Sljuka: New EU Special Envoy will not change the course of Dialogue, his role is limited

Aleksandar Šljuka
Source: Kosovo Online

Aleksandar Sljuka from the NGO "New Social Initiative" told Kosovo Online that the mere selection of the new EU special envoy for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will not be decisive for the course of negotiations, as his role within the EU is very limited.

Sljuka recalls that initially, there were speculations about three candidates to succeed Miroslav Lajcak.

"These were Dane Peter Sorensen, Finn Peka Havisto, and Borut Pahor from Slovenia. However, now we know that, so to speak, the book has been narrowed down to one letter, and that is the Dane Sorensen," our interlocutor explains.

He also points out that the new special envoy will probably be focused exclusively on Kosovo, not on the broader Western Balkans region.

"What is significant about the selection of the new special envoy is primarily the aspect that he will now probably be a special envoy only for Kosovo, not for the entire Western Balkans region. I think this is primarily because the EU now wants to concentrate his job exclusively on the dialogue and to deal only with that since we have seen that the dialogue has had major problems in recent years," he said.

He reminds us that there was speculation that EU High Representative Kaja Kalas might take direct control of the dialogue, but that seems not to happen.

"That was a signal to me that, given all these crises, some more decisive leadership of the dialogue was necessary and that it might be the solution. Now we see that the European Union has abandoned that approach, probably because they believe there are many other more significant problems," Sljuka explained.


He believes that the choice of Sorensen, or any other envoy, will not drastically change the course of the dialogue, given that the role of the special envoy within the EU is very limited.

"His role, his mandate, does not carry great autonomy in his work, so he cannot decide on these matters without consulting all the relevant facts within the European Union. The European Union is an extremely complex organization, where we have various actors, from the European Commission to the European Council. There are many different interests, and it is simply impossible to expect that an individual, even if he were the best in the world, could solve such a crisis on his own," the analyst said.


He assesses that one of the key factors for progress in the dialogue will also be the engagement of the United States.

"We do not know whether the European Union and this fourth model of dialogue that is now in effect will have the support of America, or the new administration in America, and whether they might try to restart some other track and find a solution outside the current course," Sljuka said, emphasizing that the engagement of the U.S. is of crucial importance.

He believes there will be no significant advances without decisive political will from both Belgrade and Pristina.

"Political will to find solutions will not create itself. If external actors do not pressure the parties to come to some compromise and change their positions, it will not happen on its own, and Sorensen will likely not be able to influence this, rather a broader coalition will be required to support such an approach," he concluded.

Regarding Sorensen and his origins, Sljuka believes that this will not necessarily mean that he will be more favorable to Pristina.

"If we look from the perspective that he comes from a recognizing country, it can be said that he will be more favorable to Kosovo. However, what is now interesting is precisely the position of Denmark and the current dispute over Greenland which could potentially have with America, and the issue of territorial integrity that is being raised again," the analyst emphasized.

He adds that Denmark might change its approach towards Kosovo due to this situation.

"I don't think they will recognize Kosovo, but I believe that the fact that Sorensen comes from a recognizing country, by itself, will not mean that he will be favorable to Kosovo. After all, none of them should be favorable to one side or the other," Sljuka emphasized.