El Mundo calls for recognition of Kosovo by Spain

The successive Spanish governments, despite their political affiliation, have addressed the Kosovo issue by the narrow prism of Catalonia. The result of this has been the immediate rejection of recognition of the Kosovo state, which arose from the breakup of Yugoslavia, NATO's 1999 intervention and the declaration of independence in 2008. There are two reasons Spanish politics should separate Kosovo from the Catalonia case. First, Kosovo is not a precedent. Second, Kosovo is not a precedent, then.

First. Kosovo does not present precedents because Catalonia and Kosovo have nothing in common. On one side we have democracy, the Constitution of Spain, the Status of Attonomia, and one of the highest-scale regions of political and fiscal autonomy in the world. On the other hand, we have Milosevic's terrible nationalism, the acquisition of autonomy, ethnic cleansing, and military intervention that brought the administration of territory from the United Nations. Most of Spain's European partners, who along with 116 other states have recognised Kosovo, have unreservedly supported Spain's territorial integrity and denied the right of Catalan separatists to self-rule. It is surprising that outside Spain this comparison has never been made, and there is no doubt about it.

Second. The government of Spain says Kosovo does not present precedent, but acts as if it were. That fear makes Spain even more steadfast than Serbia. For the sake of stability in the Balkans, Spain has declared it will recognise Kosovo when Serbia recognises it. But now that Serbia and Kosovo are holding talks on possible recognition and border change as steps towards EU integration, Spain is proving that its stance has been rhetorical and fears it will be forced to recognise Kosovo at a very complicated moment for Catalonian.

Kosovo will not cease to exist just because Spain knows or does not know it exists. What Spain needs is an external policy that supports stability in the Balkans and its integration into Europe. Two Catalan politicians cannot seize the future of Serbs and Kosovars, who do not deserve to remain hostage to the two bulls.

Last one. The king of Spain had supported the division of 13 colonies from Great Britain with weapons and money. Even now, we have diplomatic relations with London and we honor Bernardo de Galvens, the military commander who fought against the British. Don't tell Puigdemont, write “El Mundo”