Political situation in the country brings about Kosovo's integration process

Reforms in the justice system and other areas required in the European integration process are estimated to mark the impasse due to the political situation created in the country.

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has resigned on Friday 19 July, after receiving an invitation for an interview by the Special Court in The Hague in the quality of the suspect.

Demush Shasha from the Kosovo Institute for European Policy (EPIK) says the Government in resignation has also had a poor performance in integration processes, but, now in the political situation in which the country is in, according to him, will be even more difficult.

“Taking on two criteria, Stabilisation and Association Agreement (MSA) and visa liberalisation, we can say that the government resigned during its mandate has failed to show progress in the area of European integration”.

Now when the Government is on the resignation, this affects the process of European integration. If we've had slow walks in the field of integration so far, we'll have a suspension of the process now. In view of the election organisation, holding them, then restoring new institutions, I think we will have no development at least for a year in the integration processes”, says Shasha.

The SAA is the first and only contractual agreement between Kosovo and the European Union, which entered into force on April 1st 2016. The SAA owes Kosovo reform in the rule of law sector, such as Judiciary independence and fighting corruption, then requires reforms in the economy, education, health and many other areas.

In the first quarter of this year, based on the National Programme for Stabilisation and Association Agreement implementation, it turns out that 30 per cent of the measures have been fully implemented, while 70 per cent have not been implemented and face serious delays.

Shasha says that in the situation in which the country is located, these reforms, which are required with European criteria, will now cease.

We should not even count on the necessary reforms that should occur on the integration path, whether in the area of rule of law, such as adopting the Code of Criminal Procedure, be they for good governance, such as depoliticisation of independent institutions. All these developments that have been effectively launched with the prime minister's resignation will be slowed down or suspended as a whole”, Shasha says.

On the other hand, economic affairs expert Naim Gashi says the political instability currently existing in Kosovo and is emerging in recent years and de-fractifies Kosovo's role in all regional initiatives and in the process of European integration.

Unfortunately, even in the Berlin process and other regional projects, Kosovo gets the smallest percentage compared to the countries of the region, and one of the reasons besides is non-political stability and the lack of a unified majority in the Kosovo Assembly that has existed in the last two years”, Gashi says.

Gashi adds that the lack of a continuation and a more dignified representation of Kosovo's diplomacy in the region and Europe has negatively affected the benefits of regional projects Kosovo has received.

The Berlin process, where Kosovo is failing to achieve a more important role because of the poor political situation, is aimed at accelerating the European integration of Balkan countries, promoting co-operation among them, as well as supporting economic development.

The main regional projects in the infrastructure field, which are part of the Berlin Process supported by the European Union, are the Durres Pristina highway, then railway lines in the Balkans and to support joint energy projects. /rel/