Cut off Albini's head, but don't forget the interest of Kosovo

2024-05-17 21:33:00, Opinione Andi Bushati

Cut off Albini's head, but don't forget the interest of Kosovo

Andi Bushati

The concerted chorus of opponents of Albin Kurti between Tirana and Pristina has been reactivated again, this time taking as a pretext a new episode of an old refrain: that the obstinacy of the Prime Minister of Kosovo is deepening the rift with the West. The reason for the wave this time is the rejection of the main EU states for Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe. Kurti is being accused of saying a firm "NO" to the introduction of a new condition, that of linking the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, to the criteria for admission to the Council of Europe. He labeled this claim as "absurd" and refused to bargain for membership in an important organization of the continent, in exchange for the Bosniakization of his country.

Of course, regardless of the reasons or excuses, the current "NO" is not good news. Failure to complete full membership after the vast majority of the parliamentary assembly has voted overwhelmingly in favor of Kosovo, gives everyone the right to talk about a failure. But, beyond this superficial conclusion, the context and circumstances of this rejection must be analyzed.

In the first place, they create a systemic contradiction between the deputies of the parliamentary assembly who vote and the decision-making of the governments that served as a veto. It makes the whole process of membership in KiE absurd. Second, it highlights another contradiction. It is known that the Council of Europe focuses on human rights and fundamental freedoms. As such, Kosovo's membership in it would automatically mean more guarantees for the local Serbs as well. The presence in KiE and the automatic inclusion in the jurisdiction of the Court of Human Rights would protect them even more than the association itself insisted on by Belgrade.

But it seems that the main countries of the West are ready to test the weakness of their institutions and ignore the concrete interests of the Serbian citizens of Kosovo, just to achieve one goal: to continue the futile attempt to pamper Aleksandar Vu?i?, who blackmails them. systematically between his allies Putin and Xi Jinping.

We must be realistic, the condition to prevent Kosovo from becoming a member of the 47th Council of Europe has been an open lobbying by Belgrade. For geopolitical interests, the European powers accepted it. Just as they accepted the Brussels agreement and its Ohrid annex, despite the fact that Vucic had a sick arm to sign it, while Prishtina was willing to do it. These double standards were also seen in the oral request, unlike the drafts of the Franco-German plan, to start working with the association first. They were rather emphasized by blaming Kosovo for the crisis in the four northern municipalities, although it seemed clear that Belgrade was the originator of the created chaos. They culminated in the imposition of sanctions on Pristina and the flattery of the Serbian president, even after he sent his own paramilitaries, led by Radiocic, to carry out the terrorist attack in Banjska. So, this whole chronology leads to an obvious conclusion, which has been vocally accepted by many politicians and analysts in Europe and the USA, that of the crystallization of a decisive policy that will sacrifice the interests of Kosovo in the hope of not leaving get Vucic out of the loop.

This is also the essence of the last conflict with the veto for membership in the Council of Europe, which France and Germany conditioned, suddenly, with the submission of the draft for the association to the Constitutional Court.

The question that is posed to all enemies, critics of Albin or declared serviles of the great powers is: what should a Kosovar leader do when he is asked, by his allies, to sign concessions in favor of Serbia? Do you blindly obey? Or resist the difficult cost of personal sanctions and delays for the country?

Without solving this dilemma, you cannot have an honest and fair position in relation to Kurt's actions and acts. You can be tough on him, ask for his head politically, you point out the lapses in coherence, the tactics to gain time, the pirouettes to avoid the terrible international pressure, but you cannot ask him to sell the mandate to which was voted. We have seen what happens in such cases many times, even recently the fate of SDSM in the elections in Macedonia proved it. Political forces that behave like lackeys of internationals, contrary to what their people want and demand, risk disappearing from the electoral map. In addition, they pave the way for increasingly nationalist and anti-Western parties and currents.

It may seem very paradoxical, but what is criticized as the stubborn resistance of Albin Kurti, is protecting Kosovo from the breeding of sentiments against allied countries for Albanians. By saying no to the fulfillment of Serbia's demands, the Vetëvendosje government is maintaining the continuity of trust in the US and the EU. This also applies to the non-acceptance of the separation of the Association from the agreement package that was claimed to produce the "de facto" recognition of Kosovo. And this is where we should stay, even at the unfair price of delaying membership in the Council of Europe.