NZZ for Kurti Government reports with Allies: Very harsh words spoken with closed doors in diplomatic circles

If you walk eastward on “Bill Clinton” in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, you will eventually cross the “George Bush”. On the north side, Madeleine Albright Street is about to throw the stone.

Connection to the US, the most important obstetric of the newest state in Europe, is strong in Kosovo and is not reflected only in street names. A model of the Statue of Liberty stands on the roof of a hotel in Pristina. The home of a former government deputy chairman has been modeled after Capitol in Washington.

None of this is random. Kosovo has always been at the top of the list of countries with the most friendly population towards America in the world.

Clear Words From Washington

In essence nothing has changed. But at the government level, bilateral relations have deteriorated significantly. Kosovo is no longer seen as a model Balkan student in Washington, rather.

At the beginning of March, US Ambassador to Pristina Jeffrey Hovenier spoke of a troubled “partnership” with the Kosovo government. Earlier, Deputy Secretary of State James O'Brien had said in a threatening tone that the US would deal in the same way only with those he treated as partners.

The special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, leaves no doubt as to who he blames for the concern. Escobar recently said bluntly that his government had a communication problem with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. B E, NATO, but also allies in the region like Albania or Northern Macedonia have the same problem.

These are official reports. Even tougher words are spoken by closed doors in diplomatic circles in Pristina.

No consultation with partners

The reason for the recent dispute was Kosovo's decision not to allow the irregular import of Serbian dinars anymore. Many members of the Serb minority in Kosovo receive pensions or salaries in dinars from Belgrade, which can no longer be taken.

Western allies do not question Pristina's right to implement the use of the national currency, the euro. The implementation of the decision has been criticised. Short term and limited information are causing unnecessary difficulties for the affected Serb population. That, in turn, burdens negotiations with Belgrade.

Above all, however, people are worried about the fact that Pristina did not discuss the move in advance with Quint, the five most important allies: The United States, Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy.

NATO Troops Guarantee Security

Kurti's “solo actions are causing great disappointment in the West”, says political analyst Agon Maliqi in an interview. “Especially if these affect the security situation. Because in the end, KFOR pays the price for it”. NATO's defence force is still the last guarantor of Kosovo's security.

After last May's local elections, the force had to intervene in the Serb-populated north. Because the Serb minority boycotted the elections, Albanian mayors were also elected in Serb majority municipalities. Despite their lack of legitimacy, Kurt insisted on their appointment, which led to violent protests. Several dozen NATO soldiers were injured.

The EU later imposed sanctions on Pristina. The symbolic value of this action is great. For the first time in complex negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade, the West sees the Kosovo side at least as difficult as the Serb one. And this despite the fact that Belgrade under Allexander Vuciq is not at all constructive and constantly threatens Kosovo.

The Quran provides evidence

Like most of his countrymen, Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti is frustrated by the lack of progress in dialogue with Serbia. Belgrade continues to flatly refuse to recognise former province citizenship and is systematically undermining stability in the country. One drastic example was the attack by Serb paramilitaries on Kosovo police in September last year.

Kurti also has little confidence in Western mediating efforts and no one in his opponent, Allexander Vuciq. So he tries to create facts unilaterally. Where Serbia publishes Kosovo, Kurt set mutual measures. And he constantly insists on his country's full sovereignty, such as the dinar decision.

Kurti's predecessors had already taken action themselves in the dispute with Serbia. Former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, angry, imposed 100 per cent punitive fees on Serbian imports in 2018. But communication channels with traditional partners were always intact. However, Quinn has little influence on the stubborn Kurti, who rejects the power of the Western “consuits” in Pristina for principle reasons only.

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Kind voices view this as evidence of Kurt's personal integrity. The self-fulfiling leader of the government, who was a political prisoner in Serbia during the Kosovo war, does not have to fear corruption investigations or other investigations.

The former heads of government, former commanders of the KLA Liberation Army, have also been hired because there has been evidence of war crimes and corruption against them. Kurt, however, has no such skeletons in the closet.

Despite his sympathy for the purpose of a sovereign Kosovo that is not patrolled by anyone, many observers also accuse Kurti, who is principled to stubborn, that he cannot recognise political realities. The government's mainover “austism” is not unusual.

“We are not yet a fully sovereign country and we need the support of the West”, says Lulzim Peci from the team of experts, Kipred in Pristina. “does not work without compromise”.

Internal Political Calculations

One of these political realities is the global geopolitical situation. The war in Ukraine has turned unresolved conflicts into focus in the Balkans. “The West absolutely wants to avoid further tensions so that Serbia does not completely slide into Russian camp”, says former Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi. The current government does not see this and is constantly turning its partners away by walking alone”.

But even internal political calculations play a role. In the election campaign three years ago, Kurti ran with a social policy reform agenda. Because the government has little to show in this direction, the dispute with Serbia is becoming increasingly important. Kurt's confrontational style is quite popular among the population.

Ironically, Kurti is adopting a strategy from his main enemy, Allexander Vuciq. The Serbian president has been exploiting the Kosovo issue for years to draw attention from complaints in Serbia.

“Strategic loss”

Does a new chapter begin with Kurt's decision to the Decani Monastery? Recently, the head of the government announced that the property rights of the Serbian Orthodox monastery in western Kosovo will be recognised over 24 hectares of land. Kosovo's Constitutional Court had already given the monks the land years earlier. However, because of the symbolic nature of the decision, all governments so far have refused to implement it despite strong criticism from the West.

Kurt leaves no doubt that the case has been delivered only under pressure. Otherwise he would have destroyed his country's chances of accepting it to the Council of Europe. In addition, shortly after the decision, the government shed fire oil by removing Cyrillic city signs in the Serb-populated north country.

“I cannot see any change in Kurti's thinking”, says political analyst Peci: Although this is urgently necessary. Kosovo is under Western sanctions, while Vuciqi can shake his sword with impunity. “We are experiencing a strategic defeat of Kosovo foreign policy”. -/Kancosova/