The French elections, the arrest of Vucic and Kosovo's own goals

Svechla's statement that, if the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, comes to Kosovo without the permission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he will be arrested, maybe he will be criticized within his party, but made by him, as a government minister. , puts Kosovo in a disadvantageous position in the process from which Kosovo can gain, but can also lose a lot. It depends on the wisdom of those in power

Often own goals in this European football championship were decisive in the results of the matches and in the qualification of the national teams in the next cycle of competitions. Own-goal scorers at the European Championship understand this as soon as they score. The problem is that the political own-goal scorers are not realizing this. I hope that the own goals of the key figures of the Government of Kosovo will not be decisive for Kosovo, even though these own goals are consecutive. There are so many that it is difficult for a columnist like me to choose which one to write about. I usually choose one topic for my columns, but this time I will write about two topics, which, in my opinion, are serious own goals that seriously harm the national interests of Kosovo.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, who is also the leader of the ruling party, Lëvizjes Vetëvendosje, has decided that it is a good idea to teach the voters of neighboring countries, European and French ones, who to vote for in their elections. parliamentary. It all started when in 2020 he invited Albanian-Americans to vote for the current president of the USA, Joe Biden. He, therefore, openly displayed his preferences for the next American president, the world's only superpower. He did something that no world leader would do, regardless of his personal preferences. He intervened in the elections of North Macedonia, he told the Albanians of Presheva, Medvegja and Bujanovac who to vote for and who not to vote for. 

In a word, he publicly supported, from the position of the prime minister, those for whom he had a personal preference, which he should not have done. But this intervention did not end there. He showed European voters which parties to vote for and which not to vote for, and in the current French elections, he openly positioned himself against a political force that won the European Parliament elections and is likely to win the parliamentary elections of France and form its next government. 

An international observer may find it strange, and perhaps even funny, the intervention of the prime minister of a small country, which is Kosovo, in the elections of countries such as the USA and France. One will raise their eyebrows in disapproval of such intrusions. Albin Kurti may seem to someone as a frivolous politician, because no serious leader interferes in the political processes of another country, especially if they are superpowers, such as the USA and France. 

The ideological preference on which Albin Kurti supports this intervention is harmful to the interests of Kosovo, because he is doing this intervention from the position of the Prime Minister of Kosovo. He must choose which one he will give priority: being the prime minister of Kosovo or the leader of the LVV, because with these interventions he is creating enemies for Kosovo and not necessarily Vetevendosje.

The second own goal is the post of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xelal Svečla, on social networks that if the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, comes to Kosovo without the permission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he will be arrested. He made this statement in the context of several posters placed in the North Mitrovica Municipality, with photos of Vučić and in which it was said: "We are waiting for you, supreme commander". So, it was a matter of posters placed by someone, not that Vuçiqi had said that he would come to Kosovo without asking anyone. This statement by Minister Sveçla damages Kosovo's position in the international arena, just as Prime Minister Kurti's "instructions" for French voters also damage it. 

First, it does not threaten the president of a foreign country with arrest. This is a scandal in itself. Second, this statement suggests that Kosovo and Serbia have an abnormal relationship and that Kosovo is responsible for this. 

How can Kosovo commit to the normalization of relations with Serbia, when its interior minister threatens to arrest its president? 

This statement further deepens the already high tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo's interest is to carry out its own affairs without inciting unnecessary tensions. For example, the placement of posters could be described as a provocation and call for war by Serbian nationalists, and the responsibility for tensions should fall on them. The threat against Vucic was completely unnecessary and tactless. Sveçla was able to say that Vuçiqi is welcome to come to Kosovo with an official invitation from the state institutions of Kosovo, in the framework of the improvement of interstate relations between Kosovo and Serbia. These would be the most accurate responses to these plaques. Even their non-comment would be more accurate than such a statement.

Actions in foreign policy based on ideological preferences are not unknown to Albanians. They have caused serious consequences for more than 45 years. We need good relations with France and the US, even if Le Pen and Trump come to power. Whom Kurti prefers is not at all important for Kosovo's interests. Let him keep his personal and ideological preferences to himself, because his constitutional obligation, as prime minister, is to represent and protect the interests of Kosovo and not the ideological group to which he belongs. 
Probably, the fascination of LVV activists has pushed Minister Sveçla to make a reckless statement, especially now that we are entering the election period. Perhaps many of them will have applauded his statement. He is seen as a strong man who can even arrest Vucic. But the reality of international politics is different. 

Svečla's statement maybe creates a problem for him within his party, but made by him, as a government minister, it puts Kosovo in a disadvantageous position in the process, from which Kosovo can gain, but it can also lose a lot. It depends on the wisdom of those in power.