Maliqi: Kurti delays CSM due to elections, differing views within his party a smokescreen for voters

Shkelzen Maliqi, a political analyst from Pristina, tells Kosovo Online that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is delaying the formation of the CSM out of fear of losing voters. He sees the differing views coming from Self-Determination regarding the CSM draft as a "smokescreen for concessions that are inevitable."

"They fear entering into that process. They are afraid because it's not clear when the elections will be held. Since they have already made some concessions, now they are measuring the consequences. They constantly gauge public opinion. Kurti fears for his position, whether he will remain prime minister or not. For a while, he was in the lead, but now that's crumbling; he's no longer sure if he will win. His party may win, but certainly not as convincingly as last time if he doesn't have the voters brought in by Vjosa Osmani, and it seems he will lose some of his traditional voters, to whom he promised unification with Albania and so on," Maliqi says.

He notes that Kurti has "almost exhausted all credits" and only has "demagogy" left.

"There's also that faction, those who attack people who don't support Kurti on social media and at every other opportunity," the analyst from Pristina adds.

When asked if there is a rift within Self-Determination regarding the CSM draft, he explains that there are certainly different opinions within the party but he believes they are "playing roles" with each other.

"Kurti says one thing, Kusari another, Konjufca a third, and so on, and then they have these media stormtroopers who say one thing one time and something else another time. A smokescreen is being created for these inevitable concessions," Maliqi assesses.

He says the Ohrid Agreement is full of compromises that are painful for both Pristina and Belgrade, but it must be respected. If that doesn't happen by summer, Maliqi believes, it might take another two or three years.

"The CSM draft is somewhat agreed upon, it has been nationally adopted, it's just a matter of seeing to what extent they will go. Whether it will move towards some autonomy, not quite formal, or there won't be a new level of authority, but just some powers will be greater. That is the crucial question, and that's what the struggle is about. But for Kurti and for the Kosovo side, they don't want to create that community until the entirety or important elements of the agreement are implemented, so it doesn't seem like the community is won, and then they constantly condition each other. That's why a process of intensive diplomacy would be better, but it seems time is running out for that. If it's not resolved by June, then we might wait another two or three years for some agreements," Maliqi says.