Viets: There is stability if the new opposition behaves like the old

The ambassador of the most powerful state to Europe says they are interested in forming a stable government in Kosovo, but how things will develop further this remains to be seen, for the fact that the tasks that the country has ahead need stability, including the formation of the Serbian Major Commission Association, Demarcation with Montenegro as condition for visa liberalisation with the EU, dialogue with Serbia.

All these are very big challenges which a government can move forward with only very strong will. If this government has this will by 61, then everything's fine, but the risk is not to be like this”, says Viets.

German Ambassador has recalled the fact that in past governance Ramush Haradinaj, who is coalition candidate PAN for prime minister has participated in the opposition group that have made tear gas available to reject Parliament's decisions, respectively.

According to her, if Haradinaj is at the helm of the government and the new opposition behaves the same way, then we cannot talk about stability in the country.

“Haradinaj has been one of the most vocal objectors of Demarketing, who has in addition rejected this agreement has brought his arguments why it should not be voted on. Now I don't know how he will act in the future, but what I can imagine is that this issue can be extended to eternity and Kosovo will remain without visa liberalisation”, Viets says.

During this interview on “Zerin” the German ambassador also spoke of the need to fight corruption in Kosovo, the adoption of the Law on Confiscating of Illegal Riches, the visa liberalisation process with the EU, the involvement of President Thaci in talks with Serbia and so on.

Mrs. Viets, Kosovo has emerged from an election process that was considered fair and democratic. Now political parties have begun talks on forming government. As diplomats of an important country, do you find it difficult to form in these circumstances?

Viets: According to the Constitution, the first step to be taken is the constitutionalisation of the Parliament. We're all waiting for this to happen in the coming days, but so far we haven't seen that there was a lot of effort in this regard. The election outcome has already been certified a week, but the House Constitution session has not been called yet. Only after its constitutionalisation and after the parliament speaker's election is the president mandated the candidate for prime minister, whose party or coalition has won the most votes, which in this case is Ramush Haradinaj, and then we will wait and see whether he has 61 or more votes.

The outcome of these elections has turned out to be as we have predicted for two years. Movement “Vetevendosje” has won several votes more than we thought, while The PDK has dropped a little bit longer than we expected, but that it would lose was predictable. And if the parties that have wanted to hold elections have thought something else, it has only shown that their outlook is very different with that of citizens. We have regular conversations with all representatives of political parties, that is why we have had an exact assessment of the election outcome.

Citizens were unhappy

Why are you saying the PDK's fall has been predictable?

Viets: We from the conversations we have had with numerous people have gained the impression that many citizens have been dissatisfied and in certain aspects developments have gone further than political parties expected. Of the conversations with many multi-competitives, with whom every day we have work, it has been clear that “Determination” in the upcoming elections would win more votes than in previous elections. It has also been clear to us that in the event of early elections a party or a designated coalition would achieve a markedly higher outcome than it would be able to secure a stable majority to form a government.

Let me fill out this answer because it's very important to me. I'm in Kosovo from 2014. At that time, in December 2014, it lasted approximately six months until the new government was created. Since that time, so since 2015, I have been asked in each interview whether new elections should be held because there have been different forces which from the beginning have been interested in the government, which had just been created, falling and holding other elections. So these two years we've been declared against early elections because we've seen that they wouldn't change anything in the unstable situation, which has reigned. And now we have this very unstable result.

What can be seen from all these elections is that a common consensus is lacking to resolve important issues and move Kosovo forward. As long as this doesn't happen and both blocks don't get together in order to push the process and the place forward, I'm pessimistic that something will change.

You said you weren't seeing a lot of PAN attempt to call out to the Constituent House. Why do you think this is happening, not ready or numbers?

Viets: What I said is that the Parliament must first be established, but that is not Mr. Haradinaj. Someone's got to set up a session for his construction. The President has this task. This is a signal for us that conversations are still developing. The government must be formed within 15 days. What we are interested in both Germany and the International Community is the fact that as soon as possible a new government, capable of acting because Kosovo has numerous problems that need to be resolved urgently and that the country cannot afford to have a long-term dysfunctional government. But we are also interested in having a stable government and how things will develop further this remains to be seen.

The two <x0 subposition blocks”, the “Vetevendosje” and the LAA coalition have already refused co-operation with the coalition PAN and on the other hand Ramush Haradinaj is saying he has numbers. If he creates the Government with 61 MPs does that mean that a government “has been smuggled”?

Viets: I don't want to comment this because first, if a majority is achieved based on political talk, that's just politics. So we have to wait to see what the outcome will look like, because this coalition would have to present Government and declare it has at least 61 votes. Maybe you can do 80 at once, and that can happen. But the first precondition is to have a Parliament capable of action.

Major tasks for Kosovo

You said a stable government is needed to advance important processes for Kosovo, can a stable government be considered by 61 votes?

Viets: This depends on the makeup of the Government and on who will participate in these 61 votes. You can also read in your media that in these 61 MPs are part of 20 deputies from minorities who in Government will bring their ideas and submit their demands. For this I cited the national consensus and tasks Kosovo must fulfil, primarily the implementation of the SAA, the formation of the Serbian Communist Association without wanting to mention here even the demarcation, which is also a condition for visa liberalisation, then dialogue with Serbia that is a very important thing and a challenge for a small government. A government that should advance only with very strong will. If this government has that will by 61, then everything's fine, but the risk is not to be.

Then another problem involving the adoption of certain laws arises, two-thirds of the deputies' votes are needed. Let me add one more thing: Mr. Ramush Haradinaj has already belonged to that very opposition group, which in the past has put tear gas in Parliament to oppose the decisions of this Parliament. Now if we imagine that the new opposition will act the same way as the old one, then we cannot talk about stability.

By 61 votes Haradinaj will not be able to pass the demarcation, changing the Law for the Army. So it will be a minority government, which cannot have long life?

Viets: In this case, I can only remember once again that Haradinaj has been one of the most vocal objectors of the demarcation and has also brought his arguments. Now I don't believe those arguments, which he presented, will no longer be relevant for him that means he won't support the Demarquement Agreement in the current version. Now I don't know how he will act in the future on this. Will the Arbitrazhi Court or new talks with Montenegro not know that, but what I can imagine is that there will be a long process until Kosovo meets this criterion for visa liberalisation.

As a stable government is required, should the LDK be included and the prime minister's post be negotiated?

Viets: I would not comment on these calculations, as Albanians should know better than I should. They have the opportunity to gather together about a single coalition.

Good That Voters Changed Thoughts

If a opposition party is voted the biggest party in the country, does that mean that people have voted for change?

Viets: The election outcome, after confirmation that the elections have been transparent and fair, very clearly expresses the will of voters. Times have changed and it is no longer predictable as before how voters will vote. That is true of other countries. Projections from polls are no longer accurate because voters have the possibility that they will change their minds and vote for another particular party. However, the results have been presented, and the situation is clear.

In my opinion, these elections actually present a good signal to democracy because voters seem not to have voted so much on the basis of opportunism, but on the basis of their beliefs. This for the future means that political parties should try harder and convince their voters through programmes and policymaking.

In this context, if the largest coalition fails to create Government should the mandater pass the second party to form it?

Viets: I naturally have my own personal opinion and have my own preferences about government creation, but this is not relevant because it becomes strict under the Constitution and the president will certainly refer to it, because these issues are regulated in it.

This is where there is great uncertainty about the Constitution. The great coalition is saying that even in the second attempt they are entitled to it, while “Movement” says it belongs to them?

Viets: This very issue of the Constitution has not been accurately envisioned whether the president at the second attempt should mandate the opposition candidate. That being the case, the president will decide on it, and it is likely that this case will again be presented to the Constitutional Court. And I don't know exactly if this case is clarified in the past by the Constitutional Court.