Kosovo still under sanctions, Germans expect EU to lift them after voting in the north

With the organisation of the voting process for the dismissal of current mayors in the four municipalities in the north, the government says it also fulfilled the last condition of a four-point agreement in Bratislava through which punishment measures imposed by the European Union would be removed due to tensions in the north. The voting process failed due to the boycott by local Serbs, who were urged by the Republika Srpska List not to participate. Now Kosovo wants the removal of measures because it has done its part.

The European Union had earlier said that Kosovo has enabled opening the way for new elections in the north, but that Kosovo Serbs in northern Kosovo lost the opportunity to exercise their right to vote and elect mayors who would truly be representatives.

The EU said that for the measures, in line with its December 12th 2023 conclusions, the Council will discuss measures, based on a High Representative report on meeting EU requirements.

Meanwhile, Radio Europe Free through diplomatic sources has reported the European Union has approached removing restrictive measures against Kosovo, while a smaller number of states want their removal to take place gradually.

The majority of member states want to remove all measures against Kosovo, but there are several countries, among them also, the three QUINT (Germany, France and Italy) countries that want gradual removal of measures against Kosovo”, this source of REL has said.

The German Embassy in Pristina has been asked whether its country supports the removal of measures towards Kosovo and whether it requires this to happen gradually.

The latter gave no answers for the Express, but conveyed the statement by Ambassador Jorn Rohde, who said Germany considers that Kosovo has carried out its task with organising the vote on April 21st.

Kosovo has done its part by offering a process that will change that situation and Kosovo cannot be blamed because the other side boycotted it. I'm sure there will be decisions, I hope, in Brussels, that will go this way. I personally think that the process of lifting measures” should be launched, Rohde said.

The Euryopian Union had said the decision by political parties representing Kosovo Serbs in the north to withdraw from the process and call for boycotts resulted in a series of difficulties, including the establishment of several voting stations without any Kosovo Serb members.

Also, the decision of Serbian-planned school principals in northern Kosovo not to allow the use of schools as deployments, days before the day of the vote, has created serious challenges for the Central Election Commission. This also prevented citizens from approaching accurate information about their new location. The EU expresses regret that Kosovo Serbs in northern Kosovo lost the opportunity to exercise their right to vote and elect mayors who would truly be representative”.

The EU said it considers the result does not contribute to easing tensions and opening the way for Serbs to return to Kosovo institutions, which is essential for normalising relations.