Hoxhaj: With personal recognition with Merkel's Biden, Kosovo benefits

In this interview, the former Kosovo diplomat details from the programme The PDK, including the 1 billion-euro plan for economic recovery to combat the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

He says he will implement all provisions of the Washington Agreement. In September, when the recipients of non-application in international organisations end, Hoxhaj says he will apply for Kosovo's membership in the World Health Organisation.

Hoxhaj says he does not encourage mass gatherings due to pandemic, but images from PDK gatherings speak differently.

Radio Free Europe: Kosovo is holding elections in time of pandemic. But all political parties, including your party, are engaged in mass gatherings that are opposed even to anti-party measures. - COVID 19. What message is being sent to citizens? Why are such meetings being held?

Enver Hoxhaj: I think at least the Democratic Party is responsible for why the country is going to early elections and at a time of pandemic, when there were two short, useless governments that failed to manage the situation. The government Kurti surrendered, the Hoti government was dismissed by the Constitutional Court, and at least one could ask for PDK's why we have elections in the pandemic.

And, from our side, we have done everything that is actually possible, the citizens of Kosovo, to respect the measures, and I have respected the measures myself.

Radio Free Europe: But many others who are not attending gatherings complain and worry about their health because of these mass gatherings. What's your order?

Enver Hoxhaj: My message is not to vote on those two political parties, which have been able to offer stability to the country, which were called a coalition of hope in the fall of 2019 and which showed that they are actually a coalition of overturned hopes, uncontrollable promises and fraud.

Who thought the country was going to have an extraordinary choice in 2021 in February, and that's the result of Mr. Kurti's failure, Albin Kurti, and Mr. Hoti? And I don't think that citizens would have to support these two by vote this time, because the only program they can offer after February 14th is the situation of political uncertainty and the only program of clarity and stability we have.

Radio Free Europe: When we're talking about pandemic, you promised to invest, it means you have a plan of about 500m euros to recover the economy, to help businesses. How will you accomplish this? What's the concrete plan? How will this fund be created?

Enver Hoxhaj: We have a plan that means we're going to share a billion (euro) budgets, to manage the consequences of pandemic, while we have a 500m-euro fund that aims to help small enterprises, medium enterprises, big enterprises.

The way his funding is secure and clear. That's what we said 500 million, we didn't say two billion, so it's a complete clarity. We want to maintain macro-fiscal and macro-economic stability, we want to increase local production.

But if we don't get through this fund that's in the form of grants that are cash, free of return, we help small businesses, middle businesses, big businesses, I'm sure Kosovo's economy will collapse. We will pass the law very quickly, and according to the criteria, which will be legalized, we will support small enterprises, medium enterprises and large enterprises. In addition, we have full clarity as to which sectors Kosovo's economy will focus. Therefore, even our platform for recovery is, above all, to restore Kosovo's economy.

Radio Free Europe: You have mentioned that by summer, you have promised that about 70 percent of the population will be vaccinated. How will you accomplish this? What vaccines will be offered for citizens wanting to be vaccinated COVID-19?

Enver Hoxhaj: First, both governments have failed to contract the vaccine. If I were prime minister...

Radio Free Europe: The current government, which is in office, however, says it has reached an agreement?

Enver Hoxhaj: This is more a daily tale than a concrete fact. And, I think it's the prime minister's duty and prime ministers to provide vaccines to provide a vaccine contract.

As government Kurti failed to deliver tests, Government Hoti failed to bring in the vaccine.

I, as the next prime minister, with the best contacts in the world -- Europe, Germany, Austria and the US -- will be the first to bring the vaccine to Kosovo. And we have a concrete map of where there will be test centers, where there will be vaccination centers, and we plan to vaccinate half the population during the year 2021 to 70 percent. We have an exact calculation.

But there are other additional measures in the health sector.

We believe that there should be 586 free types of drugs for chronically ill people. We will make health insurance in the first three months, while we will invest in some regional hospitals that need to be equipped, while Pristina Hospital is also being built, since the pandemic will be a topic and Kosovo citizens need to know that the virus will not disappear with spring coming and weather heating. It will be a topic in 2021, 2022 and the two governments that have failed to manage the pandemic, must be sentenced to a citizen's vote for failure to manage pandemic.

Radio Free Europe: Have you predicted any reform, apart from that we are interested in knowing the issue of pensions, social assistance and lehonia rest?

Enver Hoxhaj: Real promises, not promises, vows. The PDK in 2007, from this office, where we are conducting this interview, has made pledges, which we have kept, in relation to every citizen layer. And this time, we are determined to increase pensions to 40 percent for those who are retired in age, for 30 percent for those who have contributed in retirement. We will increase veterans' pensions from 170 to 300 euros.

We will raise teachers' salaries at the primary level to 600 euros for educators, 700 euros for high school professors. For police 750 euros, for nurses 650 euros, for doctors specialists 1,500 euros for university professors 1,800 euros. We have a complete clarity on how this salary increase can be financed for simple reasons.

A doctor will not stay in Kosovo if he is paid 701 euros or 705 euros in 2021, but will go to Germany as many doctors have left the region. While quality in education, quality in public services, one cannot expect by this level of wages we have, and we will increase wages for all those in public service for 30 percent.

Radio Free Europe: When we are in wage hikes, each political party during the campaign has offers, let's say, many genomes. But how would you convince citizens how you can increase your wages? Does Kosovo have a solid economic basis to raise wages?

Enver Hoxhaj: I think citizens are convinced that the only political party that has increased wages in this country is the PDK. I was in this office, along with Mr. Hashim Thaci, when we promised to raise wages, education, health care, for other officials working in state administration. For Guardians, Firemen, and something like that The PDK did, while others never had the courage.

We are a party which is identified with the support of social welfare, but we are also a development party. There is no political party, which is characterized by concrete decision-making. Even our opponents, even voters of other political subjects, of the VV, LDK, tell me how many times he moved through different parts of Kosovo, in the neighborhoods of different cities, they say, listen: We're not your voters, but maybe this time we'll vote.

Do you know why? Because you make decisions. We've seen others surrender. They have seen Mr. Kurti, who in the greatest crisis of the pandemic, with false arguments, surrendered to the citizens, defected to the citizens. We've seen Mr. Hoti, who wasn't at the level of responsibility, understand what the prime minister's position is to lead the country to manage the situation even in the field of pandemic.

Radio Free Europe: But others may accuse you of failing in past governments, that you have not improved the living standard in Kosovo? How would you respond to such accusations?

Enver Hoxhaj: I think the PDK has been the force of change in this country. The PDK will remain the force for change in this country. It is the only political party which in this election, has concrete programmes, has concrete offers, has clear, measurable priorities, which are financed.

Radio Free Europe: We are talking about priorities in foreign policy, including the dialogue led by Brussels. You were critical when he resumed in July last year by incumbent Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti. What will be the PDK's approach to Brussels' dialogue?

Enver Hoxhaj: The PDK approach is this. The head of the dialogue is mutual recognition. Technical dialogue will bring nothing to Kosovo. But there is no one more suitable in Kosovo in 2021 who personally recognises the current President Biden, who personally knows Mr. Blinken, who is Secretary of State, who personally knows Jake Sullivan, who is the director of National Security, who personally knows Angela Merkel, to create a new moment and conclude Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Radio Free Europe: You're saying the dialogue is going to pass into Washington?

Enver Hoxhaj: No. What I'm saying is this. Kosovo should take a historic advantage of a chance, which is in 2021 with Joe Bidenin president, and how long is Mrs. Merkel Chancellor to complete the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue with mutual recognition.

Kosovo's friends are getting old, the new generations are coming to politics, attention to Kosovo is losing, and that's why the country has lost much time with these last governments, even with Mr. Haradinaj's government, Mr. Kurti's government, even Mr. Hoti's government.

Some have opposed Washington, some of them against Brussels, Paris and Berlin. And these are the consequences we have in February 2021. And Kosovo citizens know it. Measurable, for example, is the issue of visa liberalisation. If the decision was made in 2016, people without visas would move today. At that time they had a false cause, those who are today PDK rivals Albin Kurti, Vjosa Osmani...

Radio Free Europe: The demarcation was passed, but the liberalisation didn't come?

Enver Hoxhaj: This shows that a people's delayed achievements are not achievements. Therefore, there must be determination, clarity and strategic thinking, and I think that Kosovo, with my candidacy as prime minister, has a man who can use his contacts to complete Kosovo's statehood and to membership Kosovo in the UN.

Radio Free Europe: If we talk about the Washington Agreement, will you do that?

Enver Hoxhaj: Of course I do.

Radio Free Europe: So you're saying that you're also going to apply the point of putting the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem?

Enver Hoxhaj: I think that mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel is good news. I have been Kosovo's long foreign minister, and of course I have worked to recognise Kosovo and establish diplomatic relations between Israel and Kosovo is good news, which we have welcomed and only when diplomatic relations have been established, Israel has recognised Kosovo, what I have insisted over, that it would mean that the declaration has only had an effort to interpret as recognition, while how the Government of Kosovo managed and how it is making efforts to manage the Vetevendosje Movement is completely wrong.

The Kosovo government would have to inform some states, which may have certain concerns, in advance on this topic, both the EU and certain Arab states. And the LVV shows no principle policy. They have always said that they do not accept conditions, and this time they are accepting conditions. I think our approach is in line with how the Secretary Blinken said it.

We welcome the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel, and that the question of where the embassy is located is not a central topic. Like, I have full understanding of Palestinians' right to have their own country, something that the US supports, also supports the EU, is supported by Albania.

Radio Free Europe: In representation of Kosovo abroad, foreign service in some form has been criticised for employing members of politicians or members of different political parties. Since the main positions in the major states are empty, do you promise that they will be fulfilled with career diplomats?

Enver Hoxhaj: What we have to do in foreign policy is go back to what is foreign policy and what is domestic politics. What's foreign policy is this: It should end the suspension and foreign policy mortorium that Kurti Government has made and that Government Hoti did with their inability.

The veto that Serbia has placed in Kosovo's foreign policy must be removed. Currently, Kosovo in 2020 has behaved more like an entity, as a UNMIK-era protectorate, than a sovereign state. And we will have full clarity as to what's important. Under one, we apply to the World Health Organization, and we have the votes, and now in the context of the pandemic, it's a priority first. We'll apply to the Council of Europe. After all, during my term as prime minister...

Radio Free Europe: This is after the year-old mortorium that was signed in Washington, right?

Enver Hoxhaj: Yes, the first applications to break the horror will be O The BSH, will be the Council of Europe, will be other organisations. I will not leave a stone unmoved, to increase Kosovo's number of recognitions to 2/3, establish diplomatic relations with 2/3 of the world's states, and within the Kosovo dialogue, Serbia, reach a normalisation agreement, which should have top and top goal, and final result mutual recognition.

This would also be the end of history in the Balkans as we know the Balkans, only when there is mutual recognition of Kosovo -- Serbia. In appointments, however, appointments are only a subject of foreign policy. When politics are foreign, people deal with internal themes. Nowhere else, no one handles such matters.

Radio Free Europe: Do you have a preferential partner to form a governing coalition?

Enver Hoxhaj: Let me tell you how I see these choices. I think these choices are historic for him, not just what happens on February 14th, but what happens to the 15th. I am the only candidate who has a clear program, which has clear priorities, which has Western education and I am the only candidate who is anti-populist in this election. Everyone else is with populist programs in this election.

If Kosovo citizens want to preserve a new democracy, which we have built with great effort, if they want to preserve the market economy, which we support and have favourable fiscal policies and institutional support for small, medium and large enterprises; if Kosovo citizens want to have free media, where you confront us with direct things, with nice and unpleasant themes, they have to vote for you. PDK.

Radio Free Europe: Do you have red lines?

We don't have red lines, but we have principles. So, The PDK in this election alone racing, with clear identity with clear programming and we have principles, we have objectives, we have values. With those who are populist and who have nihilistic philosophies, they claim that the world always starts with them from the beginning, as they claimed was the conclusion of hope in the fall of 2019. They talked in the Kosovo Assembly about the end of history, but what we have seen was the end of two short-lived governments in Kosovo's political life.

And Kosovo citizens should view these elections as historic with the vote they will give the PDK, number 134, my candidacy, which is European candidacy, if they want to see this country move towards Europe. If they want to see this country moving towards the cliches of the past, towards political division, towards the politics of the jokes, towards daily gossip, it is their decision. I race with clarity and have the trust of the citizens.

Radio Free Europe: You mentioned the experience in politics. Kosovo, after these elections, will immediately face the urgent need for the election of the new president. Are you willing, as a political party, to reach a national consensus to elect the president and avoid the crisis, say deeper constitutional in the country since declaring independence?

Enver Hoxhaj: I race in this election to be a candidate for prime minister, and I will be Kosovo's next prime minister on February 15th, early in the morning, such will wake up from sleep. While I think Kosovo would have to have the capacity to find a president. But the question with the president is this: Which president should Kosovo have its president in 2021?

“Who can be president is premature”

Radio Free Europe: Do you have candidacy?

Enver Hoxhaj: Someone you isolate... Not in elections we race for parliamentary elections, these elections produce governments.

Radio Free Europe: If we talk about a consensual president, a person you're referring to as such...

Enver Hoxhaj: I think it's a premature topic...

Radio Free Europe: However, there is an urgent need, because the country in May will remain without president...

Enver Hoxhaj: Let's go in order. Initially, The PDK will win these elections, have the parliamentary majority in the Kosovo Assembly. I will lead the government and by my government direction, of course we will find a man who will be, as the Constitution says, in the service of the country and in the service of the interests of citizens and superparty. But, now let's talk about who might be president, I think it's premature.