Bytyci: The EU as a mediator in the dialogue is not using a carrot and stick strategy

Political analyst Seb Bytyci told Kosovo Online that the European Union, as the mediator in the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, is not encouraging progress in this process through gestures of goodwill and is not using a carrot and stick strategy, which is likely one of the reasons why the dialogue has not achieved greater success.

Asked whether the dialogue would move forward if the EU demonstrated goodwill by lifting sanctions on Kosovo and opening Cluster 3 in Serbia’s accession negotiations, Bytyci says that lifting the measures against Kosovo can be expected, but that this will happen because of the results of the local elections in which ethnic Serb politicians won in the four northern municipalities.

“The EU has currently taken a tougher stance toward Serbia due to the suppression of student protests and the attack in Banjska, so it is unlikely that the EU will open any new accession chapters with Serbia in the near future,” Bytyci states.