15 minutes agoVon Croamon: I tried to contact people assigned to Belgrade for April 23rd elections, boycott error by Serbian List
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)The rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Violet von Cromon, has misjudged the boycott of extraordinary elections in the four Serb majority municipalities in the north on the Serbian List, but has said he does not expect Sunday to bring tensions to the country's north. Speaking about this matter, Von [...]
Speaking about this issue, Von Croamon has expressed regret at boycotting these elections from the Serbian List.
“Bjkoti has already happened, I believe because of Belgrade's decision. The Serbian list is not registered to participate in the elections, and I consider it a big mistake. I have openly criticised such a decision and tried to contact people assigned to Begorad. That should have been a good signal for all political subjects and candidates to be registered and people in the north slowly to return to institutions. This choice should be a test in this direction. Express regret that the Serbian List has not been registered and will not participate in the elections, and this is not really a promising” signal, Von Cromon has said.
That far, it has said, if people boycott the elections, it does not necessarily mean escalation.
“I hope people there are careful. If they don't come to the elections, it's their decision, but that doesn't mean there's going to be any intention to scale the situation. I'd like to see a high degree of exit in elections, but as I said, the main side has decided not to go out on the election and that's a problem. However, not only is each citizen welcome to the election but I also ask him to act in the best possible way --” -- has underlined Von Cromon.
Von Croamon: Visa liberalisation, step towards Kosovo Eurointegration
Von Croamon has said that with today's signing of the legal act in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe for visa liberalisation for Kosovo, this issue has ended, and Kosovo citizens will be able to move freely since January 1st of 2024.
She has said she does not expect any more delays in this regard. With today's signing of the EU Council is the end of this process. I don't think there could be anything that would depreciate or delay freedom of movement for Kosovo citizens”, Von Cromon said.
On January 1st, it will be the date when citizens will enjoy freedom of movement. I don't know how compatible my contribution was, I'd like to do this job a long time ago, but it's not just up to me. But, this job has already been done, and for eight or nine months Kosovo citizens will enjoy the new freedom and the opportunity to move towards the EU”, Van Cremon has added.
She has said the liberalisation process is a step towards Eurointegration, until she has expressed hope that Kosovo will soon enjoy other successes towards European integration.
” I hope that soon we will see Kosovo as also part of the Council of Europe. So the application is accepted and we have to put this in order of the day. This has been one of the points mentioned during the dialogue. Although separate issues, with flexibility in dialogue it would be known to be the next step, until then the application for EU membership, which normally takes its time”, it underlined.
As for the possibility of misuse of visa liberalisation by Kosovo citizens, as has happened to citizens of some countries in the region years ago when a rapid and illegal migration to EU states has been seen, Von Croamon has said he does not expect such a mistake to be repeated by Kosovo citizens.
This has actually been the reason that some member states have not been pro-regulation because other countries in the region or said better their citizens had misused liberalisation, sought asylum, then misused the health systems of some states, and this has caused a kind of nervousness and some governments of EU member states have rightly been skeptical. I don't think Kosovo needs to repeat this mistake. You have a large diaspora in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and other countries and it is absolutely legitimate to visit family members in those countries. If anything happens there, the EU system will offer possible solutions. But it is clear that you cannot work there without a work visa or a job contract. So you have to have permanent residence there to have this opportunity and this is not part of visa liberalisation”, Van Cromon has expressed itself.
