Tromp: Special Court Repower Risks Kosovo's Relations With EU, Integration Process

The former Hague Tribunal investigator Nevenka Tromp has stressed that a request for the abolition of the Special Court could have serious consequences for Kosovo, especially for its relations with the European Union..

According to Tromp, while there has been speculation about the possibility American President Donald Trump may demand the abolition of the Court, it stresses that the US has no direct power to accomplish such a thing.

Because the Special Court operates primarily with EU funding, its continuation depends on the EU's political will. Recently there have been some rumors that US President Donald Trump may be willing to abolish the Special Court. The US has been Kosovo's strongest ally since 1998, but has no direct power to do so itself”, Tromp says.

“Even if the US uses its political power to influence those who can do so, it is likely to trigger a major reaction from the EU. Even if Trump or any other U.S. leader wanted to see Special Extinction abolished, the U.S. cannot do it directly”, he added further.

She added that such an act would seriously damage Kosovo's international relations, including tensions with the EU and difficulties in European integration processes.

The decision belongs to the Kosovo Assembly. Even if the United States finds the way to revive Kosovo's parliament to vote for its removal, it will put Kosovo in a very difficult position internationally, as establishing the Special Court is part of Kosovo's obligations to the EU and abolishing it could undermine Kosovo's EU integration prospects. Kosovo's Special Law vote on Kosovo could lead to tensions with the EU and other international partners. For Kosovo, good relations with the EU are far more important for its vital state interests”, Tromp says.

According to the former investigation, any attempt to abolish the Court could also affect talks with Serbia and further complicate efforts to normalise relations, putting Kosovo in a very difficult international position.

“The US can do this by putting pressure on the Kosovo government to launch a parliamentary process to abolish the law that the KSF established. It could also try to exert pressure by reducing diplomatic and financial support for the tribunal, making its work more difficult. Or the US could encourage Kosovo leaders to reject co-operation, slowing down its work. But for that, the US would need an excellent relationship with the incumbent Kosovo government”, Tromp says, for Blic newspaper, broadcast Periscope.

“If Kosovo were to abolish the KSK, it could damage its relations with the EU and potentially lead to legal disagreement. It could also weaken its position in normalisation talks with Serbia and make Kosovo's integration into European integration processes” challenging, Tromp said. /Periscope/