Written by: Arianit Koci
Miroslav Lajčák has been the European Union's Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue for several years. In that role, he has had a direct impact on a process that has affected Kosovo's security, sovereignty and international standing.
Recently, international media have published materials from the so-called "Epstein Files", which highlight contacts of public figures with Jeffrey Epstein - the organizer of a prostitution ring where very serious criminal offenses were committed, including the sexual exploitation of underage girls. The name of the former envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue also appears in these materials.
Shortly after these publications, Lajčák resigned from his position as advisor to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. This development gives political weight to the issue and shifts the debate from rumors to standards of public accountability.
Mentioning a name in these materials does not automatically mean criminal liability. However, it does bring into focus a fundamental issue for small states like Kosovo: the vulnerability of figures who have had a decision-making role in political processes with direct state consequences.
Furthermore, the possibility of Epstein's possible connections with Russian secret services, as part of political influence schemes through what is known as a honey trap, has also been discussed in the public space.
Otherwise, Russian agencies are known for using this method for compromise and political pressure.
In practice, it is a modus operandi where organized prostitution is used to create blackmail material, which is then used to pressure and guide decision-making.
For Kosovo, this issue has particular weight. The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue has been a political process with concrete consequences on the ground, especially in the north of the country, where Russian influence through Serbia is active and ongoing.
Any doubt about the mediator's independence, integrity, or vulnerability weakens the process and increases the risk for Kosovo.
In political circles of this level, responsibility cannot remain personal and unaddressed. It requires institutional treatment.
For this reason, Kosovo should, through the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, assess the risks associated with international mediation in sensitive political processes.
At the same time, setting standards and holding accountable is the role of Kosovo's political spectrum.
When it comes to national security and the political future of the country, these two structures must act simultaneously.
This is precisely where the need arises for Kosovo, before accepting a mediator, to assess his credibility.
Finally, the question for the European Union: before sending someone as an emissary to processes that affect the security and political future of a country, does it know who it is sending?
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