Analysts after Sorensen’s visit: Kosovo should not yield to pressure over Serb judges

The European Union envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Peter Sorensen, paid an unannounced visit to Pristina, while the stances of Kosovo and the EU remain divided on the issue of the return of Serb judges and prosecutors to the justice system.

During his stay, Sorensen met with acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, but made no statement to the media.

In a statement issued by his office after the meeting, Kurti told Sorensen: “The mass resignations four years ago in the north of the Ibar were precisely aimed at undermining the multi-ethnic composition of our democratic system. Now, the path forward must be defined by the Constitution and laws of Kosovo, which for the judiciary means preserving ethnic diversity, but also guaranteeing the independence and quality of justice.”

Political analyst Faton Mehmeti, in a conversation for “Bota sot,” expressed the view that the demand for the return of Serb prosecutors and judges is a result of pressures from Serbia. According to him, they left Kosovo institutions under the influence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and should not be allowed to return.

He added that this should serve as a message to other Serbs to trust Kosovo’s institutions, not Belgrade.

Mehmeti stated: “Naturally, Mr. Sorensen came following Serbia’s pressure, under the pretext that Serb prosecutors and judges are being ethnically persecuted in Kosovo, so he simply came to fulfill his role and to calm, figuratively speaking, Serbia’s concern that they are not persecuted. So, these are Serbia’s games; prosecutors, judges, and anyone who resigned from Kosovo institutions should not be allowed to return, because they carried out this act as a result of Vučić’s influence. These prosecutors and judges were tools of Vučić, ordered by him to leave, and naturally there should be no return for Vučić’s people to Kosovo institutions. In this sense, it is also a message to other Serbs to turn to Kosovo institutions, that is, Pristina, not Belgrade, because anyone who returns from Belgrade will end up this way.”

Mehmeti underlined that Kosovo institutions should not succumb to political pressures, whether domestic or international, and that the refusal to allow the return of judges and prosecutors is the right decision. According to him, this would prove the independence of the justice system and send a clear message that Kosovo decides for itself about its institutions.

“Therefore, Kosovo institutions should not fall victim to domestic or international pressures, but should simply continue their work, and any decision other than accepting their resignation and not allowing its withdrawal would be scandalous. I believe Kosovo’s judiciary will make the final decision by refusing to accept the withdrawal of resignation for these judges, and in this way a message will also be sent to other Serbs. So, Mr. Sorensen must also understand that, despite Kosovo being an independent state, it must not fall prey to international pressures. Let him imagine the country Mr. Sorensen comes from, where someone interferes in the judiciary to determine who should be a prosecutor or judge. Therefore, I highly appreciate Mr. Kurti’s stance in this case,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, analyst Artan Nimani stressed that Peter Sorensen’s visit is part of the EU’s engagement in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and that holding the meeting without the presence of the media shows the sensitivity of this topic. In a statement to “Bota sot,” he said that the return of former Serb officials must be handled only in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Kosovo.

He told “Bota sot”: “Peter Sorensen’s visit should be understood as part of the European Union’s engagement within the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and rule-of-law issues. The fact that the meeting was held without public exposure says more about the sensitivity of the topic than about the existence of any particular agreement. It should be emphasized that prosecutors, judges, and Serb members of the Kosovo Police voluntarily resigned from the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo in 2022, as a result of political decisions by Serbia, not as a consequence of any discriminatory decision by Kosovo institutions. For this reason, any issue related to their return must be handled exclusively in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Kosovo, respecting legal procedures and institutional independence.”

Nimani added that Kosovo must cooperate with international partners without compromising its sovereignty, stressing that integration into institutions must be based solely on respect for the law and equal treatment of all citizens.

“Kosovo must continue cooperation with international partners, but without compromising its constitutional sovereignty. Integration into Kosovo’s institutions cannot be the result of political agreements, but of respect for the law and equal treatment of all citizens. This must be the guiding principle of any step taken after the Kurti-Sorensen meeting,” he concluded for the newspaper.

We recall that thousands of members of the Serb community in northern Kosovo resigned from Kosovo institutions, including municipalities, the Kosovo Police, courts, and the prosecution, in November 2022. This action came in response to the Kosovo Government’s decision to replace illegal Serbian license plates with Republic of Kosovo plates.