“Prime Minister generalcilon Association” Is Kurt running away from responsibility?

All have attitudes about it and comment on it. Agreements have been reached and proposals compiled. But the final solution has never been reached.

The association was re-united on 29 October, when Kosovo Chief of Executive Albin Kurti, said before the media that, as prime minister of a democratic republic, it cannot form municipal associations.

“communities associate with each other, co-ordinate, co-operate. You already know that we have an Association of Kosovo municipalities. If anyone wants another association, then this should come from the municipalities... if the prime minister was to establish municipal association, this would be an installation to the municipalities”.

What's the way ahead?

Despite Kurt's making these statements, he is involved in the past in discussions on establishing association.

According to political expert Agon Maliqi, Kurti, as prime minister, cannot escape this responsibility.

“The way the Association of Serb majority municipalities will be established through the Association Agreement and the Constitutional Court's decision that, in turn, have created political, but also legal obligation for the Government to submit to the [Asociation] statute”, Maliqi said.

Maliqi considers that in this case it is not about an association like the existing one of municipalities, “but a body of new and additional competencies, which should be added to the judicial order, which therefore requires the regulation and inclusion of all existing levels of power”.

Meanwhile, Toby Vogel from the Council for Democratic Policy in Brussels told Radio Free Europe that the Kosovo prime minister's statement is insincere.

According to him, “has always met Pristina to create the conditions for forming association, but always according to a specific context”.

Kosovo continues to be under European Union measures until Serbia has faced no consequences for Banjska, or for rejecting the Ohrid Agreement. Why, then, would Kurt change his position in this situation? There is no election or diplomatic benefit for him if he agrees to form the association”.

The History of Association

Kosovo and Serbia have reached agreement on forming association in 2013 and another agreement on principles in 2015.

But, the Kosovo government refuses to form, as it says, an ethnic community, while Serbia insists on implementing the agreement.

In 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo has estimated that the agreement on principles is not in line with the Constitution on 23 points, though they can be harmonised.

The United States and the European Union repeatedly insist that Kosovo submit to the Constitutional Court a draft summit for Association, which the West introduced in October last year.

Asked to comment on Kurti's statement, European Union spokeswoman Nabila Masrali told Radio Free Europe that establishing association is a legal obligation for Kosovo, according to international law.

According to her, the fact that agreements for Association have been reached within the dialogue, “means that each proposal should be discussed with Serbia and EU mediator”.

Even in the EU Progress Report on Kosovo, the lack of steps towards establishing association has been cited as an obstacle to the normalisation process among neighbouring countries.

Radio Free Europe also asked for comments from Washington, but received no answers. And the response did not return even the Government of Kosovo, following the request to clarify Kurti's stance further.

Priority: Base agreement

In his statement to reporters, Kurti has insisted on signing the Base Agreement reference to an agreement for normalisation of relations reached between Kosovo and Serbia in 2023.

At one point, it envisions that the Serb community in Kosovo is offered a certain level of self-defence.

Agon Maliqi believes that without sending Kosovo draft status to the Constitutional Court, “it can hardly see the benefits ahead from the Brussels and Ohrid” agreements.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has asked for security guarantees if internationals insist on forming association, even after Serbia's <x0-> withdrawal from the Base Agreement”.

The European envoy for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, has declared that Serbia has withdrawn the letter launched by former Prime Minister Anna Brnabiq, with whom it was against the Base Agreement. Serbia itself has not been publicly declared.

Manufacturers for lifting pressure before elections”

Kosovo will hold the upcoming parliamentary elections on February 9th 2025.

Not a few have seen recently made statements about Association as procrastinating the theme until after the election. Agon Maliqi among them.

The prime minister's “Declarations are viewed as, simply, temporary maneuvers for lifting pressure before the elections”.

Toby Vogel, meanwhile, warned of increased pressure on the next government.

According to him, if Kurt wins the election, “will not indefinitely be able to present new reasons why the Association cannot be formed”.

He said it would be more on the way if Kurti were to explain to communities why in the current situation some dialogue agreements have remained pending, and that Kosovo at the same time makes clear to partners Serbia should be held accountable for its actions.

The entire process must be unblocked, not only the fuel for association”, he stressed.

Viewing the current situation, Vogel estimated that it is hard for anyone to deal with association immediately after the elections. /REL/