FLASH
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For the EU and its foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, the consequences of the diplomatic failure extend beyond the fate of the northern tip of Kosovo...
Tensions between Pristina and Belgrade have turned violent again. The mediation strategy of the European Union is not working.
At the weekend, Kosovo's prime minister, Albin Kurti, spoke despairingly about a decade of talks to normalize relations with Serbia, which continues to refuse to recognize his country's independent status. In an interview for "The Guardian", Kurti said that the negotiations, mediated by the European Union, risk reaching a dead end. Shortly after publication, there was ominous confirmation that a 'nadir' (lowest point) had indeed been reached. In a serious escalation of tensions, five people, including a Kosovo police officer, were killed after an ambush by unidentified gunmen near the border with Serbia.
For the EU and its foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, the consequences of the diplomatic failure extend beyond the fate of the Serb-majority northern tip of Kosovo. In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU has redoubled its efforts to anchor the Western Balkans within its orbit to counter Moscow's influence. But Sunday's shooting shows that in this hot Balkan region, that approach isn't working.
Last spring's seemingly grand deal forced Serbia to recognize Kosovo's citizenship in exchange for semi-autonomous power for Kosovo's Serb-majority municipalities. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, shamefully has not yet signed the agreement and has publicly boasted about it.
In April, his Government opposed Kosovo's request for membership in the Council of Europe. Kurti has not offered political self-management in the Serb-majority areas of Kosovo.
Thus, a diplomatic dance risks turning into serious violence. But for this, Borrelli may also have to take responsibility. Kurti claims that the loss of trust in Kosovo has resulted from the "loss of neutrality" in the special envoy of the European Union, Miroslav Lajçak. This summer, a group of senior Western politicians made much the same point about "Belgrade-centered Western policy in the Balkans."
Brussels and Washington appear to have prioritized the need to keep Vucic on board, given the country's regional influence and significant ties to Russia. By doing so, they risk neglecting the need to protect Kosovo from the machinations of a bullying and much larger neighbor, which it believes has no right to exist. Given these circumstances, and more recent history in Ukraine, it is hardly surprising that Kurti would be leery of giving more power to the separatist-leaning Kosovo Serbs in the north. Meanwhile, in the background, Russia has done its best to incite and exploit the instability, while the Serbian president usually manipulates the crisis to gain nationalist support in the country.
Some countries of the European Union say that Kurti has also made mistakes. He has recklessly fueled discontent in the north, where greater autonomy will inevitably be part of any successful settlement. But this is a matter of the final status that must go in parallel with the movements from Belgrade. The EU also needs to put its house in order. Five EU members have not recognized Kosovo until now, giving false equivalence to the circumstances of its independence and their problems with minorities. A more united Europe would be a more authoritative and effective mediator in a troubled and vital region. / The Guardian
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