Baraliu: Macron's statement is very serious; the most important thing is to hold new elections in the north

Professor of Constitutional Law Mazllum Baraliu, regarding the statement of French President Emmanuel Macron about changing the visa policy if Kosovo and Serbia don't adhere to the Franco-German plan, emphasized that Macron had spoken on behalf of the entire European Union, primarily on behalf of the two most important members, Germany and France, and their plan which, he said, if not in writing, had been verbally adopted by Belgrade and Pristina.

Baraliu stressed that Belgrade and Pristina must take Macron's statement seriously.

"Macron's statement is very serious, and it must be taken as such by both Pristina and Belgrade. It means that the parties must act in the spirit of the agreement. They are behaving unseriously, even sarcastically. The EU should be taken seriously. Serbia could also be subject to sanctions, so both sides must think carefully and fulfill the agreements," Baraliu says, noting that this year is crucial for the international community as preparations for new elections in both the EU and the United States are about to begin.

According to him, Macron's statement about revising the visa policy can refer to visa liberalization for Kosovo or the imposition of a visa regime for Serbia.

"Unfortunately, the EU and the Schengen Agreement are in crisis. Time has shown that during a crisis, the EU cannot function as a solid organization; therefore, Serbia could experience the imposition of a visa regime, and Kosovo may see the visa liberalization process delayed as a measure due to both states' failure to comply with the requirements for engaging in dialogue and implementing the agreements they both accepted," Baraliu added.

When asked about where Kosovo and Serbia were regarding the status of the Franco-German plan, Baraliu responded - nowhere.

"Brnabic stated that Serbia considered Kosovo a part of its territory, and Vucic has repeatedly said he would only accept what suits Serbia. Kosovo is tactical, as it committed to forming an Association with a Serbian majority but has postponed it, therefore buying time. Neither side is adhering to what they accepted. And that's why Macron's reaction is happening," Baraliu emphasized.

Baraliu believes that the meeting in Bratislava between Kosovo negotiator Besnik Bislimi and EU Envoy Miroslav Lajcak demonstrated that the Kosovo Government, albeit belatedly, has accepted the measures set by the EU but that it's still not enough for punitive measures to be lifted.

"Of course, de-escalation is underway, but what was done in the north, according to the EU's opinion, is not enough," Baraliu said, adding that the most important thing is to hold new elections in northern Kosovo.

According to him, the quickest way to hold elections is for the current mayors to resign.

Political analyst Mimoza Gavrani said for Kosovo Online that President Emmanuel Macron's statement came at a time when there were frequent warnings that Kosovo and Serbia needed to return to dialogue.

Regarding Macron's statement, she particularly singled out the issue of visa liberalization, as well as other economic matters, as commitments that could be revised.

According to her, the Franco-German plan is the only solution, and both sides must fully engage in implementing it.

"The already reached Franco-German plan as an agreement is the right solution, and the parties must fully engage in its implementation," Gavrani emphasized.

She added that prior to that, elections must be held in northern Kosovo and that Serbs must return to Kosovo's institutions.

She believes that the Quint countries must be careful about stability in the Western Balkans.

Regarding the punitive measures of the international community, Gavrani reminded that they had been imposed due to the lack of actions taken to de-escalate the situation in the north.

"But the EU stated that these measures were temporary and entirely reversible depending on the development of events on the ground and the decisions that Prime Minister Albin Kurti would make regarding de-escalation," Gavrani concluded.