As momentum around Kosovo’s bid to join the Council of Europe stagnates, stakeholders have refused to comment on reports suggesting the process is being hampered by France and Italy, two previously staunch supporters of their accession.
In March, the Strasbourg-based human rights organisation’s Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy recommended that Kosovo be invited to become a Council of Europe member, with the organisation’s parliamentary later voting in favour of Kosovo’s accession in a landslide vote in April.
However, Kosovo still needs to secure a two-thirds majority in the Committee of Ministers to complete its accession. A vote scheduled for May was postponed due to last-minute German demands that the EU-required Association of Serb Municipalities be set up first.
Berlin hints at insistence of Serb association in Kosovo before CoE membership
The German government is likely to insist on the establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities in north Kosovo before giving the ‘ok’ for the country to join the Strasbourg-based human rights organisation, the Council of Europe according to comments given to Euractiv.
There were hopes in Strasbourg and Pristina that the vote would take place by the end of the year, but a German source with knowledge of the situation told Euraciv that this is unlikely to happen.
“‘So far, there has been no vote on Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe in the Council of Ministers of the governments. There is actually a clear two-thirds majority. But the momentum is at risk of being lost,” the source told Euractiv.
The source added that while the Council of Europe’s assembly would continue to press for a vote as simply not holding one was not an option, opposition was coming not only from Germany but also from France and Italy.
“The German chancellor was intermittently open [to Kosovo’s accession], the foreign minister was determined – those who really put the brakes on were (…) the Italians and the French,” the German source said, adding that there were “speculations” that the reasons may be sensitive and linked to Serbia.
Kosovo declared unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade after the 1998-1999 Kosovo war that ended following the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
Belgrade and Vucic, a former official in Slobodan Milosevic’s government, continue to refuse to accept Kosovo’s independence and oppose its accession to international organisations such as the EU, the Council of Europe and the UN despite it violating agreements facilitated by Brussels.
Fighter jets enter the fray
As for what could motivate France, the German source said, “Macron wanted to conclude a deal with Serbia for the sale of fighter jets.”
At the end of August, French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Serbian counterpart Aleksander Vucic to discuss a €2.7 billion deal to sell the Western Balkan country 12 new Rafale fighter jets.
In addition to the jets, France will provide Serbia with spare engines and parts, as well as a complete auxiliary logistics package.
Speaking about the jets, Vucic told the media that they would “contribute to a significant increase in the operational capabilities of our army.”
Macron hopes to sell Rafale fighter jets to Serbia despite alleged links to Russia
French President Emmanuel Macron is leaving political crisis-hit France on Thursday and Friday for a two-day trip to Serbia in the hope of selling fighter jets to President Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, despite Belgrade’s close relationship with Russia.
The purchase also marked a significant shift in Serbia’s foreign policy and security stance, away from Russia and towards the West. Belgrade’s ongoing relationship with Moscow, including weapons deals, has been a thorn in the side of the EU, even more so since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“Vucic has said very openly and confidently that he has his partners [in the Council of Europe governments] who will prevent accession in the end”, the source added.
While France’s opposition can be explained, at least in part, by the jet sale, Italy’s opposition is a little more difficult to understand. Rome recognises Kosovo, has close ties with neighbouring Albania, and has no known deals with Belgrade.
When asked to comment on the situation, a former British government official told Euractiv that it is true that “Macron and Scholz have gone off Kurti.” “Italy wants to stay on the same page as Germany and France – the big players,” the former official added.
Euractiv contacted the French and Italian foreign ministries to ask why they opposed or hesitated about Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe but received no response despite multiple reminders.
Euractiv also contacted the office of Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry to ask if they knew of the issue and what steps were being taken to resolve it, but no response was received.
Efforts on hold
To speed up the accession process, Kosovo’s government had promised several measures earlier this year.
But with its efforts stalling now, “Kosovo has put the promised liberalisation on hold for the time being,” the source said. “They would have to waste a lot of political credit on this.”
Kosovo is also due to hold elections in 2025, and issues such as same-sex unions, among the proposed liberalisations, could prove politically costly.
As for what would help unblock the situation, Germany still wants Kosovo to establish the Association of Serb Municipalities, for which the EU’s special envoy to the region, Miroslav Lajcak, presented a plan in the autumn of 2023.
“As soon as this step has been taken, a vote in the [Council of Europe’s] Committee of Ministers can be put on the agenda with sufficient prospect of a 2/3 majority among the member states entitled to vote,” a spokesperson of the foreign ministry told Euractiv.
The creation of the association is not a formal condition for joining the Strasbourg-based human rights organisation, and Pristina remains hesitant, fearing it would violate the constitution or give too much power to Belgrade, which it says is trying to destabilise the country.
[Edited by Daniel Eck]
EU to propose Serb association model as Kosovo digs in heels over Serb attack
The European Commission is set to present a new proposal for the Association of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo following recent meetings in Pristina and Belgrade, while Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti has remained firm that Kosovo’s territory must remain intact.
EU …
Source: euractiv.com
