Just days after approval, the law on the Specialist Chambers sparks debate between parties and the EU

Parliament’s approval of the Law on the Specialist Chambers on October 6 prompted immediate reactions from Kosovo’s parliamentary parties, following negative comments from European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos in Brussels.

Vlora Çitaku, deputy speaker of Parliament and a member of the PDK, said the country’s institutions have a duty to explain to EU bodies what the law entails and why it is necessary. She said the aim is not to evade justice, but to correct a process that, in her view, has gone off course.

Speaking after a meeting of Parliament’s Presidency, Çitaku said she was confident that talks with European officials would lead to an acceptable solution, adding that disagreements with international allies are commonplace.

Çitaku on the EU’s reaction to the law on the Specialist Chambers: Sometimes it is normal to disagree with friends

“It is normal to sometimes disagree with friends, but I believe we will have time to talk with EU representatives and explain the political will of Kosovo’s MPs. Through this law and its will, Kosovo is seeking justice. We are not trying to evade justice; on the contrary, we aim to put a process that has gone off course and been distorted back on the right track. Kosovo is a partner. Partners discuss and debate, and I am confident that in the end we will reach an agreement. It is important to clarify the substance of this law with the EU: what the law calls for and what it aims to achieve. It does not seek to evade justice; on the contrary, it seeks justice,” she said.

Meanwhile, Besnik Tahiri, head of the Alliance parliamentary group, described Kos’s comments as part of the EU’s longstanding position on the issue.

Tahiri recalled that the law had already been passed by Parliament and pledged that the Alliance would continue to stand by former KLA leaders standing trial in The Hague.

Tahiri: Despite international reactions, we remain committed to supporting the four KLA leaders

“What I can say about Commissioner Kos’s reaction is that it is simply a continuation of the European Union’s response to what has happened, following the EU statement. Parliament has passed a law, and we pledge that, as Parliament, we will do everything possible to support the four liberators in The Hague,” he said.

The LVV also spoke publicly on the issue. Its parliamentary group leader, Arbërie Nagavci, confirmed that the government had reservations about the way the issue was addressed through the law.

Despite those reservations, she said, the ruling party voted in favor because its MPs considered it the right way to address the issue.

According to Nagavci, the appeal phase requires a state plan and coordination among institutions, although she gave no specific timeline for when the process would begin. She emphasized that the shared goal remains rejecting any portrayal of the KLA’s war as unjust and reiterating that Serbia was responsible for aggression and genocide.

“We expressed reservations about the law,” Nagavci responds to EU criticism

“Regarding the draft law, we in the LVV expressed our reservations about addressing these issues through a draft law, both during the session in my speech and through Prime Minister Kurti. Nevertheless, as we have said, we supported the MPs who believed this was the right way forward. So, at this point, we need coordination to address our shared goal: that the KLA’s war was just and honorable, and that Serbia committed aggression and genocide. (Has coordination begun?) Preparations for the appeal must be addressed through a state strategy. We have also expressed our agreement with the declaration adopted by Parliament. This is a matter for institutional action,” she concluded.

The debate came after Marta Kos publicly expressed concern on Monday over the Kosovo Parliament’s decision to amend the law governing the Specialist Chambers, calling the move unacceptable and contrary to international rule-of-law standards.

Her statement came as EU foreign ministers were meeting in Luxembourg, with enlargement among the main items on the agenda.