Le Figaro: France backs correction of borders, Macro will convince Merkel

The prestigious French daily “Le Figaro” has dedicated a particular text to dialogue on normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia. She has quoted Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, his staff's chief, Bekim Colak, as well as some French analysts.

By “Le Figaro”, Thaci and Vuciq do not like each other, but have decided, in the name of peace and stability, to work together towards the reconciliation of their people.

If everything goes according to plans, the president of Kosovo and the president of Serbia will be able to consolidate their reconciliation by mid-November in Paris, at the Forum for Peace, which will be organised by Elysee”, the French newspaper writes.

Twenty years after the war, Serbs north of the Iber River -- the river that divides Mitrovica into two -- still do not recognise Kosovo's institutions, since they see Belgrade as their capital. The same tension can be found south of the river.

“The status quo is bad for all”, acknowledges Bekim Colaku, Hashim Thaci's chief of staff for the French medium.

According to the French daily, the two presidents, however, have a common interest: to move faster, side by side, towards European integration.

Speaking of the American stance, the paper writes that John Bolton, the national security adviser, declared in late August that Washington would not object to territorial arrangements.

“Finance is also in favour of these reviews, as is Austria. Federica Moghrini is willing to support what the president of Kosovo presents simply as a territorial correction”, writes the newspaper “Le Figaro”

According to a French diplomat, there is a window of opportunity before the European elections, but we must act quickly.

In fact, the elections could result in the Commission becoming even more nationalist and willless for further expansion.

“The peace between Kosovo and Serbia is inevitable”, Hashim Thaci assured Le Figaro last June.

In the West, Germany has maintained its opposition to any form of border change, given that this would open Panorra's “Quteau” to minority demands within the Balkans: Bosnian Serbs, Vojvodina Hungarians, Macedonia Albanians.

According to the newspaper “Le Figaro”, French President Emmanuel Macron, hopes to persuade Angela Merkel before Friday's meeting in Brussels.

German is our biggest problem. It has invested heavily in the country and is very popular in Serbia. We can't go against Germany. But if we cannot get her support, we would like her to keep quiet”, an official Serbian source told this French medium.

According to the paper, it is about a territorial overhaul, which for the first time in the Balkans has the approval of both sides.

There is no reason why two elected governments, with mutual consent and support of the international community, cannot change the extent of their borders. If this is the price for peace and stability, then why not?”, commented Jacques Purnick, a political scientist and specialist in Central and Eastern Europe.

The paper writes that negotiators have stated that this project is “sui genomes”. As was the case with Kosovo's independence in 2008, the project is not intended to create any <x2precedent” within the Balkans, nor in the Caucasus region.

Serbia will grant Bosnia guarantees for integrity. But the only thing that matters to us is finding a peaceful solution with Serbia”, Bekim Colak, Hashim Thaci's staff chief, responsible for negotiations with Belgrade, has said.

In both Pristina and Belgrade, the issue can be resolved through the referendum. But for now we're far from a consensus. “Sometimes peace becomes more difficult than war”, Kosovo president's chief of staff continued.

In the Balkan states, tension can increase very quickly. The radical opposition, which refuses to make smaller concessions for Serbs, has accused Thaci of being the nation's “contractor.

Ultranationalist, the Orthodox Church is still linked to the founding myth of Serbia, its defeat in the battle of Kosovo against the Ottoman Empire, and Kosovo is thus done for them to place the Serbian nation's <x0-seat”.

The paper writes that the Serbian Church is also very close to the Russian Orthodox Church, which itself is a close ally of Vladimir Putin. This raises the question: how the Kremlin will react to this project, given how Russia refuses to recognise the Islamic states of Russia what it strongly took when it annexed Crime from Ukraine.