Stankovic: Spain's policy toward Kosovo will not change

A longtime correspondent for Serbian media in Spain, Vladimir Stankovic, believes that Spain, regardless of the new government formed with the support of separatist parties, will not change its policy towards Kosovo.

"The new Spanish Government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, was elected with a narrow majority, requiring 176 votes in the 350-member parliament, and it received 179. The key was the support of nationalist parties from Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia. Nothing unexpected happened, and, as in any political deal, a pact was made, so to speak. Catalan nationalists conditioned their support on amnesty for political leaders who ended up in prison after the attempt to secede and the illegal referendum. Pedro Sanchez, at the end of October, before he was elected, announced the possibility of some form of amnesty, some form of annulment of sentences. We'll see what comes of it", Stankovic explains for Kosovo Online.

He says that, of course, what is most interesting for Serbia is the attitude of the newly elected Spanish Government toward the Kosovo issue.

"What is important and interesting in all these negotiations is that, as far as I could see, the word Kosovo was not even mentioned, so I don't believe there will be any significant change in Spanish policy. Spain will remain one of the five EU countries that do not recognize Kosovo, and this is the policy pursued by previous Prime Ministers Zapatero and Rajoy. Pedro Sanchez continues that line, and what he has agreed to is, so to speak, some internal trade. As in any policy, something has to be conceded to gain something. He received support for a new mandate, and that is the current situation", Stankovic concludes.