Slovenian analyst: Albin Kurti, without strategy in dialogue

Prelec has said he does not expect important agreements between Kosovo and Serbia in 2022, even because Kurti wants to not give the property to this process. Prelec believes Kosovo would be good to prove what it can offer regional initiatives, the Open Balkans. As far as rule of law is concerned, he says Kurti's government should be careful not to make the fight against crime on ethnic grounds.

I think that all other neighboring states have been facing the consequences of global pandemic. At first, it may have been worse than the countries in the region because of the slow vaccination campaign, but then it has marked remarkable success, ensuring that vaccines have reached people”, he told Radio Free Europe.

He said the Vetevendosje Movement should be disappointed by the results in local elections, though this is not unusual for a party that has taken power in a wave of anger with past political leadership.

“It is a challenge to organise a major movement of people to oppose the past and at the same time identify the charismatic local leaders to create in political infrastructure to succeed in local elections. It's not strange that they got bad. Bad enough”, he added.

According to him, the VV has scored several successes, but also failures.

And this seems to me to be irritating, because there have been signs that the very Albin Kurti and the Movement he runs do not admire ideology, but the success and political skills of some other leaders in the region who have full power. Most of them are populist like (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vuciq, or Republika Srpska (Millorad) leader Dodik, or even ( Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor) Orban in Hungary. Vetevendosje is not even close; it does not have that degree of power. And, I think this is good for Kosovo. I think, too, that it is good for Kosovo that is the new party and has not emerged from the period of war for independence, but from the post-independence time, though its roots are deeper. She, too, is the first time she can lead only with minority parties. This clears up the political scene, and people know who's responsible. It is now possible for political accountability, which is difficult to achieve when we have some of the same and small parties that are constantly through coalitions. This is healthy development for Kosovo. In the meantime, however, the difficulties --” -- are also manifesting their heads.

It adds that the “has expected it to be like it considers itself somewhat progressive or nationalist left-wing leader”.

And that's how he ruled. He follows the ideology of left-wing nationalism”, he said further.

Prelec says he expected Kurt to do two things, which he has done differently.

I have expected him to focus on the consolidation of power within the country, so that there will be control over the Government of Kosovo, although it is challenging because it comes to a fully dominated structure by people appointed by its political enemies. The civil service sector is also politicised. We know he should be independent, but in reality he's not always independent. This may not sound good, but there must be control so that all levels of power can be effectively guided. I've been waiting to work on several issues of the everydayity of the people of Kosovo. Work places, education and other things. In this respect, I think it wasn't much more efficient and less visionary than I hoped. There are many things a state like Kosovo can do, especially in terms of human capital and improvement of the very weak education system. This could reward him for some bold steps he's not taking”.

The other “is foreign policy, in which he has shown a lack of interest in the relationship with Serbia. Something that impressed me in his first government was that he never devised a strategy for dialogue with Serbia. All he said was criticism of past governments. So, style that “n doesn't want us to do what they're doing”. But it's never been declared more and I think it's because he doesn't even know what the dialogue wants to look like. He wants to make no priority for the dialog”, he said further.