Weltwoche: Osmani on official visit to Switzerland, which should not have recognized Kosovo

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani is on an official visit to Switzerland, a country which, according to its own international legal principles, should not have recognized Kosovo, notes the Swiss weekly Weltwoche.

Switzerland organizes an official state reception only once a year, with guests of significantly varying stature. For example, in 1980, the British Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip were hosted for several days. This year, it is Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, and attending the reception held in her honor was the “uncrowned king of football, Xherdan Shaqiri.”

Weltwoche cites Enver Robelli, a journalist from the daily Tages-Anzeiger, who claims that Osmani’s visit is “a great honor for the small Balkan state” and that “the joy in the Kosovar diaspora is immense.”

Nevertheless, the Swiss weekly points out that amid all the celebration, it is forgotten that Switzerland, based on its own declared principles and strict adherence to international law, should never have recognized Kosovo.

Switzerland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains its recognition principles as follows:

“According to the three-element doctrine, a state must have the following characteristics: a territory, a people, and a governmental authority.”

In the case of Kosovo, Weltwoche notes, the territory itself is disputed, as Serbia still fundamentally claims it. As for the “people,” most citizens of Kosovo identify as Albanians. But the third element of the doctrine — governmental authority — is far more critical.

“The fact is that there is no governmental authority in Kosovo, evidenced by the continuous presence of foreign troops, including up to 215 Swiss soldiers within KFOR. Their mission is to compensate for the lack of state power. These soldiers must create a safe and stable environment for the Kosovar population and ensure freedom of movement for all,” Weltwoche writes.

According to its own principles, Switzerland should not have recognized Kosovo as an independent state in 2008 — just as five EU countries have still not done. For example, Spain fears that otherwise Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Andalusia might seek independence.