Upload
berman100
View
224
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
7/30/2019 02 Serbia, Kosovo and EU Enlargement
1/3
Serbia, Kosovo And EU Enlargement Analysis
By TransConflict -- (March 13, 2013)
Only Washington can push Pristina to accept a compromise over the north. Yet
despite the fact that the Ahtisaari Plan clearly allows them to have a decision-
making body, the US says it doesnt accept executive powers for any association
of Kosovo-Serb municipalities. Perhaps the US and Pristina should now talk directly
with the northerners and stop holding EU membership hostage.
By Gerard M. Gallucci
The EU has problems, lots. The currency union turns out to have been a very
effective mechanism for German growth and wealth at the expense of crippling
debt for most of the other countries trapped within the euro. Low interest rates in
Germany, high rates and therefore ready cheap money in the Mediterranean
economies simply operationalized the imbalances intrinsic to a single currency
serving quite different sovereign states. The Germans reaped the profits andcomplain of having to bail out the southern European slackers. The German
Economic Minister now warns against allowing France to exceed debt limits and the
ECB from lending any more money to those Italians.
All things being equal, the euros problems should not by themselves lessen the
advantages of bringing those European countries outside the EU into membership.
The EU per se is not the same as the single currency. Europe has effectively grown
larger since the fall of the Eastern Bloc. NATO walked up to the borders of the
former Soviet Union and is knocking at the door for what advantage? even onGeorgia. The EU has added new states as well. It is the natural political and
economic counterpart to the military alliance. Both stake their claim on the belief
that Europe is more prosperous and more secure if internal barriers come down and
it acts in common. The political and economic requirements of EU membership are
seen to make democracy, transparency and free market capitalism more robust. By
this reasoning, it would be clearly in Europes interest to bring in the Balkans (and
7/30/2019 02 Serbia, Kosovo and EU Enlargement
2/3
Turkey) as soon as possible. Let the process of becoming EU members catalyze
progress in these countries and cement them into the Western world.
Yet there is no denying a certain lack of eagerness for EU enlargement, perhaps
with reason. Things dont appear to have worked out so well with Romania and
Bulgaria. But there may be deeper causes too. Electorates remain instinctively
nationalistic and increasingly wonder about the costs of the union including not
only money but hosting foreign workers. Germany especially appears to be
resisting EU enlargement for reasons quite apart from problems with the euro and
they relate directly to its position on Serbia and Kosovo. Berlins policy toward the
two has long appeared to be focused on keeping Albanians happy by giving them
what they want outside Germany. An independent Kosovo cost Germany nothing
and allowed the return of Roma and Albanians that no longer could cite war and
persecution. It also conveniently made it less likely to have to deal with Serbian
accession.
Germany has been singled minded in its effort to find reasons to keep Serbia from
moving forward on membership. Despite occasional obfuscation, it clearly has
conditioned getting even a date for membership talks on Belgrade surrendering the
north to Pristina and recognizing Kosovo. Whatever the other European Quint
members might be ready to accept, Berlin seems dug in. Chancellor Merkel just
doesnt want to add Serbia. The US appears pleased to play along with the
Germans. (Its been mostly the troops from both countries that sought to use force
to bully the northern Kosovo Serbs in 2011.) The US can keep Kosovo a Europeanproblem by steadfastly supporting Pristina and letting Berlin take the lead.
Only Washington can push Pristina to accept a compromise over the north. But the
US says it doesnt accept executive powers for any association of Kosovo-Serb
municipalities. This despite the fact the the Ahtisaari Plan clearly allows them to
have a decision-making body. Thus the Serbian government remains caught
between the demand to surrender Kosovo and its wish to move forward on EU
membership. Prime Minister Dacic reportedly told the press that the EU and US
seem to want his government to make a deal and then enforce it on the north. Butas it cant work that way, why should he negotiate over this. Let the US and Pristina
talk directly with the northerners. Now theres an idea. And stop holding EU
membership hostage?
7/30/2019 02 Serbia, Kosovo and EU Enlargement
3/3
Gerard M. Gallucci is a retired US diplomat and UN peacekeeper. He worked as part
of US efforts to resolve the conflicts in Angola, South Africa and Sudan and as
Director for Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council. He served as UN
Regional Representative in Mitrovica, Kosovo from July 2005 until October 2008 and
as Chief of Staff for the UN mission in East Timor from November 2008 until June
2010.