Bay: No one needs a new conflict, France must support the Serbs in Kosovo

The Franco-German plan may lead to conflict, because they think they can buy Serbia, which is an insult to the Serbian people. While I was in Kosovo, I saw that tensions were growing, and in my opinion, France must take a stand and take full support of the oppressed Serbs in Kosovo, French politician and MEP Nicolas Bay says in an interview for Kosovo Online.

Bay also points out that "the connection between France and Serbia is deep and almost a thousand years old, so the special relationship between our countries must encourage Emmanuel Macron to distance himself from Brussels, as did five other EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo".

"Albanians do everything to make Serbs invisible and discriminate against them, they even go so far as to ban the Serbian license plates in Mitrovica: they hinder the freedom of movement of Serbs, even though this is their home. The provocations and humiliations are incessant. A new conflict is not desirable to anyone. But I saw that the tension is growing. Other countries must take a stand, confirm that not everything is allowed and that the indigenous population must be respected in their right to remain themselves. In my opinion, France must take a stand and take full support of the oppressed Serbs in Kosovo," Bay says.

After your recent visit to Kosovo, many Albanian politicians demanded that you be banned from entering in the future. Your comment and are you planning to go to Kosovo again soon?

The main reason for these requests to ban entry into Kosovo is my belief that the KLA was a terrorist organization, a view shared by several countries, including France, but also the UN until about 25 years ago - I simply have not changed my view. I would add that the ideological descendants of the KLA continue to persecute Kosovo Serbs today. I think this is mostly an excuse. What Pristina did not like was that I went to investigate the situation of Serbs and that I talked to the media about their living conditions, about the form of ethnic cleansing that is being carried out there. They want to hide the truth. As for me, I try to say that, as a member of the European Parliament, and because Brussels is asking for Serbia to recognize Kosovo's independence so that it can start the EU accession process. This is directly relevant to my country and my work as a member of the European Parliament. It doesn't help that some Albanian officials are trying to silence me. I do not plan to return to Kosovo anytime soon, but I am not indifferent to the fate of the Serbs who live there. I care about the people who are resisting far more than these political threats against me.

Serbian President recently visited Paris, where he also met with President Macron. How important is the role of France when it comes to the Western Balkans?

The connection between France and Serbia is deep and almost a thousand years old, as evidenced by the marriage of King Uros I with the French princess Helen of Anjou. It also manifests itself in a military alliance, forged in blood - during the First World War, many French soldiers and doctors were sent to Serbia to help. We fought together and won, liberating Serbia. A large Serbian diaspora also lives in my country. Given this history and these connections, the French government is currently turning its back on its obligations by being rather cowardly towards Serbia...as well as Armenia. There must be a clear defense of Serbian identity in Kosovo and Serbian territorial integrity. France must restore its diplomatic and historical tradition of supporting Christians abandoned in these enclaves. The special relationship between our countries must encourage Emmanuel Macron to distance himself from Brussels, as did five other EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo.

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the Franco-German plan for dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. Are you perhaps familiar with that plan?

This plan can only lead to conflict. It proposes the membership of Kosovo in the United Nations, and that would require that Serbia does not oppose it. In return, Serbia would receive more funds from the European Union. Paris and Berlin think they can buy Serbia. This is an insult to the people of Serbia. Some even suggest that Serbia could accept the existence of Kosovo without officially recognizing it. How hypocritical that would be. Not to mention that it would violate the Serbian constitution. This plan once again undermines the trust that the Serbs had in France. That's treason.

Are the Serbs in Kosovo endangered?

The situation is extremely worrying. It is the threat of ethnic cleansing that hangs over the Serbs in Kosovo. Since the pogrom of 2004, the number of Serbs has been steadily decreasing. Today there are only 120,000 of them. In a city like Prizren, Serbs went from 12,000 in 20 years to a handful. They have to leave the region because they are humiliated, expelled and sometimes killed every day. Kosovo is not an annexed part of Serbia: it is the historical heart, the cradle. Serbs have always resisted, especially before the Ottoman Empire, under whose yoke they lived for centuries. This resistance is what characterizes them. They continue today in Kosovo, which has become an extension of Albania, a mafia country supported by Turkey. Their courage will certainly not be enough in this unequal war that is being waged against them. Our civilizational duty is to ensure their safety and their right to identity.