Maliqi: Kurti has no reason to be angry at the EU’s decisions, he is to blame for that kind of relationship

Political analyst Shkelzen Maliqi stated that acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has no reason to be upset with the European Union or the fact that the sanctions against Kosovo have not been lifted, because he himself is responsible for that kind of relationship.

“He had a chance this time last year to resolve the issue regarding the Council of Europe. He didn’t take it. At the time, there was just one condition – to send the draft statute of the CSM to the Constitutional Court for review. He refused to send it, and of course, someone lost trust in him – Germany, and all those who were preparing that process. Now the sanctions remain in place, and we haven’t joined the Council of Europe. All of that is his fault because he wasn’t cooperative at all with Kosovo’s strategic partners. And because of that, he can’t shift the blame onto anyone else. But that’s his style of governance – self-promotion while blaming others, and no one questions what he is actually doing,” Maliqi said to Kosovo Online.

He notes that implementing agreements is an obligation for both Belgrade and Pristina, and that the new European administration will insist on that from both sides.

“Brussels has sent new negotiators, facilitators who are mediating the dialogue. They haven’t spoken out much yet, but they have said that the agreements which were reached, even though they weren’t signed, have, in a way, been made into internationally binding agreements by Brussels,” Maliqi said.

He is convinced that the EU will not give up on the dialogue process that has been taking place under its auspices for the past twelve years.

“There have been negotiations for ten years, and there are at least 30 to 40 agreements. Some are being implemented, some partially, and some not at all, but a great deal of effort has been put in, and that won’t just be thrown away to start all over again,” the analyst believes.

When asked why the dialogue process has stalled, Maliqi emphasizes that it currently suits both Belgrade and Pristina.

“I think that right now it suits both Belgrade and Pristina to observe the new geostrategic divisions and see if anything changes in that regard, maybe they are playing that card. But there are no indications that President Trump is paying any attention to Kosovo or the Balkans. We’ll see, it is completely unclear for now, but there is no other option for resolving Kosovo and the issue of normalization of relations. Except perhaps some war option, which is possible, but it doesn’t bring anything good to anyone,” Maliqi emphasized.