situation in the north happened, Prime Minister Kurti declared for a comprehensive agreement with Serbia in March 2023, can there be a solution to this dialogue and what would be the best solution?

A: Yes, there can be a solution, but someone will have to tell Serbia to pay attention to its own problems and leave Kosovo to deal with its problems, including those of its Serb population.

Q: The leaders of Kosovo have submitted the document for membership in the EU on Wednesday, how do you see this action and how much support will Kosovo have on this path.

A: It is an important symbolic gesture that reflects the real ambitions of Kosovo’s citizens. Support for Kosovo will depend on two things: Pristina instituting the necessary reforms and convincing current EU member states, including the non-recognizers, that the EU will be better off with Kosovo than without it. Those are tall orders.

 Q: How do you evaluate the governance of Prime Minister Kurti and President Osmani, what should they do more for Kosovo?

A: It is not for me to evaluate their governance. Kosovo’s citizens will do that at the next election. But the two things I just cited will be important factors in that evaluation: reforms and diplomacy within the EU.