Civil code as the counterweight of Association? Kurt's promise to absorb international pressure

At the time when the issue of the Association of Serb Majorities is the main obstacle on Kosovo's road to membership in the Council of Evorpa, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti promised to push ahead of the Civil Bill, where there is also the law on marriage within the same gender, which was not approved in the first reading in the Parliament in 2022, thus trying to absorb major Western pressure on this mechanism.

The United States of America, France and Germany demanded that Kosovo take a substantial step in relation to the Association of America at least by sending the draft of this mechanisation to the Constitutional Court for review before Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe, writes the Albanian Post.

While Kurti, ignoring this request, promised that “personally would build a parliamentary majority and call for broad support from opposition parties”, in the event organised by Germany's Social Democrat Party, The SPD, in the German Bundestag spaces, in honour of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe's founding.

On this basis, political analyst Agon Maliqi believes Prime Minister Kurti has found a way to bring down the government “in honour of”, putting it right now, at the peak of pressure for association, the Civil Code issue in the agenda.

Which he knows has no votes for and will cause rebellion by the conservatives. Good scenario: I'm a patriot without Zajednica, I'm a progressive martyr in the eyes of Europe, I'm a winner for religious conservatives”, Maliqi wrote on the Socail platform, Facebook.

Florian Bieber, of the South East European Studies Centre at the University of Graz, is also skeptical of Kurt's motives in reporting with his promise of Civil Projectod.

His assessment in Berlin appears to be a step that has to do more to get Western support. Of course it's a good decision for every country, but the motive matters”, he wrote on the social platform, X.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Germany's delegation to the Council of Europe, Frank Schwabe and the chairman of the European Initiative for Stability, (ESI), Gerald Knaus, while expressing their reservations for the possibility that Kosovo will pass the last phase of ʹ the Council of Ministers' vote towards membership in the Council of Europe, received on the basis of the West's application for Association, estimated that Kosovo could improve its position if it arrives within the coming weeks to adopt at least the Civil Code.

German MP Frank Schwabe expressed reservations about the possibility that Kosovo will pass the last phase of ʹthe Council of Ministers' vote towards membership in the Council of Europe.

From today's perspective, the odds are 50/50 percent. The significant step we reached with the majority at the Parliamentary Assembly has certainly impressed governments, ministers, and commissions. But there is still much to be done”, the Social Democrat politician for the DW said.

The German deputy confirmed the presentation of a condition for Asocation from the West.

According to him, several countries are trying to exploit this moment to unblock long-fouled dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

“There are governments that now want to bring from the back door what was never achieved in negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia. I think this is a mistake”, he appreciated.

Sceptic for a success in the final phase at this stage, Knaus indicated.

“We note that Serbia's president is campaigning successfully to convince key states in Europe to postpone Kosovo's accession vote at the moment, it seems that President Vucic will win this battle”, he has told DW.

For both Schwabe and Knaus, the whole thing is one thing is clear Kosovo will need a lot of diplomatic work in the coming weeks.

France's President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone conversation with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Tuesday, with whom Kosovo's potential membership in the Council of Europe has been discussed, the Office of the President of France announced through a media communiqué.

Macron during the conversation while welcoming Kurti for the implementation of the Constitutional Court's decision on the Decani Monastery, underlined the importance that France devotes to implementing association, especially in the context of Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe.

The president of the Republic welcomed the implementation of the Constitutional Court's decision on the Decani Monastery. However, he underlined the importance France devotes, even in the context of Kosovo's application for membership in the Council of Europe, rapid and irreversible progress in the implementation of the Kosovo Association authorities with the Serbian Major General”, it is said at the announcement of the Elysee Palace.

On Tuesday after France, Germany also demanded that Kosovo take a tangible step in relation to Association, when Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe is at stake.

Germany's ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, in an interview for KTV points out that the tangible step in this case is sending the draft Association station to the Constitutional Court for review.

“Does not mean that the issue of Association should be addressed by the Government of Kosovo, the more they did before the vote in the Council of Europe, the more they would convince governments that are perhaps sceptical to vote in favour of Kosovo”, it has suggested.

Do not take any steps in this direction, according to Rohde's assessment, is not a good option.

“You need to do it and what we need is a tangible step, not implementation, full implementation is part of the Brussels/Ohri Agreement, but if you want to possess it somewhere you need to take a tangible step, so send this draft state to the Constitutional Court for review”, he added.

Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia James O'Brien requested emergency progress “in relation to this mechanism.

Albanian Post, days earlier, reported that the Kosovo government has agreed in principle with the international community that after its 16 April support from the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly for Kosovo's membership in this organisation, will submit a draft-state to the Constitutional Court for Association by 10 May.

Unlike last March 16th of last year, the Civil Billody did not go to first reading in the Kosovo Assembly.

During the plenary session on March 16th, some deputies ʹ even from the Vetevendosje Movement ranks rejected the part of legislation allowing the <x0 civil community”.

The MPs' disagreements were related to the article that would enable the drafting of a special law through which the registration of “civil co-ordination” would be allowed among the same-gender persons.

At that world, even the leaders of four religious communities in Kosovo rejected, as they said, changing the definition of marriage.