While Kosovo expects millions from Brussels, unresolved relations with Serbia continue to hinder Kosovo's path towards the European Union, writes the German newspaper Ziedeutsch Zeitung, referring to the visit of EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, to Pristina last week.
The article titled "Kosovo seeks closer ties, EU keeps its distance" says that if there was a reason for optimism in relations between Kosovo and the EU, then it was the fall of 2024, when Marta Kos became Commissioner for Enlargement Policy, succeeding Oliver Varley.
A year and a half after taking office, Marta Kos visited Kosovo last Friday – the last of all the candidates for EU membership. The mandate has been extended also because Prime Minister Albin Kurti has governed with almost a technical mandate for more than a year. “The third parliamentary elections in the last 16 months are scheduled for June 7,” writes the German newspaper.
The fact that the long-awaited visit from Brussels arrived just now, just before the upcoming elections, had a reason, the report continues.
“By 2027, a total of 882.6 million euros have been allocated to Kosovo, which corresponds to almost 25 percent of Kosovo’s annual budget. If Pristina fulfills the first reforms by June 30, the first installment in the amount of 90.7 million would arrive from Brussels. This is considered impossible. Marta Kos warned a month ago that without reforms the money would be lost forever,” the article continues.
Kosovo's approach to the European Union, on the one hand, is about the rule of law and the judicial system, in which Kurti, regardless of party affiliation, is known for his moderate successes. However, Kos quickly moved on to the eternal topic – relations with Serbia.
Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Greece and Cyprus – have not yet recognized Kosovo. “Until all EU countries recognize Kosovo, the country’s membership is ruled out. In the meantime, these five countries have indicated that recognition of Kosovo depends on an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia,” the German newspaper reports.
“Thus, the EU is passing the ball to Kurti,” the article claims, adding that “he refuses to allow the formation of an association of Serb-majority municipalities, even though previous governments pledged to do so in 2013.”
"Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has repeatedly hinted that he will not be ready for official recognition of Kosovo. Kurti, in all likelihood, will not give the green light for the association of the Serb-majority municipality, Brussels, on the other hand, has no clear position on how quickly a confrontation with Vučić would be, nor on how Kosovo could act," the German newspaper's article states.
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