Ker-Lindsay: Kurti is seen as an obstacle to Dialogue

Professor at the London School of Economics James Ker-Lindsay stated that Kosovo's caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti is increasingly perceived as an obstacle to dialogue rather than a force for resolution, and that the international community does not believe it can work with him, Gazeta Express reports.

Ker-Lindsay emphasized that the greatest burden falls on Kurti, who, as the leader of the largest political party and the current prime minister, must take the first step toward compromise.

“This is also tied to what we’ve seen in the past, when Self-Determination used tear gas, smoke bombs, or similar objects during parliamentary sessions,” the British expert recalled in an interview with RFE/RL.
According to him, this image places international decision-makers in a more reserved position.

He noted that Kurti has frequently defied their expectations—whether through actions in northern Kosovo, where the majority of the population are Serbs, or through his rigid stance in the dialogue on normalizing relations with Serbia—which has, in turn, “undermined trust in him as a leader of goodwill and political responsibility.”

Ker-Lindsay pointed out that many international actors prefer to stay in the background, intervening only if tensions escalate.

“The international community does not feel it can cooperate with him. They don’t feel they can trust him. They do not believe he is serious about trying to solve major issues or acting in a politically responsible way,” said Ker-Lindsay.

He added that the political deadlock will not benefit Kosovo in any way.

“It will only be viewed as yet another example of a political problem that seems to have existed for quite some time,” Ker-Lindsay concluded.