LOCAL PRESS

Serbia requests interrogation in Nigeria on the Kosovo organ trade ties (RTS)

The Serbian War Crimes Prosecution has forwarded a request to the authorized institutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to conduct talks with Doctor Philip Njemanzi who stated that Hashim Thaqi traded, together with Rochas Okroch, organs of abducted Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. In accordance with the provisions of the Law on Internal Legal Assistance, the Prosecution launched, via the Serbian Justice Ministry, procedure that will enable interrogation of people who have eventual knowledge on human organ trafficking in Kosovo and Metohija and northern Albania. The Prosecution has so far interrogated 160 witnesses in this case. Underway is intensive cooperation on this case with the EULEX Special Investigative Team who has interrogated, with the support of Serbian institutions, more than 200 witnesses in Serbia.

Drecun: Is it possible for Thaqi to be on the indictment (Politika)

The claims of the Nigerian Medical Association that accuses billionaire and governor Rochas Okrocha of trafficking human organs, in which he is assisted by Hashim Thaqi, caused yesterday numerous comments of the Serbian MPs. The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun stated that the question is imposed as to what the Special Department of the Higher Court for War Crimes in Belgrade will undertake in regard to Thaqi. Drecun wonders whether Thaqi can find himself on the indictment. “This is a question before we all stand, the entire international community. Not only was he not held responsible for the crimes committed against kidnapped Serb civilians, but he is allowed to continue, as the leader of the criminal ‘Drenica group’, to engage in criminal activities, and at the same time to be some prime minister of a self-declared state or foreign minister and avoid justice,” said Drecun. The MP of the Social-Democrat Party (SDS) Marko Djurisic said he didn’t know whether this was key evidence that would lead to an indictment against Thaqi: “I wish to believe that the court will start working and that this will result with the issuance of an adequate indictment.” The leader of the Serbian Left Borislav Stefanovic said that at issue were serious accusations and that he expected justice to be achievable and comprehensive in the end. The leader of the New Party Zoran Zivkovic says that evidence so far collected against Thaqi and Haradinaj was sufficient to issue an indictment against the two of them. “The first contingent of evidence on KLA crimes in Kosovo was sent to The Hague in 2001, and in 2003, when I was the prime minister, we presented with the head of the Security-Information Agency in the Serbian parliament the white book of crimes in Kosovo and Metohija and the perpetrators were known already then,” Beta quoted Zivkovic as having said. We asked the War Crimes Prosecution whether they had information on the latest claims of the Nigerian Medical Association, what investigative actions it had conducted, how many witnesses have been interrogated in the “Yellow House” case, and whether one can expect sometime soon the issuance of an indictment regarding the allegations on human organ trafficking, but we didn’t receive answers.

Vucic: Hague Tribunal to learn to respect Serbia (Tanjug)

“The life of Mr. Zdravko Tolimir is much more important that any request of the Hague Tribunal,” Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has said, responding to reporters’ questions. “Somebody must provide us with the answer to the question why a man has died in detention,” Vucic said. He added that his response to the treatment of Serbia’s legal representative by the ICTY was that Judge Alphons Orie, and everyone in the Hague Tribunal, should learn to respect the Republic of Serbia. “And then we’ll continue to talk in line with the laws of Serbia,” Vucic added. He said it was incomprehensible that the Serbian government never received a response to its request to grant Tolimir – who in the meantime passed away – temporary release on medical grounds. “Nobody will humiliate Serbia, including the Hague Tribunal,” he said. When it comes to the SRS officials wanted by the tribunal, Vucic said the charges against them pertained to small acts, that carry with them sentences of several months (in jail) – because these are not war crimes. “On the other hand, the kind of disrespect shown toward Serbia yesterday is incomprehensible and impermissible,” he concluded.

Selakovic: Government to send protest note (Beta)

The Serbian government will send a note of protest to the ICTY over the Trial Chamber’s treatment of Serbia’s representative during Wednesday’s hearing regarding warrants to arrest three Serbian Radical Party members charged with contempt of court, Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic announced.The ICTY treated the Serbian representative in an arrogant manner and this is “another big disgrace for the tribunal,” Selakovic told a press conference, adding that Serbia will continue to cooperate with the ICTY, but in line with state and national interests. The Court refused to hear Sasa Obradovic, the coordinator of the Serbian legal team, noting that Serbia has done nothing to arrest the three. Selakovic presented an October 8, 2015 government decision requesting Zdravko Tolimir’s provisional release due to his poor health. “Serbia’s voice was not heard and the man has died. The government of Serbia insists that its voice be heard,” Selakovic said.

Nikolic won’t support Jeremic (B92/Nedeljnik)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic will not be supporting Vuk Jeremic’s possible bid to become the next UN secretary-general because Jeremic derided him. This is according to an article in Belgrade-based weekly Nedeljnik that specified Nikolic believes Jeremic derided him and the entire state leadership ahead of the vote last November in UNESCO on Pristina’s bid to join. The magazine said that the President had intended to support Jeremic as a candidate for the top UN job, and held several meeting with him. However, Nikolic’s adviser Stanislava Pak is quoted as saying, in the end he had to give up. Ahead of the UNESCO vote, Jeremic said that “everything was known in advance – and the current authorities in Belgrade are preparing the ground for glorifying their victory, or if they lose, to say things happened under abnormal circumstances”. The magazine further writes that Nikolic claims his lack of support has nothing to do with opinion polls that show Jeremic has good results. The opinion poll referred to in the article was reportedly commissioned to gauge Jeremic’s chances in a future presidential election.

Parliament adopts law giving NATO freedom of movement and immunity (Novosti)

NATO will be able to freely move throughout Serbia, exchange confidential information and equipment with the Serbian Army, and have immunity and privileges according to the Vienna Convention. This is all included in the draft law on confirming the agreement between the Serbian government and NATO on cooperation in the field of logistic support, which should be placed for voting tomorrow. Members of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Defense have already given consent for the draft law. Committee member, General Momir Stojanovic, tells Novosti that this law only additionally organizes fields of cooperation with NATO agreed last year with the signing of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP): “According to the IPAP, NATO soldiers can move throughout Serbia and have certain immunity. There are also several agreements that organize exchange of information. The only novelty brought by this law is that, in the future, NATO will be able to assist us logistically in destroying surplus of weapons and dismantling ammunition of the Serbian Army.”

Rogozin banned from entering Montenegro (Beta/B92)

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, invited by the opposition Democratic Front (DF), will not be able to visit Montenegro. This has been announced by the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations, who said Rogozin was on a list of Russian citizens banned from entering Montenegro, based on the government’s decision to join EU’s anti-Russia sanctions. It has also been stated that Rogozin was invited to Montenegro by DF representative Milan Knezevic, without any consultations with competent organs of Montenegro. Beta is reporting that Montenegro accepted the sanctions introduced against Russia by western countries over the Ukrainian crisis, and that Rogozin in the past on several occasions made threatening statements toward Montenegro due to its orientation to join NATO.

REGIONAL PRESS

RS government and its institutions do not support Coordination mechanism (Srna)

The Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik told Srna that the Coordination mechanism, which Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers, Denis Zvizdic presented on Wednesday as a harmonized document, does not enjoy the support of either RS or its institutions. The RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic has stated too, that the RS government has not agreed on the Decision on system of coordination of the European integration process in B&H, adopted by the B&H Council of Ministers on January 26.

Coordination mechanisms pave way for EU membership bid (Fena)

Denis Zvizdic, Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers 4 said in Sarajevo, on Feb. 10, that the adoption of Coordination mechanisms between various levels of Government had laid the foundation for B&H submitting a credible application for EU membership on 15 February. A coordination mechanism is a harmonized system of ways for B&H to act toward EU institutions. Considering the complexity of the system of government and jurisdiction in B&H, it was necessary to harmonize all segments and levels. “The most important three coordination mechanism principles that we achieved are respect for the constitutional structure of B&H, the efficiency and responsibility of the levels of government and timeliness in executing tasks and complete harmonization of coordination mechanisms with the agreement on stabilization and association,” Zvizdic told a news conference in Sarajevo.

Special Prosecutor’s Office of RS being abolished (Fena/Srna/Nezavisne)

Session of the RS Assembly resumed yesterday in Banja Luka, with deputies considering the Bill on prevention of corruption, organized crime and severe forms of economic crime. The abolition of the RS Special Prosecutor’s Office is one of the key innovations that the draft law on combating corruption, organized crime and the most serious forms of economic crime, brings. The bill on the prevention of corruption, organized crime and most severe forms of white-collar crime regulates the formation, organization and powers of special organizational units of the prosecutor’s office, court and other bodies in RS. Justice Minister Anton Kasipovic told the MPs on Wednesday that the proposed law provides for the powers of authorized persons for an efficient detection and prosecution, as well as trials of perpetrators. Raging debate at the RS Assembly followed the discussion regarding the document. The opposition claimed that the aim of the law is persecution of the opponents, while the government assured that the goal is to improve the fight against crime and corruption. The abolition of the RS Special Prosecutor’s Office will actually mean its breaking into separate organizational units and departments. The law envisages the establishment of a separate department for the fight against corruption, organized crime and the most serious forms of economic crime, which will be independent and will work within the RS Republic Prosecutor’s Office.​

Dodik: If I’m not first on U.S. “black list” it’s a defeat for me (Oslobodjenje)

The RS President Milorad Dodik says for him it is a defeat if he is not first on the “black list” of B&H politicians that the U.S. has apparently created. “If it’s accurate that the U.S. ambassador to B&H is announcing a ‘black list’ for politicians, that’s nothing new. If I’m not first on that list, then for me it’s a defeat,” Dodik told reporters in Doboj. He believes that it is absolutely unworthy of such a large country as the U.S. for its ambassador to openly interfere in the internal affairs of any country, including B&H. “We have original legitimacy and whom they put on that list is of absolutely no interest to me. But these are the stories of the past 20 years, always some list, always something, whoever of the ambassadors is frustrated, unable to realize their grotesque ideas, they immediately talk about some lists, but let them talk, that’s their problem. But if it’s not what you say, I apologize to the U.S. ambassador,” said Dodik. He repeated the claim that the 1991 census was not legalized, because of which yesterday the law on policing and internal affairs in RS was returned to the RS Assembly. “Why for instance wasn’t 1931 the basis of the modeling of authorities in this area, and you will see that 70 percent of Serbs were there in these areas,” said Dodik. He added that the RS Constitution was imposed by High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch, who wrote the guideline “that did not need to be written into the constitution”. Dodik said that for this reason RS must find ways to respond, in terms of when Bosniaks block changes to the constitution for 10 years now.

Kremlin to realize that Montenegro is a sovereign state (RTCG)

Officials of the Russian Federation must understand that Montenegro is a sovereign state, that is “de facto” member of NATO, and that it follows a policy that triumphed in 2006 in a referendum and is proclaimed by the Constitution, stated the representatives of the Liberal Party of Montenegro, in response to Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, that the accession of Montenegro to NATO is an “artificial decision” that will not add any security to the Alliance. “Montenegro is pursuing foreign policy that in the best interests of all its citizens and in the interest of a stronger economic, democratic and civilized overall progress of our country and the region,” stated the Liberals. “In this regard, the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, that such a path of Montenegro is ‘artificial and unnatural’ is not adding the constructional quality to the relations between our two countries that were allies in different epochs. By such attitude towards Montenegro, they are directly undermining the good ally tradition and are trying to impose supervision. The citizens of Montenegro will never accept something like that,” said the Liberal Party. Liberals assessed that such statements by the official Russia, with tones that reference to civil conflicts, and which are trying to destabilize and militarize the political scene, could cause damage to the citizens, and in the long run, this is a losing option only for those who agree to such rhetoric. Their place is, as they said, secured at the junkyards of history.

Montenegro will be an important member of NATO (RTCG)

Montenegro will be an important member of NATO, said the defense ministers of Great Britain and Canada, who also welcomed progress towards the Alliance. A two-day meeting of defense ministers of NATO member states starts today in Brussels. Next week, Montenegro will begin accession negotiations with the Alliance, followed by the ratification of the protocol on the accession of Montenegro to the Alliance by the parliaments of 28 member countries of the Alliance. “We look forward to a formal invitation which will be sent to Montenegro at the Summit in Warsaw. I am happy that Montenegro has met important criteria for membership. It will be a valuable member of the Alliance,” British Defense Minister Michael Fallon told reporters in Brussels. Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan welcomed Montenegro’s progress on the road to the Alliance. “I think that Montenegro has made great progress, has a very good chance to be a member and we look forward to the forthcoming accession negotiations,” he said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that Montenegro should continue with the reforms, and that the institutions must achieve more results in the fight against corruption.

Brima Galup Survey: VMRO-DPMNE has more than double the advantage to SDSM for upcoming elections (MIA)

Well renowned and eminent public opinion survey agency Brima Galum, making the inquiries of public opinion for the prestigious American International Republican Institute, in collaboration with weekly magazine Republika, has conducted a poll in the period between January 30 – February 4, 2015, to establish the opinions of the citizens regarding several issues of the current political topics, surveying 1006 people, aged over 18. Taking into consideration the fact that on all elections so far, almost 100 percent of the ethnic Albanians in Macedonia have voted for political parties in the Albanian political campus, we are publishing the results of the survey regarding the Macedonian voters. The results show great support and more than a double the advantage, for VMRO-DPMNE versus SDSM, i.e. if elections were to be held next week, 36.8 percent would vote for VMRO-DPMNE, while 15.7 percent would vote for SDSM. These results are for the Macedonian voters, but such difference is shown if we take into consideration the total ethnic structure of Macedonia, i.e. 25.7 percent for VMRO-DPMNE, and 13.4 percent for SDSM. Almost 5 times more, i.e. 56.6 percent of the citizens believe VMRO-DPMNE would win the early parliamentary elections, in which all parties would take part, and only 12.4 percent believe that would be SDSM. Up to 47.6 percent believe SDSM are afraid of early elections, which is to be correlated with their refusal to take part at the April 24 elections. Only 16 percent said that would be VMRO-DPMNE. Up to 65.1 percent of citizens said VMRO-DPMNE have greater support from citizens, and will win the elections, contrary to the 13 percent who said SDSM would win.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Turkish Organ-Trafficking Suspect Gives Statement in Pristina (BIRN, by Petrit Collaku, 10 February 2016)

Kenan Demirkol, a Turkish doctor accused of organ-harvesting by the Kosovo authorities, has given a statement in Pristina in exchange of the suspension of an Interpol warrant for his arrest.

Demirkol, who is wanted in the so-called Medicus case, in which five people have already been convicted of involvement in organ-trafficking, surrendered in Pristina on January 25 to give a statement to prosecutors, his lawyer told BIRN on Wednesday. In exchange, Demirkol asked for the removal of the Interpol warrant arrest that came into force in 2014. In February 2013, Demirkol was due to testify via video link during the Medicus trial but declined to do so, saying that Turkish law gave him the right to refuse because he is a doctor. Demirkol is charged with organ-trafficking, together with another Turkish doctor, Yusuf Sonmez, who remains at large. Prosecutors allege that that a group of people brought poor donors and rich recipients to the Medicus clinic in Pristina where illegal kidney transplants were carried out and the organs sold to rich recipiemts. Demirkol’s lawyer, Ismet Shufta, said that Demirkol arrived in Pristina on January 25 and he left for Turkey on the same day. Shufta said that Demirkol first asked for a guarantee from EU rule-of-law mission in Kosovo police and Kosovo police that he would not be arrested when he entered the country. “He also gave guarantees that he will respond in future to all the court’s and prosecutor’s invitations,” Shufta said. The lawyer added that Demirkol has visited Kosovo several times and knew Sonmez and other doctors at the Medicus clinic. “Demirkol worked there at the Medicus clinic but he was there as a general surgeon. He never participated in any transplant operations. He denies all the charges,” Shufta said. The Medicus clinic was also mentioned in a Council of Europe report which alleged that elements of the Kosovo Liberation Army traded the organs of prisoners during the 1999 conflict. Investigators closed down the clinic in 2008, and it has since been sold.

Macedonia’s Former Prime Minister Threatens Revenge in Troubling Speech (globalvoices.org, by Goran Rizaov, 10 February 2016)

Only several days after his resignation, the now former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski threatened in a speech that after early elections scheduled for April this year, “the people” will kick out everyone who he sees as enemies. Critically thinking individuals in the country, including civil society representatives and journalists, took this as an open threat that if Gruevski’s ruling, right-wing political party VMRO-DPMNE wins the elections, the current autocratic regime will become even worse and they will be in danger:  “Well now, on the 24th of April the people’s punishment and revenge will come. Their moment of glory will come. That will be the day when the people of Macedonia, will show to everyone who is who in this state, i.e. who owns this state. In April, the people of Macedonia will bring back the partially misappropriated government, and will boot out and humiliate the artificially and forcefully appointed officials through massive voting at elections…” Gruevski threatened with anger in his voice while speaking in front of the Women’s Union of VMRO-DPMNE on January 24. The online community reacted with rage and disbelief, mostly by tweeting to Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and other European Union officials, who serve as guarantors of an agreement reached in July 2015 stipulating reforms in Macedonia, including Gruevski’s resignation, following months of political crisis. The political crisis that led to the EU- and US-mediated deal was escalated by revelations that the country’s intelligence services on Gruevski’s order had illegally wiretapped government employees, politicians, journalists, activists and foreign diplomatic representatives. Dissenting Secret Service members leaked the recordings to Zoran Zaev, the leader of the opposition Social-Democrat Party, who brought carefully selected part of them to the public’s attention in early 2015. As Zaev himself claimed in his last interview, they chose to publish the recordings that indicate misuse of power and illegal activities. “The whole set of obtained illegal surveillance recordings totaled up to more than one million phone conversations”, Zaev says, “and they were all submitted in the newly formed Special Public Prosecutor’s office”. The leaked audio seems to confirm long-held suspicions of corruption, electoral fraud, blackmail, extortion and political interference in the judiciary, among other misdeeds, in Gruevski’s government. Such backsliding on democracy, freedom of expression and rule of law could jeopardize Macedonia’s candidacy for the EU.

‘Seriously distressed and troubled’ by Gruevski’s speech

Gruevski, who was in power for a decade, used his public speech to also threaten the country’s Special Prosecutor who investigates alleged crimes involving Gruevski himself, as well as the representatives of the international community for helping the opposition: All criminals with political ambitions who might think that through bribes, fraud, false recordings, pawning the country and its people, they can raise tensions in the country, undertake activities that damage the chances of foreign investment and the creation of new jobs, which are so very desired, or try to gain something for themselves will get booted by the vast majority of the people in this country, through massive voting at the elections. He then added that after these elections nobody will think again about “gaining political power through fraud, collaboration with foreign intelligence, criminals, Vanhoutes [referring to Peter Vanhoutte, the international mediator in the Macedonian political crisis], Katicas [referring to Katica Janeva, the Special Public Prosecutor investigating the surveillance bombshells] and scammers who try to blackmail businessmen.” The Special Public Prosecutor’s office reacted with a statement saying that they are “seriously distressed” and will increase the security measures following Gruevski’s speech:  “Regarding the public speech from the president of VMRO-DPMNE, we want to express that as public prosecutors, we are seriously distressed and troubled, and have decided that the Special Public Prosecutor’s office will increase its security. In regard to this, we would like to clarify that we have requested from the Interior Ministry to assign people to work with our office and oversee the personal security of the prosecutors”, the SPP said. An unnamed senior official from the European Union also reacted, telling independent news website Meta that Brussels was disappointed after Gruevski’s speech and “his lack of respect for his political opponents”. Belgian facilitator Van Haute, on the other hand, described Gruevski’s rhetoric with one sentence: “If you do not like the message kill the messenger”.

‘He is clumsily hiding his intentions’

Civil society activists were appalled by the former prime minister’s speech. Among them, Xhabir Deralla from the NGO Civil wrote an article headlined “Gruevski – aggressive, enraged and full of hate“. Deralla argued there is no doubt that Gruevski “is prepared to do anything to escape justice, as well as to remain in power. At any price”. There are no hidden messages in Gruevski’s speech. He presented all of his views in the manner of a fierce populist, who will not hesitate in his quest for power, who will not be stopped by any agreement mediated by international representatives, nor from laws or principles of a democratic and fair political competition. Gruevski mentions “the people” in his speech so often that it becomes repulsive, and it is overly obvious that he is equating himself with “the people”. He is clumsily hiding his intentions behind the notion of “the people”. When he says that “now people are angrier than ever before”, it is more than clear that by this he is stating that he is angrier than ever before. International law expert and activist Mirjana Najcevska wrote a blog post about the speech headlined “About the Speech, Women and the Black Devil”. For starters, I am sure that there is some good explanation for why this speech, held in front of the Union of Women of VMRO-DPMNE, fails to mention any women-related issues. It does not mention gender discrimination, differences in wages between men and women, the absence of women from decision making positions in the state, women’s poverty, abortion, domestic violence, and of course, those 280,000 women who all fall into the so uniquely Macedonian statistical category of “homemakers”. One of Gruevski’s controversial initiatives was to change how unemployment is calculated, resulting in a lower rate because, for example, unemployed women were then categorized as homemakers. Najchevska noted that Gruevski used a proverb that implies terrible retribution: he said that the Devil himself will “claim his share” after the elections. “And the women, they were listening, admiring and applauding,” she concluded.

Would the real VMRO please stand up?

Alongside the more serious responses, there was no lack of mocking towards the former prime minister, including one video where “sliced, diced and glued” parts of Gruevski’s speech were put to the music of American rapper Eminem’s hit song “The Real Slim Shady”. The parody was published with the satirical title “The Real VMRO”. I know they would prefer if I disappear. / I know that / they hate us and despise us. / Like it or not, you’ll see more of me. / Blackmail, setups / VMRO is here / to boot out and humiliate. / You’ll hear from me / who is who in this state. So many years in preparation for a dictatorship / a deceiver and criminal to run the state. / He decides in this country / with filthy games and manipulations. / Look / I’m the master of this territory. / Now the Devil comes to claim his share

Past reactions from the international community to troubling developments in Macedonia’s return to democracy mainly used veiled diplomatic language, demanding responsibility from all parties without naming names. This time, the US Mission to Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe issued a very explicit note: “Statements from one political party, VMRO-DPMNE, and its leaders attacking the work of the Special Prosecutor are another source of concern”. Not one to appear subdued, Gruevski responded with a kind of “conditional” retraction of his threat, claiming that his party also supports the Special Prosecutor, but “she should be careful not to allow influence from certain political parties and instead, work under the law.”

EU Hypocrisy + Refugees = Balkanization? (Transitions Online, by Martin Ehl, 11 February 2016)

As the refugee crisis drags on, the Balkans are being crushed between authoritarian Turkey and dithering Europe.

Former Portuguese European secretary Bruno Macaes escaped after the fall of his government to write a book on political philosophy in which he probes the difference between Europe and Asia.

Currently he is traveling through the countries on the border between the two continents. Arriving from Tehran and on his way to Baku, Macaes was a guest of the Germia Hill conference, a small international gathering in Pristina last week, where he advanced the following thesis: “Maybe Western and Central Europe is now converging with the Balkans, but it should be the other way around.” The word “balkanization” has been trotted out quite often in the vocabulary of international relations for some time. The reason is that the Balkans look even more overburdened with historical conflicts than our good old Central Europe. But now most of the Balkan peninsula (the western Balkans in euro-jargon for the former Yugoslavia plus Albania) is again a key region for European security as fearful politicians watch the oncoming stream of migrants through those countries. And Central European post-communist politicians are much more eager than their more politically correct Western colleagues to help Balkan countries build a wall against the tide, which they see as a surprisingly robust threat to European unity. Balkan countries like Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania are in a delicate situation. Over the years they have been promised membership of the European Union and NATO as a reward for their reforms. But quite often they lack basic, independent public institutions and are not able to offer their citizens a decent standard of living. It is almost forgotten that last year’s refugee wave started in January and February with approximately 50,000 Kosovans traveling through Hungary to Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, seeking the better life enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of their relatives already there. But now Kosovo and other Balkan countries are declared to be safe – allowing Germany and other countries to send back their failed asylum seekers – and furthermore, they have become partners in the task of protecting the EU, which is again exporting its need for security somewhere else instead of facing the challenge head-on. Three billion euros to Turkey is a big and very visible package of aid to help dampen the refugee crisis, while Balkan smugglers in Macedonia or Albania are already preparing for big business and EU flags are nowhere to be seen there when it comes to managing the massive influx of people. EU members are helping Macedonia and other post-Yugoslav countries on a bilateral basis, sending equipment and police and hoping it will be enough to stop the nightmare.

During the debates in Pristina last week it was clear that the Balkan countries, with all their flaws and instability, are well aware that the situation could be dangerous for them as well. Elections are coming up this spring in Serbia and Macedonia. If Europe closes its borders – as some Central European EU member states (and some German politicians) counsel – migrants would begin to back up in those countries. In that scenario it would be only a matter of time before the migrant issue became ripe for misuse during the electioneering. According to Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, the EU has only until March to solve the refugee issue before the Schengen passport-free area collapses. Kosovo and Bosnia are coping with domestic Islamic radicalization and the whole region is watching as the security vacuum left in the Balkans by the West in the last few years is filled by Turkey and its more or less visible presence. Bruno Macaes’s view on the balkanization of Europe includes one delicate element: The EU’s ability to act is paralyzed not only by its own political fragility and complexity, but also by the frequently fallacious use of politically correct language. The old members are accusing the new ones and prospective Balkan incomers of rising xenophobia and nationalism – thus helping to re-create the old East-West divide – at the same time as they team up with the authoritarian Turkish president. With Turkey being a long-time EU membership candidate, post-communist politicians might feel that double standards are being applied. The collision of these two contradictory and hypocritical approaches could occur in the fragile states of the (western) Balkans. That could prolong and deepen the political stalemate in Macedonia between government and opposition or endanger the functioning of the new war-crimes tribunal in Kosovo. This divisive European approach is not a new one. We saw it applied during the wars in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo 20 years ago. Those conflicts were decided by the involvement of American realpolitik, not by Europeans. And we now witness again the same European blindness towards reality on the ground.

Martin Ehl is the foreign editor of the Czech daily Hospodarske noviny.