May 19, 2008
Another fine mess in Kosovo
For weeks it has been an uncomfortable secret in Brussels that the European Union’s law and order mission in Kosovo is stuck in a political, diplomatic and legal morass. This initiative, announced with great fanfare last December, was supposed to show the EU at its best, shouldering responsibilities in a conflict-torn part of Europe where it did not exactly cover itself with glory in the 1990s.
Instead, officials now acknowledge that there is absolutely no chance that the EU will deploy its full complement of 1,900 policemen, judges, prosecutors and other administrators by mid-June, as originally planned. Why not? Because the authority to transfer police powers from the United Nations operation that is already in place in Kosovo to the new EU mission rests with the UN Security Council, where Russia has a veto.
Russia is no mood to help out the EU because it fundamentally disagrees with the decision of a majority of the EU’s 27 states to recognise Kosovo’s secession from Serbia in February. And the Kremlin has made it very plain to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that it expects him not to do the EU any favours on this score.
It looks highly unlikely there will be a quick solution to this problem. As a result, a de facto partition is taking hold between ethnic Serb-dominated northern Kosovo and the rest of the province, where ethnic Albanians are in an overwhelming majority. The EU’s nascent law and order mission has practically no influence over northern Kosovo, and there is little reason to think Serbia or Russia will let it develop any.
Perhaps the only glimmer of hope in all this was the May 11 Serbian election victory of the pro-EU political forces associated with President Boris Tadic. At present, however, it is unclear if Serbia’s next government will be formed by these forces or by a militant nationalist-socialist coalition. In any case, even Serbia’s pro-EU forces refuse to accept Kosovo’s secession. You can safely add Kosovo to your list of long-term troublespots on the EU’s periphery.
Yet again starry-eyed idealism succeeds in pushing political realism to the sidelines. It is debatable whether Kosovo should have been recognised with such haste. While supporting the rights of peoples to independence, the question must always be asked: at what price does principle give in to reality? It is unfortunate that the Russians have again been antagonised and pushed into a corner.
Posted by: Pilsud | May 19th, 2008 at 10:32 pm | Report this commentFollowing after Kosovo and Abkhazia should receive independence and Northern Ireland, too!
England should already prepares for it.
Posted by: LuckyBarker | May 20th, 2008 at 10:44 am | Report this commentNow…
2 Pilsud
Posted by: Alexandr from Moscow | May 20th, 2008 at 11:35 am | Report this comment“pushed into a corner.”????????
You have themselves pushed into a corner - thanks to tell your masters in Washington
2 LuckyBarker
++++++++
Alexandr - I wish I could understand what you are trying to say. I think you mean that the USA have placed the Russians under pressure? Or am I wrong? Your English is unclear to me. It is well known that Russian foreign policy is a rather difficult point of engagement for European diplomats. If you mean something else, you leave me confused.
I simply have concerns that proclaiming Kosovan independence is an unrealistic move when faced by vetos on the UN security council, especially when European-Russian relations can potentially be repaired in the future.
Posted by: Pilsud | May 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pm | Report this commentI share Pilsud’s concerns. I fear that hasty recognition of Kosovo is not only illegal, but pushes Serbia closer to Russia. We have played straight into Putin’s hands. It will be much, much more difficult to bring Serbia back towards the West now.
Posted by: Chris Sherwood | May 20th, 2008 at 12:41 pm | Report this commentI was thinking that this situation arose, blame yourself and you do not have to accuse Russia. Russia has the right to take the example of you - Abkhazia, South Ostetiya …
Posted by: Alexandr from Moscow | May 20th, 2008 at 1:02 pm | Report this comment<<>>
NO problem!!! Just enough to find few dissidents and few thousand tonns of bombs as democratic argue. After that, Medvedev in Russia will be replaced to person similar Stalin.
Posted by: Arty | May 20th, 2008 at 9:04 pm | Report this commentThanks for the important issue , questions:
Are the citizens of Kosovo able to vote democratically for anyone that is not a muslim? are woman in Kosovo going to have rights as the UN demands ? or are woman and minorities( christian,orthodox,gipsy, etc.,) in Kosovo not going to be able to be free? what about Free Speech ? is there Free Speech in Kosovo ? or are they like in Saudi Arabia and China ? unable to speak freely ?
is there a full video Documentary of Rule of Law and Democratic Rules to compare Kosovo and Serbia ?
are there any Farming and Light Manufacturing programs directed to these 2 communities from the EU or UN ? and to show to them, so they can see the differences?
in my opinion, it’s like the extreme muslim minority in Turkey, where from the 45 million muslims ( half of the population aprox.) 10 to 15 % are very extreme muslims and from that, one million aprox. are total extremists, they don’t accept anything but strict religious Quran rule, and i suppose that’s why Turkey would like to join the EU, to transfer the issue to Europe and dilute the problem,i understand it , but for the EU it would be a nightmare.
Posted by: blogger | May 20th, 2008 at 10:41 pm | Report this commentProblem of “my dear Europeans” is that during last 15 years you were only doing what you were told to do, and believing what you were told to believe. The CNN machine, led by few “master journalists” told you what is right and what is wrong. Now you are happy because you KNOW what is right and what is wrong. Was it Mr. Joseph Goebels who said that if a lie is told thousand times (or less) it will become a truth to those “who listen”!
Short history reminder – I believe it was Mr. Roosevelt who said that the US (and the West) failed for not “ripping Yugoslavia apart” when they had a chance to do that at the end of the Second WW. The US, led by the Clinton Administration did that job. In addition, did all they could, except dropping an “A” bomb on Belgrade, to rip Yugoslavia part and to punish the Serbs.
Posted by: Goran | May 30th, 2008 at 7:07 pm | Report this commentThe history repeats itself (that should be known to all by now) – I believe that in no more than 4 – 5 years the “liberated” Albanians at Kosovo will start shooting at the US solders, and other “liberators”. Why? Because the West is not at Kosovo, the heart of Serbian nation, my nation, because they love Albanians! You are there because you need to control the energy flow – oil and natural gas. However, once the Albanians realize that, they will change their “understanding of freedom” as well. The West has to remember, that we, the Serbs, will always see and feel Kosovo as our heart. You took it away from us, temporarily, but we will get it back, sooner or later. I can promise you that.
Some lame predictions and facinating sotries by you Goran, i bet when you woke up in the morning you found your duvet at the bottom of your feet.
I think this russian nonsense resistance is going to go nowhere, i firmly believe that if people in Kosovo concentrate on economy and fight agains corruption and less bother what serbia says and tries to distablise.
Strong Economy makes people come together thats a proven fact from the W. Europe. I as kosovar believe we need EU to guide us for few more years until the right people come to power.
with regards to Gorans threat i think we can live with them because as far as i am concern they are toothless. In case Goran decides to KS back make sure you have your passport on you otherwise you might get refused entry!!!
regards
Posted by: FS | June 3rd, 2008 at 5:32 pm | Report this commentF
to Arty..
what an earth are you talking about? …..”Are the citizens of Kosovo able to vote democratically for anyone that is not a muslim?” what an absurd questions you are asking, this is rediculous, there were votes in novemeber there was no one single incident, everyone voted who wanted to vote including women to your surprise when did ever women get treated differently.
i mean i dont know from where to start with you ambiguous reality you have on you, but one issues seems to have given you a blank reality is “that” muslim decease you’ve got, for one and for all we do NOT oblige religious rules in kosovo and never were.
I suggest you learn more about kosovo maybe by visiting it
Posted by: Fran S. | June 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm | Report this commentA brief comment to “F”
Posted by: Goran | June 4th, 2008 at 10:10 pm | Report this commentThe history of the Albanians in Kosovo is well known to all who are willing to use their own eyes and ears! The only traces of them living on our land are the graves of the Serbs and other non-Albanians, who were killed by the Albanians, usually from the back, like members of my family who lived in Pec. Everything else - the names, old beautiful monasteries, churches… everything was built by the Serbs, and named by the Serbs.
During Tito’s Yugoslavia, the rest of the country fed the Albanians in Kosovo. They were not able to produce anything by themselves. We made buildings, University center, Sports Arena, roads, boulevards, Power stations… So many privileges and nothing in return !!
I am really intrigued by this situation today – all the sudden the Albanians will become the shiny example of “free country” giving back to their saviors so much in return! Perhaps, few fresh body parts of the Orthodox origin??
So, dear “F” I am not giving any toothless treats, in fact, I am not threaten at all, I am simply reminding that the history repeats itself. In addition, yes, there may be need for a passport, but do not forget what Mr. Djindjic, said - “The Albanians must remember that all roads from Kosovo to Europe lead through Serbia”. Again, rest assured that Kosovo would be back to its motherland.
Funny how the Serbs cling to this fascination of Kosovo being the heartland of Serbia. Linguistics alone show that Albanian is the only candidate language to have descended from Illyrian so the Albanians have been there for longer than the Serbs (who migrated out of the Russian steppes) and certainly since long before the battle of Kosovo Polje in 1389 that Slobodan so much like referring to. Building a few fake ‘Ancient’ monasteries does not change that. Might have worked in Stalin’s time but nowadays…
Posted by: cef | June 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pm | Report this commentThe pro-slav elements posting here might question who is really being manipulated. Normally the person being manipulated is the person that will have to pay the price of the manipulation. That might be the Kosovars but might also be the slavs, misdirected while a new dictator takes hold in Russia and their own politicians look after themselves. Wake up for goodness sake.
Why don’t the Albanians belt up and remember that, with the American empire in decline, Washington’s writ will not always run in eastern Europe.
Posted by: Ken Beard | June 11th, 2008 at 12:32 pm | Report this comment[…] their feet. The EU may now have a foothold in Kosovo, but it’s been made to look pretty silly along the way, especially when it became clear that it couldn’t afford to deploy without […]
Posted by: Kosovo: born on the 15th of June : Global Dashboard | June 15th, 2008 at 10:10 am | Report this comment