The opposition asks the Government to push forward the Franco-German plan

The opposition parties have asked the Government to take the situation seriously and to express its willingness to discuss the Franco-German plan proposed within the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. They have requested that there be a debate in the Assembly about this plan. Meanwhile, people familiar with the dialogue process say that the Government, with the license plate decision, has put the Franco-German proposal for the final Kosovo-Serbia agreement on the back burner.

The opposition parties have asked the Government of Kosovo to use the created situation to move forward in the dialogue process with Serbia and negotiate the Franco-German plan.

They have asked the Government to have a formal debate on the dialogue in the Assembly and to know the position of the executive in relation to the Franco-German plan.

The former Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti, has requested transparency for this process and to build a political consensus.

"Until now, we have seen zero transparency from the Government towards the Assembly of Kosovo, as well as towards the public in general for the Franco-German proposal. If the Government considers that this proposal is a good basis to move more easily towards the full normalization of relations between the two states and mutual recognition, the Assembly and the public should be informed in order to ensure political and social consensus", wrote Hoti. in a Facebook post on Sunday.

He said that informing the Assembly is not at the discretion of the Government, but is a constitutional obligation that the executive has towards the legislature.

"Only in this way, 1, transparency towards the public is ensured, 2, the constitutional obligation for reporting is fulfilled and 3, the political and social consensus is built. Kosovo has never had an opposition more supportive of dialogue than now. This circumstance should be used to move forward", Hoti emphasized.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, in an interview for Ekonomia Online, has emphasized that the Franco-German plan for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, published a few days ago, strengthens international coordination, which, according to him, years the last one has not been seen. He appealed that international attention should be used to the maximum.

According to him, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Vjosa Osmani should take this situation seriously and express the request to discuss it in order to reach the final agreement with mutual recognition.

"The Franco-German plan on its own builds above all an international coordination that we have not seen in relation to Kosovo for many years. So, at a time when the attention of world diplomacy is concentrated on Ukraine and global developments, this coordination with the USA and the EU in relation to Kosovo and the interest in sending the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue to a new level, should is taken very seriously, because it is not often that we get this international attention and interest", said Krasniqi.

He said that the Government should express its willingness to engage and negotiate the text.

Krasniqi said that no government has completed its mandate since the declaration of Kosovo's independence, stressing that even Kurti will not do four years of government.

Going to the elections, according to him, will only be possible if Prime Minister Kurti resigns and that the PDK is ready to take over the leadership of the country.

Speaking about the formation of the Association, he emphasized that no one is asking Kosovo to create a Serbian Republic.

"No one has asked, not even in the past, from Kosovo to create an Association that is not in accordance with the Constitution. Prime Minister Kurti should treat this concentration of interest and international aid seriously, engage in the discussion of the plan and express the positions of Kosovo, including the Association. But in any case, in accordance with the Constitution and the judgment of the Constitutional Court, without jeopardizing the unitary character of our state, sovereignty and territorial integrity", said Krasniqi.

The Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, said a few days ago that the Franco-German plan is unacceptable, but those familiar with the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process estimate that the plan is still active and on the table of the parties.

They have said that consultations of the highest political level about it are continuing, but Serbia may address conditions due to the situation in the north.

The expert on the dialogue process, Gazmir Raci, told KosovaPress that at the current stage, the Franco-German dialogue plan is a real option for the normalization of relations with Serbia.

"Consultations at the highest political level within the dialogue are continuing. The Franco-German plan is still active and on the table of the parties. It is a good thing that Kosovo did not rush to respond to the public, but has deposited its thoughts with Germany and France. We still don't know what that plan contains, but as far as we have understood through the media and various sources, for this stage we are in now, it can be evaluated as a real option to overcome a problem that we have ongoing, having taking into account the geopolitical circumstances due to the war in Ukraine", said Raci.

Dritëro Arifi, an expert on international relations, is more skeptical about the Franco-German plan.

He says that the Franco-German plan is still valid, but due to the decision of the Government of Kosovo on illegal license plates and the abandonment of institutions by the Serbs, it has been put on the back burner.

"If the Kosovar side has accepted the plan, but at the same time made this decision (for license plates), something is not matching in between. If we have accepted the plan, we are the winning side, but the winning side does not make problems to dilute the problem... The plan does not fall, but the Serbian side already has conditions, Serbia says that the conditions must be met once, because the situation on the ground is dangerous and you can't talk about the plan until you solve the issue on the ground", he said.

Arifi criticized the executive for not postponing the decision on license plates in time, as he now believes that the US demands are explicit.

Institutional leaders in Kosovo have expressed themselves in favor of the Franco-German dialogue plan.