Will the former advisor to Kouchner now, as a Special Envoy of Paris, be beneficial for the region?

The fact that Paris appointed a new Special Envoy for the Western Balkans was an expected move, especially considering the Franco-German plan for Kosovo, according to Kosovo Online sources. However, what stands out is that the choice fell on Rene Troccaz, a diplomat who was once a close associate of Bernard Kouchner, the first head of UNMIK in the years immediately following the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Kouchner's engagement in the Balkans was marked by numerous controversies, including his denial of the existence of the "Yellow House" and human organ trafficking. He was also the French Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2008 when Paris recognized Kosovo's independence. Therefore, there are questions about what France can contribute to the region by appointing Troccaz, a former close associate of Kouchner.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Troccaz's appointment was in line with France's increased engagement in the region, in the context of the Western Balkans' approximation to the European Union. Troccaz was an advisor in Kouchner's cabinet when he was the head of diplomacy and has experience in crisis areas with security risks, such as Israel and Cyprus.

Retired French Colonel Jacques Hogar, in an interview with Kosovo Online, when asked if he knew Troccaz, stated that was worried whenever he heard Kouchner's name.

"I don't know Troccaz, but when I hear the name Kouchner, who was involved in so many scandals, I'm definitely concerned," Hogar stated.

Aleksandra Kolakovic, a Senior Research Associate and historian, assesses for Kosovo Online that France has shown increased interest in the Western Balkans in various areas since 2019, including political, economic, educational, and cultural aspects.

"In this context, the areas that are of exceptional importance to France in terms of security have also been recognized, which undoubtedly include the Kosovo and Metohija region, and of course, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, the current appointment of Special Envoy Rene Troccaz should be viewed in this way," Kolakovic said.

She adds that there is a security aspect that is currently under threat and that should also be linked to the significant changes in international relations and the altered global situation since the period of the war in Ukraine.

"On the other hand, what has been emphasized is the increased activity of France in the context of the European integration of the region. One of Troccaz's tasks is not only to monitor relations in the region, not just the security aspect but also to assist in the process of European integration of the region, which is now already in the context of what is mentioned as the years of entry of Western Balkan countries into the EU," Kolakovic stated.

She reminded of the plan for 2029 and 2030 and the European Community's agenda, which will meet in Spain these days, emphasizing that "it's all interconnected".

"It is necessary to consider this in the context that other countries have special envoys for the Western Balkans – Great Britain, Germany, the United States, and of course, there is the European Special Envoy. In this context, France wants to strengthen its position in diplomatic terms, but also concerning the Franco-German plan for Kosovo and Metohija because France is one of the creators of that plan," Kolakovic says.

She points out that Rene Troccaz is a diplomat with experience both in France and beyond.

"Yes, Troccaz was one of Bernard Kouchner's advisors when he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, during the period in 2008 when Kosovo declared independence, and when France recognized that independence. Bernard Kouchner's name carries significant weight and is mostly negatively associated when it comes to Serbia and the Serbs. However, we can emphasize that Troccaz is someone who has had other diplomatic experience in crisis areas with significant security risks, such as Jerusalem, Israel, and Cyprus," Kolakovic says.

In this context, she believes that his understanding of the issues and the ability to resolve crises will be very valuable.

"Considering that he was already involved in some of those circles of French diplomacy that have a certain stance towards Kosovo as an independent state, taking into account France's position, it will certainly have important consequences for his opinion. But if you also take into account other aspects of his experience, which are not only related to Kosovo but are also focused on de-escalating violence in the region, integrating factors of connection, especially economic, and of course, Eurointegration, there is ample room for diplomatic cooperation," she emphasizes.

Historian Dr. Aleksandar Rastovic, says for Kosovo Online that the appointment of French Envoy for the Balkans, Rene Troccaz, doesn't offer much hope for objectivity in his approach. He emphasizes that we should not overlook the fact that Troccaz was an advisor to Bernard Kouchner, who has never had a favorable attitude towards Serbs.

Rastovic says that a large number of countries, including the US, Germany, Great Britain, and now France, have appointed special envoys for the Western Balkans, and the situation is worsening with an increasing number of these envoys. This, he believes, is a significant paradox.

"I fear that this is another game played by great powers to divert attention from the failures of NATO countries in Ukraine and to justify these failures to their domestic audiences by pompously appointing diplomatic representatives for the Balkans. This would shift the focus away from Ukraine, with the intention of transferring the war turmoil here, which would be a catastrophe for all the peoples of the Balkans," Rastovic says.

He reminds us that Balkan wars have not been localized and concentrated in a narrow area.

"It always tends to expand over time to other countries and peoples; history teaches us that this happened in the past. Balkan conflicts have never been of a purely local nature; they have always spread and taken on the character of wider regional, even European, and global wars. So, I'm afraid this is just a smokescreen for the domestic audience of these countries, which have become deeply involved in a special operation in Ukraine and are now trying to stoke instability and war turmoil in the Balkans to somehow salvage their reputation and justify the enormous financial resources paid by taxpayers of those countries, which they invested in military operations in Ukraine," Rastovic says.

He adds that the fact that the new envoy of the French Government for the Western Balkans was an advisor to Bernard Kouchner, who, as he says, did not "shine brightly" in the former Yugoslavia, speaks volumes.

"I will remind you of Kouchner's role in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Doctors Without Borders where the Serbian side was accused of all the world's evils. Then his role later in justifying war crimes against the Serbs in Croatia during the war Operation 'Storm' in 1995, his role in Kosovo was unclear in the organ trafficking in northern Albania. All of this cannot convince us that the intentions of the new envoy, who was Kouchner's advisor, are honorable and will be directed towards the objective treatment of both the Serbs and the Albanians in this region," he said.

He emphasizes that as a historian, he is very skeptical "about this kind of mediation or intermediation, especially when it comes to a personality who was an advisor to Kouchner".