6 hours agoWhat risks Kosovo in the absence of new institutions?
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Kosovo is suffering both politically and financially, the SAga for the constitution, following the February 9th elections. On June 26th, the Constitutional Court has ruled that the constitutional hearing will be completed within 30 days. The parties have appeared immediately with their interpretations concerning the secret vote for the candidate for the prime parliament. We will have [...]
Now consider the financial factor. Periscope.
In the absence of ratification of international agreements with the World Bank, Kosovo is jeopardising the loss of 230m euros.
Part of the agreements, worth 130m euros, have stalled since 2024, while others -- worth 100m euros -- are new deals.
And for Kosovo, one of the poorest countries in Europe, every euro is valid.
Blendy Haysey, executive director at the Institute for Advanced GAP Research, says some of these tools have been divided into the grant-free.
“These agreements have to do with support in the green transition, increased competitiveness, as well as to make a reactivation of the health information system, projects dealing with early childhood education”.
International agreements are ratified in Kosovo with two-thirds of MPs' votes.
Since mid-April, sessions in the Kosovo Assembly do not last more than 2-3 minutes.
Since mid-April, sessions in the Kosovo Assembly do not last more than 2-3 minutes.
Another very important bill concerns means that Kosovo can benefit through what is known as the European Union Growth Plan (BE).
Out of the 6 billion-euro fund for Western Balkan countries, Kosovo has dropped some 900m euros in grant-shaped shares, and a form of credit.
If the resident is tested per head, Kosovo is the biggest beneficiary of these tools.
In contrast, some neighboring countries have already accepted 7 percent of the means as pre-finance, meaning that Kosovo could easily accept about 61m euros.
When is the deadline for approval?
For at least 90m euros separated from the World Bank, with zero percent interest, the alarm has been sparked by incumbent Finance Minister Iron Murati.
He has said that, if the agreement is not ratified by September, “exists the very high risk of these means being taken over to Kosovo and given another state”.
Other funds can also have that destiny. Hasey believes that there is pressure within the World Bank itself.
The World Bank's “Managers must have a pressure to start implementing them [projects] as soon as possible. Let's not forget that some of these loans that are being shared by Kosovo are at extremely attractive rates, and I believe that the demand for such loans is also large by other states”.
Augustin Palockaj, a journalist who conducts EU policies, says that although some politicians have claimed there is time for accepting EU funds, they are actually the money deadlined for the period 2024-2027.
If this political stalemate continues, if Kosovo continues to have no government until the coming spring of the year, with the possibility of ratifying international agreements, then we can approach the deadline when a very large portion of this money could be lost”.
In addition, he recalls that Kosovo continues to be under EU punitive measures, and thus has no access to financial assistance from pre-membership money (IPA).
There are “EU member states, which say there will be no meaning or removal of the measures, unless Kosovo has institutions with which the EU would work, as there are some conditions that must be met”. / REL
