Nurellari: Applying for EU membership is an arrogant and irresponsible act

The Member of the Presidency of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Adri Nurellari, believes that the decision to submit a request for the status of a candidate for EU membership is an arrogant and irresponsible act that defies the partners of the European Union, who have repeatedly reiterated that reaching an agreement is the only way to unlock European integration. 

In a post on Facebook, Nurellari recalled that it had been reiterated at the summit in Tirana that the EU expected concrete progress from both sides towards a complete and legally binding agreement for the normalization of relations and they demand that "no unilateral actions are taken that can cause tensions, violence, and rhetoric that does not lead to dialogue".

"But the biggest problem is that the current leaders didn't even learn the lesson, because they had made the same adventure on May 12 this year by submitting an application for membership in the Council of Europe without first preparing the ground with partners. Immediately after the application, the French ambassador said that "candidacy for the Council of Europe is a unilateral decision and that he does not support these decisions and considers dialogue a priority," Nurellari wrote.

Nurellari points out that as a result, Kosovo's application to the Council of Europe remained in the drawer, just as the application to the EU will remain in the drawer if no concrete steps are taken in the dialogue process.

"Kurti and his governors ignore the official position of the EU and undertake this populist show to create the idea that the demand is sufficient and the process is over. Turkey formally applied for this job in 1987. The only explanation is that he will be remembered in history as the prime minister who formally submitted the request, even though Kosovo is far from the conditions and circumstances to secure this status," he wrote.

Nurellari adds that for anyone with "any common sense", it is incomprehensible that it was decided to apply, let alone today, when there is an emergency in the north of Kosovo.

"It can even be considered ridiculous irresponsibility that today we are asking for entry into the EU when our state control cannot enter the north, where borders are closed, schools are closed, roads are blocked by barricades, and local institutions are not functioning due to the boycott of Serbian officials. Obviously, Kurti follows the model of former Prime Minister Berisha, who also stubbornly applied for candidate status despite the fact that the conditions were not adequate," Nurellari said.