Simonovic Bratic: Merely submitting the draft statute of the CSM to the Constitutional Court means nothing without groundwork

The formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities was one of the three initial conditions set by Dora Bakoyannis, the rapporteur for Kosovo in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, for Kosovo to be admitted to the organization. According to Dunja Simonovic Bratic, a member of the Serbian Parliament's delegation to the PACE, if, during 2025, only the formal submission of the draft statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities to the Constitutional Court takes place, it will not mean that the issue regarding the Community is resolved, because, as she emphasizes, behind this, implementation and groundwork on the ground must follow.

If Pristina were to submit the European draft of the statute to the Constitutional Court after the upcoming elections in Kosovo, and if a majority were reached within the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to make a decision on Kosovo's admission, the body could vote on it in May or at the end of the year when the regular meetings of the Committee are held. However, Simonovic Bratic points out that an extraordinary meeting could be scheduled if Kosovo’s allies were very eager to help.

She notes that there is already an intention to help Albin Kurti win the upcoming parliamentary elections by ensuring Kosovo’s status as a special guest in the Council of Europe, since such decisions are made in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, not in the Committee of Ministers.

“This is the status for countries on their way to EU membership or Council of Europe membership, but still considered states. As such, they cannot vote in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, but they can participate in committees, submit resolutions or amendments, and actively engage in the work of groups and committees. When we were submitting amendments for Kosovo’s admission to the Council of Europe, the main supporters of Kosovo in the Political Committee were Davor Ivo Stier, the Greeks, and the Germans. If Kosovo were granted special guest status, its representatives could submit resolutions themselves and advocate for their own agenda,” Simonovic Bratic said.

The plan, according to our interlocutor, is to try to secure this status for Kosovo during the January session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as it ends before Kosovo’s elections on February 9.

Simonovic Bratic assesses that Pristina will surely strive to finalize its entry into the Council of Europe in 2025, but, as she reminds, in 2024 it was also thought to be a done deal, yet Serbian diplomacy and leadership contributed to Kosovo remaining outside the organization.

“The agenda of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all of us in Parliament regarding activities to prevent the so-called Kosovo from entering the Council of Europe has never diminished,” Simonovic Bratic concluded.