Lama: The EU has a mechanism to condition both Serbia and Kosovo

Political analyst from Pristina Alma Lama says that the latest International Crisis Group (ICG) report on Kosovo and the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue contains several serious claims regarding the behavior of the Kosovo government toward Serbs in the north and the measures taken by the European Union. In her view, the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia concerning northern Kosovo needs to be completely redefined because it is not functioning.

The International Crisis Group noted in its report that repressive measures against Kosovo Serbs have obstructed the continuation of bilateral talks between Belgrade and Pristina, hindered progress toward establishing the Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities, and prompted the EU to impose measures on Kosovo in 2023. According to the ICG, the EU should maintain the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, using financial support and the accession process as tools at its disposal.

Commenting on these findings, Lama says that the EU has a mechanism through which it can condition both Serbia and Kosovo.

“The EU has a mechanism to set conditions for both states – Serbia through the integration process, but also Kosovo, even though it is still far from that process, which so far has not worked very well. Perhaps what is needed now is a new strategy and a reassessment of the security and geopolitical context to create a different approach that will produce different results,” Lama told Kosovo Online.

She believes that the EU’s approach toward Serbia and Kosovo is asymmetric, as there were no visible sanctions from Brussels against Serbia over the Banjska incident in 2023, when, as she put it, armed groups entered Kosovo and sought to destabilize the north, while Milan Radoicic remains free and protected.

“Serbia was not punished for that, while at the same time Kosovo, under EU and other measures, lost around 500 million euros. This asymmetry does not help the situation between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo also lost its chance for Council of Europe membership due to the conditions set by EU countries. So again, some measures were misplaced when it comes to Kosovo. The public perception is that this is not a fair approach,” Lama said.

The rule of law in the north, as well as the participation of Serbs in institutions, is very important, she stressed. In her opinion, Belgrade has played a very negative role by urging Serbs in the north to withdraw from institutions, which brought them no benefit and has now made reintegration, especially into the police and judiciary, very difficult.

“A new approach from the EU is needed, as well as a new approach from Serbia, and of course, Kosovo must also do its homework. That is how we will achieve new results in our region,” Lama believes.