Petrovic: It is not to be expected that the new Spanish Government will change its position on Kosovo

Political scientist, Hispanist, and researcher at the Institute for European Studies in Belgrade, Rajko Petrovic, believes that, for now, despite the support of separatist parties for the new Spanish Government, it is not possible for Spain, which does not recognize Kosovo, to change its stance.

"Spanish policy regarding the independence of so-called Kosovo is quite simple and consists of Spain not recognizing unilateral secessions, i.e., unilaterally declared independence", Petrovic says for Kosovo Online.

In that sense, he notes that the existing political leadership in Spain will not change the country's stance because, as he points out, the Catalan issue remains important to them.

A change in position, as he states, could be considered if there were to be a referendum on the independence of Catalonia, supported by the state of Spain. He adds that this is mentioned as one of the possible options in the coming period if the ruling socialists want to maintain the support of Catalan and even Basque separatists.

"In that case, it could possibly be considered for Spain to recognize independent Kosovo. However, I think such a referendum in Spain will not happen, and even if it did, if it wants to remain consistent, Spain would have to support Kosovo as a part of Serbia because that referendum would be conducted solely with state support, on a bilateral level rather than a unilateral one", he notes.

Petrovic believes that official Madrid will not vote for Kosovo to become a member of international organizations and points out that Spain has fairly consistently adhered to this, even in the case of some sports activities.

As he emphasizes, if Spain's policy toward Catalonia and the Basque Country changes, which still has little chance, then we might eventually expect something similar, where Spain votes for Kosovo's admission to international organizations.

However, he points out that neither Catalonia nor the Basque Country are the only problems Spain faces.

"Spain is a complex country with different languages, identities, and the like. To avoid what they call 'Balkanization', or the scenario of the former Yugoslavia's breakup, Spain must remain consistent with fundamental principles", Petrovic concludes.