Kurti does not give up the idea of being the "leader" of all Albanians in the Balkans

The participation of Self-Determination in the elections in North Macedonia will not bring anyone anything good, but it is only the populist policy of Albin Kurti, all the interlocutors of Kosovo Online agree.

Self-determination has already "challenged" current Prime Minister Edi Rama in Albania, and that attempt failed ingloriously.

At some point, Kurti even "interfered" in the elections in Switzerland by openly supporting a political option, he tried the same in the elections in Serbia, and now it's North Macedonia's turn.

From the very beginning, Self-determination has a broader ambition than Kosovo's independence, sociologist Vladimir Vuletic believes, commenting on the announced involvement of that movement in the elections in North Macedonia.

Kosovo's independence, he says, is only the first step towards the final solution of the Albanian national question, as Kurti imagines it.

A homogeneous national state that includes all Albanians is one of the undisguised goals of Kurti and Self-Determination, says Vuletic, reminding that this is the way of solving the national question as it was valid in the 19th century.

"As long as the international order is like this, nothing can be done about it. But when we see that the time is coming when the entire global order is being tested, when there are tensions and conflicts in different parts of the world, it could seriously ignite tensions, and then that is no longer the problem of Serbia and Kosovo, it is then the problem of Greece, Montenegro, Macedonia.... That then in a certain way homogenizes not only Albanians, but all those who would be threatened by such a policy of Kurti," says Vuletic.

He adds that the attempt to destabilize North Macedonia would be a clear signal to other governments in the region and a warning that this is not the end of Kurti's ambitions.

Nevertheless, says Vuletic, in this way, Kurti is primarily trying to strengthen his position vis-a-vis Belgrade.

"His message is that if you do not allow or help us to resolve the issue of Kosovo's independence immediately and now, then we will set fire to the entire Balkans," Vuletic clarified.

Vuletic reminds that even in the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo was the initial capsule after which other appetites in the republics were awakened.

Now, he warns, the expansion of the "Albanian question" to the entire Balkans could affect the security of the entire region.

The President of the Euro-Atlantic Council of North Macedonia, Ismet Ramadani, said that he does not see what good and new things could be brought to the Albanian community by the participation of Self-Determination in the elections in North Macedonia, given that the Albanian parties in that country are very familiar with parliamentary and institutional values, as well as interests and affinities of citizens.

Ramadani indicates that Self-Determination should deal more with internal problems in Kosovo, rather than spreading populist politics to the region.

"I don't know what their goal is, but their goal is not very good. I think they didn't really calculate that in North Macedonia the Albanian parties are so well established, institutionally refined, they know things so well and even in some areas they have enviable results, compared to the position of Albanians, and they know the meaning of institutional action. If I were in the place of these parties that operate in our country, I think that they not only have no need, but they cannot learn anything new in the country from their exponents or Mr. Kurti and his party members," Ramadani said.

He expressed incomprehension of what Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wants to achieve with populist politics.

"Populism is not valued at all, neither by Western nor Euro-Atlantic countries, nor is it a standard or criterion that can be welcomed by those who are progressive political parties, regardless of which bloc they are from, whether they are left or right. I think the fault of the opposition parties who expect to ruffle other people's feathers, because there really is no need. The people I see around them, because I know them, are much more prepared and politically educated than those who are exponents or people who offer to help them supposedly as the opposition, in that competition with Ali Ahmeti's party, i.e. DUI. If we compare those exponents as personalities, they are far from the fame, i.e. the authority that DUI leader Ali Ahmeti has, so there is really no need for that," he said.

He believes that populist politics is not concrete, progressive, acceptable and good for citizens.

Therefore, as he says, Kurti should first do everything in his government to have portfolios that should be successful for him, regardless of whether they relate to the internal or external interests of Kosovo.

"Because we have to understand each other, if we compare the members of his government and the members of the government from the Albanian parties, I think I can say with great competence that our ministers here who work in our government are more ready to carry out their tasks institutionally. If he thinks that something will to encourage more in the fight against corruption and crime, I think there is a lot of work to be done in Kosovo," Ramadani pointed out.

Opposition parties from North Macedonia, he says, can present themselves to the citizens with ideas, with possibilities, with categorical positions in the fight against corruption and crime. According to him, the leaders of the opposition parties have experience in leading institutions, regardless of whether they are mayors or in the Parliament.

All Albanian parties in North Macedonia, he notes, are parliamentary parties and have experience working in institutions.

"I would say that they can even help members of the government or Kurti's party in certain situations. As I see things, these standards or criteria are much more developed among the Albanian parties here, regardless of whether they are in the position or in the opposition, than in Kurti's government," emphasized Ramadani.

However, he adds that there are always opposition parties and opposition citizens who are not satisfied with some things, whether it is the fight against crime or in infrastructure, education, health and many other segments.

"However, I do not believe that there is a majority of citizens here; let's say conditional Albanians, who need advice or instructions from the exponents of Self-Determination, i.e. Kurti's party, on how to behave politically and institutionally for the everyday problems and needs of citizens. There are people, even in the opposition parties , who think that with the name of Albin Kurti, they will be able to win more votes than those who are disappointed here and for whom Kurti is an idol with his actions. And I would say that when he was in the opposition, and even now in his political activities, that authoritarian and populist ways of acting," concluded Ramadani.

Commenting on the participation of Self-Determination in the elections in North Macedonia, News 24 television analyst and editor-in-chief Agim Baci estimated that this movement can have a political format and weight only in Kosovo and that it has no influence on the electoral processes of neighboring countries.

Baci believes that Self-determination and their coming to power in Kosovo can only serve as an example to the countries in the region, but not that it has any real significance when it comes to internal issues.

"Kurti was also attentive to the Albanians in Macedonia, but I think that Self-determination has a correct and strong political format only in Kosovo, while in Albania, North Macedonia, even Montenegro, it has no influence. In these countries, there was a tendency to repeat what what Kurti did in Kosovo, because Kurti's political activities, his views and some of his ideas, are what brought Self-Determination to power. This can be an inspiration to those who are against the current political class in Albania or Macedonia, and who demand a change in this political classes. They see Self-Determination as a model, but what happened in Kosovo is the result of a completely different situation," Baci said.

He points out that, nevertheless, imitating the coming to power of Self-Determination is not a good way and that it would not give results in another country of the region. Prime Minister Albin Kurti came to power, he recalls, thanks to the idea of a 'greater Albania' and the agenda of what he will accept and what he won't accept from the agreement with Serbia.

However, now, he notes, he is in a political predicament, given that he is forced to accept an obligation that he strongly opposed and thanks to which he came to power - CSM.

"Imitation cannot give strong, good and similar results, which Kurti achieved in Kosovo. A political movement, in order to be successful, must be based on strong ideas, and Kurti had those strong ideas about the future of relations with Albania, and with Serbia. It has to do with his approach to agreements with Serbia, in relation to what he should accept or not. Today, the Prime Minister of Kosovo is in great difficulty, especially because of the Union of Municipalities with a Serbian majority. Kurti had this issue as a political promise in the elections to will never accept the Union, but today we have a waiver from him, because he submitted the issue to the Constitutional Court. We must remember that populist movements in general, when they come to power, change many laws, or do not recognize laws," Baci pointed out.

He assesses that Serbia may see the issue of extending Self-Determination as a danger for the future, stressing that his position is the complete opposite.

He notes that the idea of expanding Albania's borders is strong and brought Kurti to power, but that no one talks about that idea anymore, even in Kosovo.

"Normally, I would expect Serbia to closely monitor anything related to a possible change of borders, which many Albanian politicians can propagate, but the official Tirana has been very cautious on this issue. I speak for the majority, but also for the opposition. The same thing is happening and in North Macedonia, where there are no politicians who have made statements about changing the borders. This is something that should be discussed, a strong idea that can decide a lot about the future of political forces in Albania and North Macedonia, or even in Montenegro. Today, about this Kurti's idea does not speak even in Kosovo," he concluded.

Political analyst Shkelzen Maliqi pointed out for Kosovo Online that Self-Determination, by becoming part of the Albanian opposition in North Macedonia where it will participate in the upcoming elections, is trying to reach out to its voters, who were disappointed by the promises made but not fulfilled.

According to his words, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is aware that elections await him in Kosovo as well, which is why he is renewing the old idea of Self-Determination on the unification of Albanians.

However, since he failed to win a mandate in the Albanian parliament, Maliqi says, he has now decided to try his hand in North Macedonia.

"Kurti takes all the options, or renews the old ones, he knows that he will go to the elections next year, so he is courting all the voters, including his own, whom he disappointed when he gave up on unification with Albania," Maliqi believes.

He points out that Kurti has again decided to play the card of unification of Albanians, because he knows that he won a large number of voters for that idea.

"It is a wrong strategy. He and his ministers are sending signals that Albanians should unite in the future, which was the initial platform of Self-Determination, so now they are playing that card, because there is great disappointment among their activists. What was promised has not been fulfilled, the Community is being formed, because of which they created chaos and threw tear gas in the Assembly," added Maliqi.

Historian Aleksandar Gudzic, commenting on the Self-Determination announcement that he will participate in the elections in North Macedonia, says that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wants to become a leader and the leader of the Albanians in the Balkans.

Gudzic states that, in addition to the support of Kosovo Albanians, Kurti wants to define himself as the absolute leader of all Albanians through his participation in the elections in North Macedonia.

"Albin Kurti currently wants to become a leader and the leader of the Albanians in the Balkans, that's the only way we can comment on the fact that Self-Determination intends to run in the elections in Macedonia. This clearly indicates Kurti's desire to become the leader of the Albanians in the Balkans. "He is the most popular politician in Kosovo, he has the greatest support of the Albanian citizens of Kosovo, and this is his attempt to position himself as the absolute leader of the Albanians in the Balkans," said Gudzic.

​Albanian journalist and analyst Ben Andoni said that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is using the Self-Determination Movement's participation in the elections in North Macedonia to divert attention from internal problems in Kosovo, stressing that the influence of that party will only increase conflicts and sharpen the views of the Albanian factor in North Macedonia.

Andoni indicates that Kurti announced the expansion of Self-Determination to Seven Macedonia during his visit to Tetovo in August of last year.

"The expansion of the Self-Determination movement to North Macedonia shows, more or less, the intention that Mr. Kurti expressed during his visit in August 2023, when he announced the unification of Self-Determination with the three parties of the Macedonian opposition, but it created even more problems within the internal factor in North Macedonia," Andoni told Kosovo Online.

It is recalled that the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitri Kovacevski, asked for an explanation at the beginning of whether the Election Law allows or not the procedure of Self-Determination participation in his country.

The expansion of Self-determination, adds Andoni, created a very big problem regarding the protagonism of Albanian political leaders in North Macedonia.

"I believe that the entry of Mr. Kurti and the Self-Determination movement into North Macedonia will increase the internal conflicts of the Albanian factor. I believe that these movements (events) work in a certain way to divert attention from the internal problems of Kosovo and, on the other hand, show a growing desire for leadership Mr. Kurti on the entire Albanian factor in the Balkans," he assessed.

He reminded that Self-Determination tried to participate in the election process of Albania a few years ago, but that the result was disappointing.

"The same thing happened in Albania a few years ago in the election process, but the result was extremely bad. At that time Self-Determination pretended to influence the vote, but in fact the result was so disappointing and did not create any kind of impression that such types manipulation can do. In Albania, the arrival and competition of Self-Determination with Albanian political subjects was received extremely badly," Andoni said.