By Dr. Lisen Bashkurti
For many days the Albanian public opinion in Albania, Kosovo, throughout the Balkans is following with a great concern the construction of a separation wall over Northern Mitrovica. A wall is being built inside a free and independent Kosovo. A wall is being raised in a united Europe.
Such a posture has taken place thousands of years ago in the bordering regions ruled by the Chinese and Mongolian dynasties. Kosovo is dealing with an incident that has occurred more than six decades ago in a Cold War era that ideologically divided Berlin.
How is it possible that during the third millennium, with flourishing post modernity, the Chinese and Mongolian segregation walls from many centuries ago are resurfacing again? How can it be possible that in a Euro-Atlantic Integration Era and intensive globalization trends the infamous Berlin Wall is resuscitating?
Amid these legitimate questions Kosovo’s Government leadership has issued many public statements that are chaotic, saddening, irresponsible and abominable.
Prishtina has a failed Prime Minister, a feeble Minister of Foreign Affairs, a useless Minister in Charge of Negotiations. Above all of this choir of parrots there appears the President of Kosovo, whose actions have brought neither trust nor hope. Indeed, these are shadows that are extended like a malignant tumor over Kosovo that have no legitimacy, no transparency whatsoever; they are without any responsibility and without any decision making power.
There is no one among Kosovo’s leaders who could deliver the right statement. Everyone is creating a deep black smoke over the turbulent audiences throughout Albania and the Balkans. All of these government representatives are speaking like a UFO at the helm of Kosovo’s institutions. Aren’t they responsible for everything that is happening in Kosovo? All of them are speaking like foreign beggars about the ongoing serious problems that Kosovo is facing today, its de-facto separation from its legitimate northern territories of Mitrovica.
The funniest part of this devastating story all over Albania is the common adagio used towards Brussels that is mutually articulated by Kosovo’s top leadership including: the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Negotiations.
Everyone is asking Brussels! Everyone is calling Brussels! Everyone is expecting a solution from Brussels! Everyone comes out in the media and releases a deceptive excuse with Brussels.
Such an expectation from Brussels received a response from Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; of course she said ‘nothing’, promised ‘nothing’ and could not solve ‘a single issue.’ Mogherini entered like a ghost in Kosovo and immediately went back to her comfort zone.
In fact the European Union is a ghost of Foreign Policy and Diplomacy. European Union has proved to be a mischievous spirit when it comes to Kosovo’s status. In the brewing border between Kosovo and Serbia, neutrality of European Union is like an ice cube placed between two fires. Such a neutralizing ice cube cannot extinguish the fire nor is able to chill off both sides. It is merely safeguarding the status-quo.
Why is Kosovo’s leadership waiting for solutions to come from ‘no – one’ in Brussels? Does Kosovo have a constitution, aren’t there any laws, aren’t there agencies that ensure the rule of law? Kosovo has certainly all of these structures; however it does not have patriotic leaders that are capable and responsible for their own obligations and constitutional duties.
Why are Kosovo’s leaders waiting from the inexistent institutions of Brussels? Don’t they know what E.U. is like? Haven’t they heard of the Lisbon Treaty? Don’t they know the Third Chapter of the E.U. Treaty? Don’t they remember the lectures given by Baroness Catherine Ashton? Aren’t they able to learn from Mogherini’s attitude? Kosovo’s leaders are issuing an ugly and unacceptable excuse with Brussels. Kosovo’s leaders are hiding behind Brussels just like an oriental cockroach hiding on a rotten wood.
Why are Kosovo’s leaders ignoring their own country, their countrymen, and their nation’s international recognition that is accomplished until today? Because they are: cowards, incapable, shy and corrupt.
Kosovo is an independent and sovereign State. It is known by 113 countries of the world who respect its international status. The Constitution of Kosovo has embraced the main pillars of state formation based on the Convention of Montevideo (1933). Such a convention recognizes the right of a state over its territorial sovereignty, population stability, and institutional sovereignty in order to enable the implementation of laws including the use of force as well as the government’s ability to engage in diplomatic negotiations and international affairs.
As a result the Constitution of Kosovo and the International Public Law have clearly sanctioned the role of the State and Prishtina’s rights and responsibilities.
Since they are incapable, ignorant, corrupt and scared, today’s leaders of Kosovo are violating its constitution – the sole public document of the people of Kosovo – are ignoring the International Public Law, their obligation to enforce the rights and duties of an independent state. While situated in the middle of a constitutional law and international public law, Kosovo’s leaders are hanging themselves on a razor thin neutrality chord that runs across Brussels.
While hopping that Brussels would solve every problem that must be addressed and solved by Kosovo’s elected leaders; Kristina’s statesmen are leading Kosovo towards a dark abyss, an irreversible collapse, are causing an overall international humiliation for their country. With such an attitude, Kosovo’s leaders are encouraging their nation’s enemies and are certainly letting down its friends.
Kosovo’s leaders must be careful, what Kosovo’s people have earned through fighting a war could be lost only with a signature at peace time. Let’s remind ourselves the phrase of the Albanian patriot and writer, Mithat Frasheri, who once said: “When our country is under invasion our job is to fight a war; while during freedom our fight is to work”…
The Albanian people in the State of Kosovo are hopeful that their leaders would do their best to safeguard the territorial integrity of Kosovo, maintain a growing number of its population, exercise the legitimate sovereignty and strengthen Kosovo’s international relations.
Why do we have an independent Republic of Kosovo at a time when its leaders are not doing their job?!
Translated from Albanian by Peter Tase
