The European Union has warned that it will make public the punitive measures against Kosovo, which the member countries have prepared, according to them, because the required steps have not been taken to reduce tensions in the north of the country.
"What I read about it of course looks extremely serious and not so much serious because of the situation there, but because of the reaction or the action or whatever of the European Commission or the European Union or whatever you want to call it. Because they are, I must say, extremely aggressive and threatening with all kind of things, so that that makes it so serious. Of course, you should give in to their demands, although I think partly, they are not 100% justified, although, of course one of the main demands is that you withdraw the special police, the special police forces. Anyway, if they demand this as long as you have no more police there, then it's alright according to me", he said.
“But you should also make very clear, much more clear, according to me, what you do to express your points but don't go against the mission of the people who until now were your biggest friends, being the United Kingdom, and the United States especially, and the EU to a lesser extent because of course you still have this problem that five countries do not recognize (Kosovo). So, it means that EU is less, let's say, reliable than the UK and the US. But still, you have to listen to them. Mr. Cleverly also said you have to do, he said the day before yesterday, the British Foreign minister, you really have to do it, even if it's feels unfair, do it", he said.
Among the measures mentioned by the EU is the suspension of the work of all working groups for the Stabilization-Association Agreement, the disapproval of projects from the fund for investment in the Western Balkans and the suspension of financing of EU programs.
For the former ambassador of the Netherlands, it is unclear why all this is done against Kosovo, when Serbia is the country that is creating all the problems.
"So, I really do not know why are they so extremely much against Kosovo while the problems have been created by the Serbs? It's not that you created the problem, they (Serbs) have created the problems. Why are you now being punished so much for what the Serbs did? And then I don't want to say if it's Belgrade government or these other groups, you know, the two groups that now were declared a terrorist organization, which also I think…, why do you have to call them terrorist organizations? You can say they're criminal organizations, terrorist of course is one step further, so also, this doesn't help you know when you exaggerate, because now is the time to try to moderate, to be as moderate as possible. Normally speaking from the Kosovo side, you have been always quite moderate as compared to the Serbs. But I mean, now is the time to even be more moderate because justified or unjustified, according to me, unjustified they have pushed you in a corner and you have to do something and to get out of this corner", said Bosch.
Bosch says that the elections in the four northern municipalities should be held as soon as possible.
"The thing is, you were being punished for not doing exactly what you were told and of course as I said, I also thought it's very unfair what you are being asked, but to me, please do it anyway because what is the main thing that they're asking that you're not doing is to withdraw the special police forces, and all the rest, and then of course it's the association, but the association, as I said, if you do it according to the Constitutional Court it's nothing. So, I mean, you have to give in into these things, that is all what I say, because then if you do what they say, they cannot be angry with you anymore because then you have done it, and then you get these new elections as soon as possible and then if they do not participate again, it then again is their problem, they are the one who made the problem", he said.
Since then, Serbian protesters have been standing in front of the municipal buildings, who are opposing the Albanian mayors.
During this time, the protesters in the north, among them some with masks, have attacked members of the Kosova Police, KFOR, as well as journalists, who are reporting from the northern part of the country.
They were released only after pressure from the international community, in particular the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
"You came there because after this license plates issue the whole structures, the Kosovar Serbian structures were disbanded, as you know, I mean not only that their mayors of the municipalities resigned, but also the police, the judges and the prosecutors, everybody resigned, which of course made this whole thing, and then came into a vacuum, and that is of course not caused by you, but caused by the ones who resigned, so and the license plate business was also, you cannot blame, they blamed you for forcing the people to get the license plate, but that was agreed years and years ago and it was postponed, and it was postponed, and was postponed. You cannot be blamed for that, and even the foreigners at the time, they also said it was justified that they should have this license plates and through that all these things came", he said.
"I don't know what the EU or and even Americans are saying, they were telling it was fine and now when it all goes wrong ‘you are to blame’. I think it's very odd and very unfair, but the thing is, the problem is caused by them, by the Serbs, by withdrawing totally (from the institutions), because then you have a situation you need of course anywhere in any place, and especially in a place like that where you have the law and order was already very weak. You cannot have no law and order whatsoever. You need to have police, you need to have police, and then you can wonder, do you need to bring the special police or do you have to bring normal police or even EULEX police, I don't know, but I mean you have to have police. And now of course, you are being pushed by the EU and by the Americans that you should get rid of the special police especially. OK, if they asked you OK, then you have to do it still, you should listen to Lajcak", he said.
The Kosova Police is continuing to take care of municipal facilities in the north of the country, while the presence of KFOR soldiers continues.
"As far as KFOR is concerned, KFOR should of course stay there and be there (in the north), as a moderating force while you can't send normal police there. And another thing I was thinking, which I do not know if the Kosovar Serbian police withdrew can they not come back, can they not be convinced to come back, I mean the same people, I mean, not other people, but the same people to ask them, please come back we will forgive you what you did, that you just disappeared without permission, but please come back, this might also be a possibility, it's of course not totally according to the rule of law but who cares now about the exact rule of law, because this is an extremely strange situation. So, you have to do something in order to get out of this real crisis for your country. Again, I think it's not fair that you are pushed so much into a corner, but it's being, it's happening and then this is the fact of life and you have to get to react to it in a proper grown-up manner, and be flexible", said Bosch.
Kosovo and Serbia agreed on the basic agreement on February 27 in Brussels, and they also agreed on its annex on March 18 in Ohrid.
"When he came to Belgrade (Vucic), the first thing what he said is all the main thing of this agreement, we are not letting Kosovo to become a member of the United Nations, and we are not, as he said specifically, and we will never recognize, but even so that was OK because that was not part of the same that you had to recognize but to become a member of the International organizations, including United Nations, was the main thing of this agreement. And then also, I didn't hear anybody saying that, ‘if you say this Mr. Vucic, this really undermine the whole thing from the beginning, we cannot see you as a serious partner anymore’. Nobody said that. On the contrary, I think Mr. Hill and Mr. Borrell said it was a very serious partner, again, very odd because he is not a serious partner. He's the only one who immediately, the main point of the agreement here he undermined, and now Mr. Scholz asked again on the two parties to sit together and to do something, which is of course good to put it on the two parties but also to say 'listen Mr. Vucic if you don't do it, you will have serious consequences, because at least the Kosovo side, they were positive, but you have been only negative’. So, of course there should be, according to me, that if any pressure or sanctions should be made, it should be not against you, but against Serbia, because they are the ones who have caused these problems and they are still causing the problem, not only here, we have seen also what happened in Republika Serbska", he said.
Meanwhile, regarding the Association, Bosch says that Kosovo should form it in accordance with the country's constitution and "if the Serbs are not happy, it is their problem".
After the EU's warnings about punishments against Kosovo, Prime Minister Albin Kurti reacted by saying that as far as European values are concerned, our country is one of the most sincere and stable partners in the region.
Related to the demands for the de-escalation of the situation, the chief executive has expressed his willingness to reduce the number of police officers in the municipal buildings in the north, but stressing that this is done simultaneously with the establishment of order in that part. In this way, according to him, the way will be opened for holding early elections./ G.Kadrija
