Osmani opposes Fetai’s appointment in Brussels: Parallel channel weakens state diplomacy

Bujar Osmani, deputy leader of the Democratic Union for Integration, has reacted to the appointment of Arben Fetai as the new representative in Brussels, raising questions about the necessity of the position.

He stressed that North Macedonia already has a Permanent Mission to the European Union, headed by an ambassador and consisting of dozens of diplomats who work with European institutions every day.

According to Osmani, it remains unclear what the new representative’s mandate will be and what duties he will perform that cannot be carried out by the ambassador, the Permanent Mission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of European Affairs.

The DUI deputy leader said that establishing a parallel political channel in Brussels diminishes the importance of the state mission, undermines the ambassador’s authority and creates confusion over who represents the country before the institutions of the European Union.

Osmani wrote that the European integration process requires strong institutions, a clearly defined hierarchy and professional diplomacy. He added that public positions should not be created for political appointments while existing institutions are treated merely as decoration.