Demhasaj: Von der Leyen can achieve the completion of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in her second term

Political analyst Arton Demhasaj tells Kosovo Online that Ursula von der Leyen, whose second term as President of the European Commission is to be formalized, is familiar with the dialogue process between Serbia and Kosovo and could achieve the completion of the dialogue in her second term.

"For Kosovo, this would mean no longer needing to spend energy on dialogue with Serbia but instead focusing on internal problems related to education, healthcare, and similar issues. I believe this will be the last chance for the EU to show that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia must be concluded as soon as possible so that both countries can move toward the EU," Demhasaj says.

In his assessment, the dialogue will have to end with mutual recognition, and for Serbia and Kosovo to become EU members, they must meet the conditions defined in their agreements with the EU.

"If Kosovo and Serbia are not in the EU, neither the Balkans nor the EU will be at peace. The EU is currently in a phase where it refuses to expand due to an internal crisis, and I think that the new appointees in the European Commission should be clear toward the Western Balkans in terms of foreign policy, emphasizing that it should become part of the EU, but certainly only after meeting the conditions set by the EU for membership," Demhasaj states.