Savic: Conflict between Osmani and Kurti is evident; change in government could affect the dynamics of dialogue

Zoran Savić
Source: Kosovo Online

Zoran Savic from the NGO Aktiv says that the conflict within Kosovo’s ruling coalition, particularly between President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti, has become evident and that a potential change in government could impact the dynamics of dialogue with Serbia.

"This alleged conflict between Kurti and Osmani has been simmering, and it culminated when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a letter to the Council of Europe on the day of its session without notifying Osmani, as she claims, despite being required to be informed per protocol. The reaction from the presidency was extremely sharp, leading to speculation about a conflict between the two," Savic explained.

He adds that the rift is also apparent in their relations with the international community, specifically the Quint group, and that Osmani repeatedly accused Kurti of undermining the alliance with the United States.

Regarding the dialogue with Serbia, Savic recalled that in her annual speech to the Assembly, Osmani "denied that Miroslav Lajcak is leading the negotiation process."

"She justified this by pointing out that Slovakia has not recognized Kosovo, even though Lajcak is an EU official," Savic said, adding that the dialogue will continue nonetheless.

"There have been numerous changes of presidents and prime ministers in Kosovo since the signing of the Brussels Agreement. The question now is whether the dialogue is currently stagnating, but it does exist, in one form or another, and the European Union’s overall approach to it will certainly not change," he noted.

Savic believes that the Osmani-Kurti rift cannot lead to radical changes in the dialogue process, but any change in power could influence the pace of negotiations.

"Every change in government has altered the dynamics of the dialogue in one way or another, but it won't have a crucial impact to bring about drastic changes," he concluded.