Four factors affecting Kosovo visa non-liberalisation

The last of the state leaders to congratulate Kosovo citizens for visa liberalisation was former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj last year.

That's what Haradinaj based on the “Po” of Germany for this process, which he said received during a meeting with German Minister of Internal Affairs.

With this I can only say congratulations to Kosovo, liberalisation”, he said.

But such statements to Kosovo citizens have heard many more times, from Hashim Thaci, at times as prime minister, to former ministers of different Kosovo governments from 2010 onward.

However, Kosovo citizens continue to be the only ones in the region who still do not enjoy this privilege.

This process is likely not expected to be completed either this year.

The subject has been talked about “Zrin” the political affairs connoisseur, simultaneously the institute's executive director. E PIK, Demush Shasha.

Shasha says the lack of results in the area of rule of law may be a cause for visa liberalisation not near.

While we have positive recommendation for visa liberalisation on the part of the European Commission and the European Parliament, some member states have shown concern for the lack of results in the area of rule of law. Consequently, the EU still expects Kosovo to make progress in the area of rule of law. Now four years Kosovo has not scored a single successful case in the fight against high-level corruption”, Shasha has said of “Zerin”.

Until the decision on visa liberalisation for Kosovo, according to him, it could potentially be achieved this year, but can virtually be faced with obstacles from states that estimate that Kosovo has not met the criteria.
“Theorically it is possible for the decision-making for visa liberalisation for Kosovo to happen this year, however, this is virtually very difficult to do, as some member states do not think Kosovo has fulfilled its homework. France's ambassador to Kosovo, Ms. Marie-Christian-Butel”, he added further.

Meetings by the EU Council are expected during 2020, this body responsible for the decision about visa liberalisation for Kosovo, these meetings with formal decision-making formats held four times within the year.

Such a meeting is expected to be held on June 5th.

But even at this meeting, according to Shasha, there are no indicators that visa liberalisation for Kosovo will be part of the agenda.

However, the institute's executive director E PIK, Demush Shasha, says Kosovo is a good opportunity to achieve visa liberalisation at the end of July, when the EU presidency will have Germany.

There are some hopeful circumstances. During 2020, the EU presidency in the second part of July (July 31st 2020) will be Germany. Therefore, there is the possibility that the visa liberalisation issue will be backed by the presidency of Germany. But this scenario requires that Kosovo complete its” homework, Shasha said.

Among the factors important to achieve that goal, according to him, is fighting corruption and crime, which Shasha thinks our country is not doing enough.

The second factor very important for visa liberalisation, Shasha says, is the rule of law. He says EU member states with concern are forwarding findings of the Progress Report 2019, where corruption is concluded to be widespread on all institutional levels and institutions of justice are taking action under political influence.

On the other hand, as an indirect obstacle to the integration processes Shasha says there is also the question of dialogue with Serbia.

The lack of progress in dialogue on normalising relations with Serbia is an indirect obstacle, as EU member states view regional co-operation as the fundamental precondition under all integration processes, including visa liberalisation”, he has said of “Zer”.

While as a fourth stumbling factor towards visa liberalisation for Kosovars Shasha sees the lack of political will within the EU.

“Brenda the EU are several countries, which for internal reasons oppose further opening EU borders. Here, the key points against France, the Netherlands, and Denmark are key countries. In this context, if Kosovo institutions address these homeworks during 2020, then we can hope for positive decision making during 2020 for visa liberalisation”, Shasha concluded.

On January 19, 2012 Kosovo and the EU have begun dialogue on visa liberalisation. On May 19th, it has been 100 months since the launch of this dialogue.
The EPIK Institute, in the case of the 100-month launch of this process, had published an infographic for some of the states how long it has taken them to complete this journey. You can see the graphic below.