David Kanin, a professor of European Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, says that the results of the parliamentary elections in Kosovo have shown that Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s disagreements with the Americans have damaged his party—Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination Movement)—to some extent.
Kanin believes that the Americans will push for a government that will be unified.
“I think the Americans will push for a government that will be united—if for nothing else—by the will to create the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities.”
“This is what we Americans will want. But I think it is too early to know who will be the prime minister because I don’t know what kind of discussions are taking place between the different parties, if any are happening,” he emphasized.
He further says that whoever forms the new government in Kosovo will immediately face the challenge of creating the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities.
“The first thing will be the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. Whether the new government will be ready to form it, given the American and European insistence, remains to be seen. But this is complicated by the fact that the Serbian government is also in trouble. Will [Serbian President Aleksandar] Vučić survive? Will he be ousted by the current protests? So, it also depends on who will be in the Serbian government, or what stance Vučić will take toward the new Kosovo government, or those who will replace him…”
“So, there is a lot of uncertainty. Naturally, the new Kosovo government will also have to set its internal priorities regarding the economy, education, healthcare… then come relations with the European Union, the issue of status—outside of Serbia, because there are five EU countries that still do not recognize Kosovo.”
“We know that Kosovo governments, even before Kurti, have not been able to secure recognition from any of these five EU countries.”
