Latinovic: CSM must be formed; the dispute is over its jurisdiction

Former ambassador to the OSCE, Branka Latinovic, assesses that it has been unlikely from the beginning that Albin Kurti's ruling party would interrupt the final year of its mandate with early elections, however, regardless of who wins, as she says, each party will continue to insist on achieving the "higher goal."

“This higher goal is well known, meaning the consolidation of Kosovo's jurisdiction over the entire territory of Kosovo. The main issue now is what should be under the jurisdiction of the Community of Serb Municipalities. It is not a question of whether it should be formed or not – it must be formed. But all this delay is actually about the jurisdiction and mandate of what the CSM should encompass,” Latinovic told Kosovo Online.

This experienced diplomat explains that early elections are always held for a reason: if the ruling party loses its parliamentary majority or due to internal reasons or instability.

She reminds that in European practice, this was recently the case with France and Spain following losses in the European Parliament elections for President Emmanuel Macron’s party or local elections for Spain's Socialist Party.

“They felt the need to check their legitimacy, their majority. It is clear that, for now, there is no such reason in Kosovo and Metohija, and they have a reason to stick to the regular schedule for holding elections. There are probably other reasons as well, considering how everything is unfolding in the negotiations. At this moment, it leans more toward Kurti himself since he very skillfully avoids forming the Community of Serb Municipalities,” Latinovic believes.

She assumes that the government in Pristina will leave the topic of dialogue and the formation of the CSM to the new European administration, i.e., the new negotiator who will succeed Miroslav Lajcak in January.

“And we already know who will be the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,” Latinovic concludes, alluding to the selection of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.