German press: “The Bilanc of Serbia-Kosovo's installed crisis is fatal”

German-speaking media continue to focus on developments in Kosovo despite the removal of barricades: First steps towards reducing tensions, but scepticism remains and the conflict is not resolved.

The newspaper “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” under the title “in the row over the first round barricades goes to Belgrade, but Serbia should not rejoice quickly”, writes that the West forced Kosovo to respond to the Serb minority. But the more pressure increases on Belgrade to recognise Kosovo. The pitfall of the barricades marks a good day for the Serbian people, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq. The opposing side was forced to accept the demands. But this is a short reading, if you see conflict at a short distance.

True, Western mediators put the Kosovo side under great pressure. A joint US and EU statement containing such points shows this:

Pristina guarantees no secret list of arrests for Kosovo Serbs

-The EU mission Euex ensures that the prosecution of minorities (read-of- Serbs) is correct and fair.

- The EU and the US insist that the obligations of the parties from the previous deal be implemented without delay. This implies the Association of Serbian municipalities, partly autonomous, which Pristina rejects.

[...]

Many observers criticise Western politics against Serbia as buffer. And in fact, it can, just like Vuciqi does, so that the end of the first round of the last crisis can be seen as Belgrade's success. But serious negotiations start soon, where it comes to the long-term relationship between Belgrade and Pristina. And here Serbs have no good cards compared to Kosovars. A proposal lies on the table, since Serbia at least requires the actual recognition of Kosovo's citizenship. ”

While the Austrian newspaper “Der Standard” writes under the title “Conflict between Kosovo and Serbia. Bad for the legal state”, that through the way conflict was resolved by the EU, the most important good of Western democracies, the rule of law became negotiable. The “is particularly irritating, that the EU and NATO accepted the conditions of militants activists, who are under the control of Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq and do not have a mandate. [...] The balance of Serbia-Kosovo's installed crisis is fatal: Kosovo cannot make sure that the owners of the vehicles use the front license plates, and it cannot hold elections at the right time. People who illegally block traffic cannot be brought to account, and the country's police cannot implement the monopoly of power. ”

And German newspaper “Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung” writes that removing barricades does not solve the conflict. “Kosovo remains a barrel of gunpowder, whose fuse is getting shorter and shorter. Actually it's Russia's influence a problem. Nothing enjoys Russian President Vladimir Putin more than destabilizing the EU. And with Moscow's protracted arm in Belgrade, there will be no solution to the short-term Kosovo issue.

While “tageschau” in its analysis entitled “Barricades are removed, scepticism remains” writes for first steps towards lowering tensions, and that the most important border point has been opened, but the strike by Serbian police officers continues. The Serbian president, when giving news of removing the barricades, did not do so without his characteristic dramatisation, writes “tageschau”. I've been in government for over 10 years. I've had a lot of tough times, where I could write my books”,...” but I had a very difficult negotiation here. [...]” Representatives of Kosovo Serbs removed the barricades, but they are further sceptical. Aleksandar Filipovic, one of the Serbian police officers on strike and the former head of the operating police in the north, said that “if we remove the barricades, they will follow as rabbits”, writes “tageschau”. / DW/