Analysts comment leaders' dinner in Heivala

A photograph posted on social networks and published even at local news agencies has sparked no little noise in Kosovo.

It's about photos taken during a meeting that state leaders have held at the home of Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Behgjet Pacolli, in Pristina's Hayval neighbourhood, on February 4th.

Exactly what the representatives of the Government of Kosovo and those of the Parliament have discussed at this meeting are not yet known.

Republika Parliament Speaker Kadri Veselini has said on Monday that “darka was a routine of meetings, which institution keepers are making”.

Some political scene protagonists in Kosovo have said such meetings should not be held in private villas, while the media have been given room to interpret the background of such a meeting.

However, what is most striking in the picture broken out by this dinner is that the composition of state institutions is similar to an ode of men, as at dinner was only Minister of Environment and Space Planning in the Government of Kosovo Albena Resshiaj.

Luljeta Demolli, from the Kosovar Centre for Gender Studies, describes the published photograph as “bothiated and shameful”.

For the 10th anniversary of independence to remain this photo in the image, it is shameful. This isn't the first time this is happening. Kosovo leaders are not interested in anything. All leaders in Kosovo are patriarchal, all rule this way, all like Odat”, Demoli told Radio Free Europe.

Two female ministers are in Kosovo government. Sunday, Pacolli's dinner has missed European Integration Minister Gifts Hoxha. While that was present at the Environment and Space Planning, Albena Resitij.

Contacted by Radio Free Europe, Minister Resiti says it is not right for a government cabinet to have one or two women in decision-making positions.

When we bear in mind that there are many capable women in Kosovo who are willing to contribute both to policymaking and decision making, I think it's a weakness in general of our society and I consider a great need for changing the concept in terms of female gender”, said Resitij.

Imer Mushkolaj, political affairs analyst, says Sunday's meeting testifies that in Kosovo men are the main ones, while women, according to him, serve as decor.

This time the number of women is shrinking more and their role, it turns out to be only symbolic, to reason with politicians, these people who organise such meetings, respectively, that there were women” at the meeting, Mushkolaj said.

He also said Kosovo politics is still failing to escape <x0ods syndrome” as an institution.

This shows much about the thinking of these people who are in power, and most decisions are made in informal and informal settings”, says Mushkolaj.

Otherwise, the government cabinet consists of prime minister, 5 deputy prime minister, 21 ministers and over 70 deputy ministers. Of them, only two ministries are led by women.

Even at the local level, Kosovo has a total of 38 municipalities, and all are led by men.