Tensions between Pristina and Brussels deepen – Bytyçi: Kosovo no longer accepts unequal treatment!

The recent decisions of Kosovo’s authorities have ignited a heated debate with the European Union, focusing on how Brussels approaches the exercise of institutional sovereignty by Pristina. The case of the dismissal of seven prosecutors from the Serb community and the operation to demolish illegal structures in the area of Lake Ujman have become hot points of contention between the parties.

The prosecutors in question had abandoned their duties as part of an organized political movement from Belgrade, which prompted Pristina to act to preserve the functionality of the justice system. Meanwhile, the demolition of dwellings by the lake, carried out under the observation of KFOR peacekeeping forces, was followed by criticism from the international community, which expressed reservations and called for an immediate halt to the operation.

These episodes have reignited dilemmas over the delicate balance between international pressure for procedural standards and the right of domestic institutions to ensure constitutional order and territorial integrity. In an interview for “Bota sot”, analyst Enver Bytyçi offered a sharp perspective on this situation.

According to him, the refusal to reintegrate into the system the prosecutors who resigned in 2022 as a sign of protest against Kosovo’s statehood, as well as the crackdown on unauthorized constructions owned by the Ibar Waterworks, are concrete evidence of state maturity and commitment to the rule of law.

Bytyçi argues that the stances of the EU and some of the main Western embassies in Pristina are contradictory. “While they preach respect for the rule of law, they openly criticize the moment when Kosovo’s institutions take measures to implement this principle in practice,” the professor noted.

Delving deeper, Bytyçi clarified that the decision of the acting president, Ms. Albulena Haxhiu, came as a result of the prior refusal by the Prosecutorial Council to accept their return. “Regarding the operation at Lake Ujman,” he added, “the operation was carried out without problems and with the supervisory presence of KFOR, which demonstrates professionalism and coordination.”

The EU spokesperson labeled these actions as destabilizing, followed by reactions from the British, Italian, and German embassies, the latter emphasizing that some structures had unresolved judicial issues. However, for Bytyçi, these stances constitute a classic case of double standards, because, according to him, selective enforcement of the law is the shortest road to anarchy and the loss of citizens’ trust.

“The law in Kosovo applies to everyone who is its citizen, without ethnic distinction. If rigorous enforcement is demanded for some communities, while for others violation is tolerated, the state itself loses its role as arbiter. This positive discrimination encourages Serb violators to continue with actions that undermine state structures,” he warned.

Furthermore, the professor emphasized that Kosovo’s decision-making authorities are the only ones who have the right to decide on the careers of prosecutors and police officers who abandoned their duty, not foreign diplomats. “The Constitution, which was drafted by the international partners themselves and voted by the Parliament without changes, leaves no room for external interference in these matters. But when Pristina implements it, it faces demands for endless tolerance and concessions, which nearly led to the dismemberment of the country,” Bytyçi declared.

He assessed the independence shown by Albin Kurti’s government as a necessity that, although initially surprising for allies, proved right by subsequent events. “Kurti did not act according to personal whims, but in accordance with the Legal Framework,” he insisted.

Illustrating with the example of the constitution of municipalities in the north, which preceded the terrorist attack in Banjska, Bytyçi rhetorically asked what catastrophe would have happened if that area had remained a space outside state control. “History proved Kurti right, not his critics,” he summarized.

In concluding his media analysis, Bytyçi called on the European factor to abandon the double-speed approach. “Stability is not strengthened by pampering violators, but by showing determination. If the EU has better models for how a rule-of-law state functions for all citizens, let it present them to us. Otherwise, unconditional respect for the sovereignty of our institutions remains the only path to genuine democracy and freedom in Kosovar society,” he concluded the conversation.