Is pressure on the opposition starting on the European proposal?

The European proposal aims to lead the parties towards a comprehensive agreement on normalisation of reports between Kosovo and Serbia.

Political development acquaintance Artan Muhhaxhiri estimates that the pressure of Western partners, which has been recently addressed to the Kosovo Government on issues related to dialogue with Serbia, will now be guided to opposition parties regarding the EU proposal.

The EU has already confirmed that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, will meet on March 18th in Ohrid, Macedonia, to discuss the plan to implement the EU's proposal for normalisation.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Thursday his expectations are to continue preparations for the March 18th meeting.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy (SHBA) in Pristina has declared for several media in Kosovo that the views of these two parties “do not match US support for the” proposal.

“We are concerned with statements made by leaders and opposition party officials expressing their opposition to the EU proposal”, the declaration published on March 6th said.

A day later, Germany's ambassador to Pristina, Jorn Rohde, speaking of public broadcaster Radio Kosova, has said he expects opposition parties to be constructive regarding the EU's plan for dialogue and that they should show “state political responsibility”.

Two opposition parties, The PDK and LDK have again expressed their reservations regarding this proposal.

PDK with reservations to proposed agreement

To negotiate developments in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, France's Ambassador Olivier Guerot met with Democratic Party of Kosovo Chairman Memli Krasniqi on March 8th.

In a Facebook post, Krasniqi has said that in terms of the process, he has expressed to Ambassador Guerot “the efforts we have shown even publicly regarding the current agreement presented”, with the focus on the lack of “mutual recognition as a result of the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia”.

Radio Free Europe has made efforts to contact PDK officials to comment on the expressed concerns of Western partners, but they have not responded.

Haziri: LDK's Reformed Position

LDK Deputy Chairman Lutfi Haziri stresses that the concern expressed by Western and in particular US partners views it as based. The perspective of these concerns, he says, has to do with the lack of consensus in Kosovo regarding the EU proposal for normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations.

But, according to him, for the lack of this consensus, responsibility is mostly due to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and President Vjosa Osmani, because, as he says, they have lacked commitment and political will to build consensus as broad as possible regarding major processes, in particular for dialogue with Serbia.

We're understanding the American role and attitude and we're told. We have had more meetings with the US emissar [for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar] than with the prime minister, and we have had meetings with the US ambassador [in Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier] than with the prime minister and president together. But this is the situation in which the LDK has revised and reformed [the position]. Basically, we haven't changed our report and attitude. The prime minister's stance has changed, Haziri says of Radio Free Europe.

Haziri adds that the LDK supports the dialogue process, but according to him, the prime minister has damaged the process because mutual recognition is no longer being discussed with Serbia. He emphasises that Prime Minister Kurti has not invited the opposition parties “to give clarification on what he has achieved, what are the difficulties and expectations regarding the EU's proposal for normalisation” and has not done so in the Kosovo Assembly, where he was invited to the motion.

At this point, according to him, the LDK cannot support Government regarding the EU proposal.

“How can this be done, unilateral? Tell us... well, the opposition react unilaterally and support Government on issues, which we don't know what they negotiated, what they promised and what they expect to accomplish in Ohrid? We haven't met yet. We have forced the prime minister to come and speak [in the Kosovo Assembly] with the motion, which is an urgent measure. But there is no normality and as long as there is no normality of this process, we do not believe it and the agreement is at the expense of Kosovo. This is... Point”, Haziri points out.

Muhariri: Paradoxical Opposition Objections

Political process recognition Artan Muhhaxhiri estimates that PDK and LDK's conflicting attitudes towards the European proposal for normalising Kosovo-Serbia dialogue are paradoxical.

“Tradition in the dialogue has been 100 percent in line with European ideas and up-to-date plans, which are not so much different from the Franco-German plan [EU proposal]. So it is not very different from the 2013 and 2015 agreements, which have been accepted by the PDK and the LDK and voted in the Parliament”, Muhramiri says.

He adds that both parties, in turn, have criticised Prime Minister Kurti for lack of realisation and pragmatism in relation to major international projects for Kosovo, as he was facing international pressure. Such criticisms, Kurti, had even received while his party, Vetevendosje Movement, was in opposition.

“Now, when Prime Minister Kurti appears pragmatic and co-operative, these two parties change positions. It seems irrational that such radical opposition from these two parties is at a moment when pressures are extremely high. It is expected that these pressures, from Prime Minister Kurti, who has already turned into an extremely constructive actor, pass towards the Kosovo opposition and then start a new battle between opposition and US representatives, as well as the EU”, estimate Muhramir.

The last meeting between Prime Minister Kurti and President Vuciq, with EU mediation, took place 27 February in Brussels.

EU representatives said Kosovo and Serbia have accepted the text of this basic agreement and are expected to continue to discuss the implementation plan. The sides did not sign this proposal, though Prime Minister Kurti said he was ready for something like that.

The proposal is made up of 11 mothers. It does not necessarily mention mutual recognition. In Article two of the proposal, however, it is said that the parties must respect independence, sovereignty and each other territorial integrity.

The proposal includes the parties' pledge to respect all agreements reached so far in the dialogue on normalising relations, as well as their commitment not to prevent each other from integrating processes. / REL