Kosovo and Spain: Kurti’s theses are weak cards for gaining recognition

Albin Kurti received a congratulatory message for his election victory from Pedro Sanchez in his capacity as President of the Socialist International, of which the Self-Determination Movement is a member. However, there is no doubt that the leader of this movement would have been much happier if Sanchez had signed the letter on behalf of the Government of Spain. This is especially true given that, in the final stretch of the election campaign, Kurti attempted to explain in Spain’s ‘El Mundo’ that the Kosovo issue has nothing to do with the country’s internal political situation.

Written by Dusica Radeka Djordjevic

“It is time for Spain to recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Kurti said in ‘El Mundo,’ arguing that it is paradoxical that Spain has not done so and that Madrid continues to hold a position close to Serbia, despite Kosovo’s opposition to Russian influence.

“As we prepare to form a new government, we also look forward to deepening our cooperation with Spain, working together as two strong democracies,” Kurti told the same newspaper the day after the elections on February 9.

Forming a stable government in Kosovo will, by all accounts, be a nearly impossible mission. Likewise, efforts to persuade Spain to change course and recognize Kosovo based on the arguments Kurti has presented are unlikely to succeed, according to analysts interviewed by Kosovo Online.

Albin Kurti’s claim that the Kosovo issue has no connection to Spain’s internal political situation is, according to Dusan Prorokovic, a senior research fellow at the Institute for International Politics and Economy in Belgrade, “shallow” and will not influence Madrid’s stance, which remains firm in its refusal to recognize Kosovo.

Prorokovic told Kosovo Online that the Kosovo issue is considered a precedent in international relations and is perceived as such almost everywhere, including in Spain.

"The internal relations within Spain and its constitutional framework have their historical dimension, including a very dark episode related to the Spanish Civil War. There were also tendencies that grew in Catalonia after Franco’s fall, as well as the current political landscape where Catalan parties, to a greater or lesser extent, advocate for separatism. Therefore, Kurti’s argument in this case is shallow and cannot contribute to any change in Madrid’s position," Prorokovic states.

Regarding Kurti’s remark in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, where he described it as paradoxical that Spain does not recognize Kosovo, which opposes Russian influence, yet maintains a position close to Serbia, Prorokovic says that Kurti lobbied in the way he deemed appropriate with the tools he had at his disposal.

"This is not the first time he has spoken about alleged Russian influence and strong Serbian-Russian ties as an argument for changing the stance of certain states on the Kosovo issue. However, in Spain’s case, this argument does not hold water. Spain firmly stands by its position for entirely different reasons, which were further reinforced by the referendum in Catalonia held a few years ago. Thus, Kurti’s statements may stir some dust in Belgrade and Pristina, but I don’t think they will have any effect in Madrid. On the one hand, Kosovo is perceived as a precedent in international relations, including in Spain. On the other hand, due to Spain’s complex historical and political legacy, no one there will take such matters lightly based on a mere statement or claim about Russian influence," Prorokovic concludes.

According to Marko Blazic, a researcher at the Center for Social Stability, Spain has not recognized Kosovo primarily due to its own interests and the presence of separatist movements within the country. This, he argues, makes Kurti’s assertion that the Kosovo issue has nothing to do with Spain’s internal politics entirely unfounded.

Blazic emphasizes that countries that have not recognized Kosovo primarily did so to defend international public law. However, as he says, many of them have also resisted recognition despite strong pressure from the political West and Turkey because they face territorial disputes and separatist movements of their own.

"This is certainly the case with Catalonia in Spain. Albin Kurti is using certain arguments for his own interests, but this time, his claims are so disconnected from reality that it is obvious," Blazic stated.

According to Blazic, the idea that Spain’s recognition of Kosovo would curb Russian influence in the Balkans may have had some weight in early 2022, at the start of the war in Ukraine, when certain countries were evaluating their stance on Russia, Ukraine, and sanctions.

"I’m not saying this would have been a decisive factor leading any country to recognize Kosovo, but it did carry some weight at the time. However, with Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the growing push to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, this argument no longer holds. Even Europe itself is now looking for ways to bring the Ukraine conflict to an end. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s policy of not imposing sanctions on Russia while condemning its aggression against Ukraine has, in a way, served as a starting point for peace negotiations. If we look at the peace plans for Ukraine, they contain elements of the policies pursued by Serbia," Blazic noted.

He adds that Kurti’s statements reflect Kosovo’s increasingly limited maneuvering space on the international stage. Kosovo currently finds itself in a difficult and powerless position following a series of diplomatic failures, including unsuccessful attempts to join the Council of Europe and Interpol, as well as the fact that 28 countries have withdrawn their recognition of Kosovo.

According to Hysen Gecaj, a security expert from Pristina, Spanish recognition of Kosovo could strengthen separatist demands in Catalonia unless efforts were made to clarify Kosovo’s case to the Spanish public.

"It is fair to say that these situations are completely different, and people need to be informed about that. When they are not, resistance naturally grows. However, this is a failure of politicians and diplomacy, which are not working in that direction," Gecaj told Kosovo Online.

He states that if Kosovo truly wishes to gain recognition from Spain, then bilateral relations, both political and diplomatic, must be elevated to a higher level. However, he points out that nothing has been done in this regard during the outgoing government's term.

Commenting on Albin Kurti’s statement during the Spanish election campaign in ‘El Mundo’, where he said that the time had come for Spain to recognize Kosovo’s independence, Gecaj notes that the statement was more about the elections than a serious attempt by the Prime Minister to address a significant diplomatic or political issue between Kosovo and Spain.

"His statement doesn’t bring anything new because Spain cannot simply react to such a remark and immediately recognize Kosovo. The issue isn’t whether the arguments he presented are valid or not; the problem is that it is not enough for the Prime Minister of a country to bring this up once every four years. Convincing Spain that Kosovo’s situation is entirely different from that of the Basque region, which is Spain’s internal issue, requires much more time and effort," Gecaj explained.