Igrutinovic: Kurti constantly pushes 'red lines,' conflict with the US and EU on a "tactical level"

Milan Igrutinovic, a research fellow at the Institute for European Studies, says for Kosovo Online that Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti constantly pushes the "red lines," but despite appearances, the conflict between Pristina's authorities and the West remains strictly on a "tactical level" because Kosovo's unilateral actions are not at odds with the fundamental positions of the US and most EU countries.

"Although it seems that the positions of Kurti's government and the diplomatic representatives of the EU and the US are in conflict, this is only true on a tactical level. Pristina's ambition to unilaterally extend effective control over the four northern municipalities at its own desired pace is not fundamentally at odds with the US and the majority of EU countries' stance that Kosovo is independent and sovereign within its recognized borders. Kurti's willingness to impose his will through force is a problem for the EU and the US because such methods are not desirable to them. They would prefer to see Serbian, but not the Serbian state's, institutions such as the Community of Serb Municipalities in the north integrated into Pristina's authority, as per previous agreements. But that issue is only tactical," Igrutinovic explained.

He added that Kurti can afford to constantly push "red lines" because he is confident that he is not violating the US and EU's fundamental stance on Kosovo's territorial sovereignty.

"In imposing his will, Kurti relies on the fact that he is not actually violating the fundamental political stance of the EU and US – an independent Kosovo with territorial sovereignty, even if they disagree on the pace and means to achieve it. So, above this tactical divergence is the alignment of Pristina within the dominant political order in the Balkans. Therefore, Kurti can afford to go against the current tactics of European and American diplomacy, continually pushing 'red lines,' believing that he won't face significant consequences for it. And it seems he has judged this well," Igrutinovic concluded.