LOCAL PRESS

Government sets up working group for dialogue on Kosovo (Tanjug/B92)

The Serbian government on Monday adopted a decision to form a working group tasked with supporting internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija. All ministries will be included in the working group’s activities, and it will be headed by the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric, a statement said. The working group will offer support to authorities, organizations and bodies in the process of conducting the internal dialogue, as well as monitor and coordinate activities undertaken by state authorities in the process of conducting the dialogue.

Vucic on pressures, Kosovo (Novosti)

The essence of the policy that I advocate is an independent Serbia; independent not only in its borders, but first of all in decision-making and care for its people. If someone cannot understand this, then it is their problem. Let everybody know: we will conduct a united – Serbian policy that foreigners will not interfere with as long as I am at the helm of the state, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Novosti in an interview.

Will you be under even greater pressure of the West over the “Mig” planes?

“Let me be open: there is not too much dilemma here. I am faced with this on a daily basis, not only from one side, but from different sides.”

How do these pressures look like? You are called by this and that…

“If you insist, I will tell you that these threats were most openly voiced in Brussels. I was requested to accept for Kosovo to enter the UN and for the regional police to be in compliance with the number of inhabitants of the seven municipalities in the north, meaning that in Leposavic, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and northern Mitrovica there would be 68 percent of Albanian and 32 percent of Serb policemen. I didn’t agree to accept these communist districts, but to go for a special district – North Kosovo, and based on this to create a regional police where there would be 90 percent of Serbs. They refused to accept this and open threats started.”

What did they tell you?

“I finished my carrier, you are done! I said, no problem, and after ten days they accepted the Serbian objections. The second torturous scene was regarding the famous train that they haven’t seen. They used this in a wish to bring the police and special Rosu units to the north. I said: if the Albanians head towards our people we need to protect it, and we will move our units from Kragujevac to Kraljevo. Then one ambassador called me. This was an exchange of insults and harsh words, along with a raised tone from both sides. I ended the conversation with the words – as long as you are alive, do not think of managing police and army movements. I personally told this to the one who exerted this pressure on me. In the end, the result is that Rosu and the Albanian police are not in northern Kosovo and Metohija.”

You have recently spoken with Putin. Did you mention the status of the center in Nis?

“We didn’t mention that, but we had discussed this earlier on several occasions.”

Will Serbia grant this status to Russian staff in Nis?

“This is an issue for the government and I am quite sure that they will need to resolve this issue soon.”

Is their truth in rumors that the negotiations with the EU will be frozen until we grant immunity to the Russians in Nis?

“I haven’t heard this and this would certainly be overstated, but I heard many harsh words and blackmails regarding this. On the other hand, I heard much insisting on this topic.”

Are we getting closer to the ravine where the policy both EU and Russia would not be possible anymore?

“We have a clear policy, without balance. We are heading towards the EU and we are keeping the best possible relations with Russia. Who doesn’t wish to understand this, doesn’t need to understand.”

Still, will we have to introduce sanctions to Moscow?

“I have been listening to this story for five years now. We didn’t introduce sanctions to Russia, nor do we intend to. Our interest is to become EU member, but without joining NATO or any other military alliance.”

Have you heard in the near past a more shameless stand than the assessment of the EC on Kosovo and Catalonia?

“That personally struck me. Such ignorance of facts insults common sense. This was also obvious in 2008 when they passed the decision on independence of Kosovo.”

Is giving up from the protest letter to the EC a result of empathy towards Spain or has there also been pressure from Brussels?

“I have learned that the EU would not like us to send the letter, but we would have done so had not the Spaniards directly addressed us with the request not to do this as we are making their position more difficult. We have given up and this is fair, since Spain was very fair towards us many times. I know all who pressured Rajoy to give in and recognize Kosovo, but he didn’t want to. I also spoke about this with King of Spain Felipe not so long ago in Kazakhstan.”

What is this bold solution for Kosovo and Metohija that you have been mentioning and why does it require such courage?

“That is any solution that is different from the easiest ‘solutions’ such as slogans about our million-year-long territory , as well the other in which they require you to say – long live independent Kosovo. Thus, this will be a solution that requires painful compromises from both sides and that will be attacked from all sides. It is realistic that we come forward with the proposal for Kosovo in March next year.”

Does our state have the capacity to fight for division of the province?

“Everything that I would propose at this moment would be interpreted as imposing of a solution. I want to hear what the people think about that. We are not alone in this dialogue. The US, Russia, China, the EU are also in this, as well as the Albanians.”

Haradinaj claims that the dialogue in Brussels will not resume if the US doesn’t join the negotiations. If the format of the talks is changed, would you invite Russia and China to the table?

“As far as we are concerned, the EU is the main mediator. The former authorities headed by Tadic and Jeremic accepted for this topic to be moved from the UN. Even though we respect the US role, any change of format of the dialogue would require Serbia’s response and acceptance.”

Are you afraid of the opening of hotspots in the RS? Dodik is not hiding that his political mission is separation of the RS.

“I am very concerned over the situation there. I would like the possibility of any clash to be avoided. My stand is that we respect the integrity of B&H, as well as the integrity of the RS within B&H.”
Covic, Vucic agree to hold trilateral meeting of B&H, Serbia and Croatia (Beta/RTS)

Chairman of B&H Presidency Dragan Covic has met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on Monday. They reiterated that relations of the two countries are a key to stability and peace in Western Balkans. Vucic stated that B&H is one of the most important foreign policy partners of Serbia. They also confirmed the idea to hold a trilateral meeting at any level among B&H, Serbia and Croatia. Vucic said that they also talked about the issue of borders between the two countries reminding that 373 kilometers of the border were already agreed upon. He added that the border in the areas near hydro-electric power plant Zvornik and hydro-electric power plant Bajina Basta has not been harmonized yet. Vucic said that he repeats on daily base that Serbia respects territorial integrity of B&H and of the RS hoping to gain trust of those who are still suspicious towards Belgrade. “We are not deceiving or lying anyone, we speak what we think and what is pour policy. I think that this is the best policy, which preserves peace and which benefits Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats,” said Vucic. He noted that Belgrade’s priority is to take care of Serbian citizens and to assist Serb people in the RS, through concrete projects of construction of schools and kindergartens. Vucic stressed that he completely agrees with RS President Milorad Dodik that cooperation between Serbia and the RS can be even better and stronger.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik: Extend deadline for holding referendum on B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office (Srna)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has said that it was concluded at a meeting held on the occasion of the acquittal of Naser Oric that a special session of the RS parliament dedicated to the operations of the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office should be held and that a new law on the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office should be enacted. He has said that it was concluded that it is necessary to extend the deadline for holding a referendum on the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office and supplement the decision on the RS Referendum Commission on the basis of agreement by all, primarily the opposition in the RS. “I call on the opposition to support within ten days the holding of a referendum with proposed amendments, and if there is no agreement, the decision on a referendum should be temporary withdrawn until a consensus in the RS is reached,” Dodik told reporters in Banja Luka after the meeting held on the occasion of the acquittal of Naser Oric. Dodik has said that in the meantime, an initiative should be supported to launch a petition with a question similar to a referendum question on the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office and that at least 500,000 signatures should be collected in the RS. Dodik has said that according to the Dayton Agreement the judiciary is in the exclusive competence of the Entities, and that such unconstitutional, anti-Dayton judiciary imposed by the international community is unacceptable for the RS. “We agreed that the state of affairs in the imposed judicial institutions at the level of B&H is unbearable and unsustainable, and that the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office generate inter-ethnic hatred in B&H and do not contribute to reconciliation of peoples,” Dodik has said. He has said that the RS will not agree to any after-the-fact verification of any of the RS competences transferred to B&H which were stipulated as RS competences by the Dayton Agreement. “Such operations of the judicial institutions at the level of B&H could have unforeseeable consequences for the survival of B&H as a state union.

He has said that exclusively Serbs were accused by these institutions of genocide and crimes against humanity, and that 41 Serbs were either accused or sentenced for these crimes and not a single Bosniak or Croat. The B&H judiciary, Dodik says, sentenced Serbs to 1,728 years in prison, which is 74.5% of a total number of years in prison rendered by the B&H Court, while it sentenced Bosniaks to prison terms making 14% and Croats to prison terms making 11% of a total number of years in prison rendered by the B&H Court. “The B&H judiciary has never prosecuted crimes from the beginning of the war, from Kupres, Sijekovac, the Tuzla Convoy to Bradina, Bratunac and other crimes, and the discriminatory attitude of the B&H Prosecutor’s Office is clear,” he said. Dodik has said that the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office are deliberately avoiding prosecuting or condemning crimes against Serbs in the area of Srebrenica, since they want to maintain the myth of the sufferings of only one people in that town, even though the facts show that Serbs were killed in great numbers there. “There were 536 prison camps for Serbs in the territory of the FB&H, and there are no any investigations or judgments,” Dodik has said. He has said that it was concluded that it is a disgrace that judges with criminal past are sitting in the B&H Court and demanded the B&H High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council to remove from courts anyone who has connections with war-time judicial institutions. “We agreed that the intervention of the High Representative and the alleged judicial reform did not contribute to either ethnic trust or results in the prosecution of war crimes or any other cases,” Dodik has said. According to him, it was agreed at the meeting that the B&H Court by its rulings tried to change the character of the war in B&H which was defined by the Dayton Agreement as a tragic conflict in the region. Dodik has said that it was agreed at the meeting that a withdrawal of Serbian judges and prosecutors from the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office would be the most effective solution in this situation but that it is realistic and possible only if such a move would get the support from RS representatives in B&H institutions. “We call on Serbs in B&H institutions to support their withdrawal until a new law on the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office with clear competences is enacted, particularly when it comes to selection of judges and prosecutors whose selection would be conducted in legislative bodies at all government levels, until which time every decision-making at the level of B&H should be halted,” Dodik has said.

Stevandic: Referendum should be postponed if ruling coalition and opposition fail to reach an agreement on it (ATV)

RS Assembly Deputy Speaker and ‘Ujedinjena Srpska’ leader Nenad Stevandic accused the RS opposition at the press conference in Banja Luka on Sunday of planning to cause incidents at the next session of the RS Assembly and thus provoke conflicts in the RS. He stressed that this is the reason why the opposition leaders failed to attend the meeting organized by RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik in Banja Luka on Saturday, when the agreement on a joint stance on the referendum on the work of the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office was supposed to be reached. Stevandic again called on the opposition for cooperation, reminding that a 10-day deadline set by Dodik on Saturday is expiring. He added that in case the opposition leaders fail to say if they support the referendum or are against it within the deadline, a special session of the RS Assembly will be held in order to postpone the referendum. “If no consensus is reached on this issue, it is not realistic for the referendum to be a source of new divisions and conflicts in the RS and it will be rational to postpone the referendum – not to annul it,” Stevandic explained.

SDS calls on Dodik to resign (TV1)

SDS representatives said on Sunday that RS President Milorad Dodik should resign and be the president of all citizens of the RS and not the spokesperson for the RS Assembly. SDS representatives stressed that the RSNA must comply with the 50-day deadline and implement the referendum on the work of the B&H Court and the Prosecutor’s Office. Member of SDS Main Board Zoran Latinovic said that they expect the referendum to be called, noting that SDS leadership, members and sympathizers will be among the first people who will vote in the referendum and who will support the referendum.

Cvijanovic: We still hope that Law on Excise Duties could be adopted by end of October (RTRS)

RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic said on Sunday at a meeting with representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington that implementation of the Reform Agenda and the agreed processes is hindered by the lack of parliamentary majority at the level of B&H, which is a proof that the authorities at the level of B&H are hindering reform processes. According to Cvijanovic, all responsibilities concerning the IMF’s credit arrangement were fulfilled by the RS government by December 2016 and that the arrangement is being halted at B&H level. The adoption of the Law on Excise Duties in B&H is one of the conditions made by the IMF for this new credit arrangement and Cvijanovic discussed with the representatives of IMF in Washington on a possible ‘Plan B’, if the representatives in the B&H parliament fail to adopt this Law. “We talked about other options, what are other plans and how can we preserve this credit arrangement. But, in any case the final decisions and plan will be something that we will discuss during their upcoming visit scheduled for November. We still hope that the Law could be adopted by the end of October,” said Cvijanovic.

B&H CEC sends proposal of changes to Election Law for which there may be consent in B&H parliament (Dnevni avaz)

President of the B&H Central Election Commission (CEC) Irena Hadziabdic confirmed in a statement for the daily that the CEC B&H sent its proposals of changes to the B&H Election Law to interdepartmental working group in charge of election legislation changes. The CEC forwarded the proposal of changes for which there may be consent in the B&H parliament, and they include introducing of early vote for those voters who are not able to vote in their polling station on the day of election for justified reasons, and several other changes that should improve election process. Hadziabdic also said that all seven members of the CEC support the changes they sent, and that it is on the interdepartmental working group now to decide if the changes will be sent to procedure in form of law proposal. The CEC also proposed that presidents of election boards are selected in a public vacancy in a non-election year, and that city and municipal election commissions are responsible for their work. Also, the CEC proposed penalties for malversations in election boards as well as ban of use of public resources for self-promotion or promotion of political party. According to Hadziabdic, the Commission also proposed the law changes that would disable misuse of ethnic affiliation, which means that ethnic affiliation of a candidate from the 2013 census would be taken as valid in case of change of ethnic affiliation during a 4-year term.

DPS ready for a dialogue (CDM)

DPS is ready for a dialogue with opposition and it welcomes the readiness of OSCE office to support the process of recommendations for elections. DPS stated they were ready to talk about the implementation of OSCE recommendations with other political subjects. “Countless times we have expressed our readiness for dialogue and taking into account initiatives of our political opposition”, DPS stated. They noted that certain opposition representatives display abilities of manipulation in looking for supporters on the international scene. “Such expectations are negated by the fact that all international institutions recognized the results of last year’s elections, and that they deny the effectiveness of a boycott in a parliamentary democracy”, DPS stated. They said that the blackmail regarding new elections was unacceptable. “Last year’s elections were accepted as legal and legitimate, and repeating them would represent a mockery of democracy”, DPS concluded.

Zaev: Victory is an expression of the free will of the citizens (Meta)

At the celebration in front of the government building after success in the first round of local elections, Prime Minister and SDSM leader Zoran Zaev “congratulated the freedom”. He said that they it was a challenge to organize free elections, and the result of this is the expression of the free will of citizens tonight. “I want to congratulate all citizens. With the freely expressed will, the people sent a message and support for new government policy, a society for all, growth and development of the economy,” said Zaev. He told citizens that SDSM and the coalition won the first round in Gjorce Petrov, Karpos, Centre, Aerodrom, Suto Orizari, Zelenikovo, Aracinovo, Kumanovo, Rankovce, Kriva Palanka, Kratovo, Kocani, Pehchevo, Delchevo, Berovo, Konche, Radovish, Vasilevo, Bosilovo, Novo Selo, Strumica, Valandovo, Bogdanci, Dojran, Gevgelija, Demir Kapija, Negotino, Lozovo, Veles, Prilep, Bitola, Resen, Ohrid, Debarca, Vevcani, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Rostushe and Jagunovce. Zaev said that in Kisela Voda, Butel and Gazi Baba, the results were narrow. “For the City of Skopje, if this trend continues, we will win the first round,” Zaev said. The Prime Minister told the future mayors that the era of local sheriffs has ended and that they require honest work and responsibility from them. He told them to listen to the people “because they knows what is right and what is q priority”. “I appeal for honesty, dedication and responsibility. I demand a responsible local and central government. The joy is great, but the responsibility is huge,” said Zaev.

45 municipalities get mayors after first round, runoff is slated in 35 municipalities (Republika)

Forty-five municipalities got mayors in the first round of Sunday’s local elections and a runoff is slated for October 29 in 35 municipalities across Macedonia. In the first round, Macedonia elected mayors in Aerodrom, Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bosilovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Vevcani, Veles, Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Dojran, Zelenikovo, Ilinden, Karpos, Kicevo, Konce, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lozovo, Mavrovo-Rostuse, Negotino, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Petrovec, Pehcevo, Plasnica, Prilep, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Sveti Nikole, Sopiste, Strumica, Centar, Centar Zupa, Cucer Sandevo and Debarca. A runoff will be organized in Bogovinje, Brvenica, Butel, Vinica, Vrapiste, Gazi Baba, Gostivar, Gradsko, Debar, Demir Kapija, Probistip, Rosoman, Dolneni, Zelino, Zrnovci, Jegonovce, Kavadarci, Karbinci, Kisela Voda, Lipkovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mogila, Novaci, Saraj, Staro Nagoricane, Struga, Studenicani, Tearce, Tetovo, Cair, Caska, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Stip and Suto Orizari. In the first round, SDSM won 37 mayoral seats, followed by VMRO-DPMNE with three, DUI with 2, an independent group two and one mayoral seat was won by the Democratic Party of Turks. SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE will face off in the second round in 19 municipalities, DUI and the Alliance for the Albanians will vie in five municipalities, DUI and BESA in seven. One municipality will see a face-off between an independent candidate and a VMRO-DPMNE hopeful, DUI and SDSM will compete in one municipality, SDSM and the Alliance of the Roma in another municipality. DPA and BESA will also vie for votes of the residents of one municipality. It is still uncertain whether Skopje will get a mayor after the first round. With 96.79 votes counted, SDSM’s candidate Petre Silegov leads ahead of his opponent, VMRO-DPMNE’s Koce Trajanovski – 50.27% and 36.01% respectively. After votes from the remaining 22 polling stations are counted, it will be known whether Skopje gets a new mayor in the first round or the rivals of the two largest parties will face off in the October 29 runoff.

Zijadin Sela declared victory in the first round in Struga and Gostivar (Republika)

According to sources of Zijadin Sela’s Alliance for the Albanians, their representatives are winners in the first round in Struga and Gostivar, and enter the second round in Bogovinje, Vrapciste and Aracinovo and most likely in Debar. The Alliance for the Albanians announced a press conference with more detailed information in a half hour at the headquarters of the party in Tetovo.

Gruevski claims there were irregularities during the entire campaign (Meta)

The leader of the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, Nikola Gruevski thanked in Skopje all the citizens who voted and told them that they had protected the democracy in the Republic of Macedonia with this act and showed care for their fellow citizens and their municipalities. “I want to thank all citizens and I hope for successful elections, that is, elections that are best for the Republic of Macedonia. Also, I want to note that throughout the past period there were visible irregularities and illegalities, both during the campaign and today, but we will inform of this when the time comes”, said Gruevski.

Ahmeti: It is important that all participants accept the results of these elections (Meta)

DUI’s view is that the elections occurred in a peaceful, fair and democratic atmosphere, said a spokesman for DUI’s Central Election Headquarters, Arber Ademi, at a press conference at the end of the election. “DUI believes that today’s local elections passed in a peaceful, fair, correct and democratic atmosphere. The citizens proved that they are for NATO and the EU, as well as for strong and developed municipalities. All participants in today’s election process have contributed to it being brought to European standards”, said Ademi from the party headquarters in Tetovo. According to estimates by DUI’s central election headquarters, the party’s candidates are the biggest favorites for a landslide victory wherever they have submitted nominations for local elections.

Srbov: Election day with over 100 irregularities, public witnesses what elections organized by SDSM look like (Republika)

Today, the public witnessed what elections organized by SDSM look like, what we saw during the whole election campaign, we saw today, said Nikola Srbov from VMRO-DPMNE at a press conference. Election day was marked by numerous irregularities and violation of the state code, state resources were usurped, pressure was exercised, votes were bribed, citizens were constantly transported to the polling stations, ballot papers from the municipality of Karposh appeared in Ohrid, and police jeeps with supporters SDSM circulated in several cities. We should only be happy that there were no casualties and injuries, although many irregularities occurred during the day. All these irregularities have been recorded and international representatives will be informed. At the moment, the results of the polling stations are arriving, stressed Srbov.

Responding to a journalist question, Srbov said that VMRO-DPMNE leads convincingly in several municipalities.

MOST observers to present report on Macedonia’s local election (Republika)

The reports of 2,500 observers of the Citizen’s Association MOST deployed at close to 50 percent of the polling stations across Macedonia notify a violation of the voting procedure which resulted in a reaction by the electoral board, MOST Executive Director Darko Aleksov told a press conference on Sunday. These reports should be taken into consideration to determine whether the authorized institutions responded to the developments at the polling stations, Aleksov said. MOST, he said, registered less than 50 cases of irregularities during the voting process.

SMI, Vasili warns of parliamentary collapse (ADN)

The chairman of Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) parliamentary group Petrit Vasili warns of the gradual collapse of the parliamentary republic in Albania. In a public statement issued on Sunday he stressed that Albania’s parliamentary republic is collapsing due to the devastating leadership of parliament and the Premier’s criminalization. The abyss that stands in Albanian path thanks to this indocile Prime Minister and his entourage criminal incapacity is clearly visible in the eyes of the European media. The degraded parliament, where such level of servile attitude by the leadership had not been seen even in the early days of pluralism, has become the arena where the biological and political paranoia of a mind-lost Premier are being realized while parliamentary system bears the coasts. We are living the Labor Party parliament while the parliamentary republic is being brought down by communist-era atavisms, declared Vasili.  He also stressed that the country is dangerously sliding into the hands of the organized crime while adding that only one man should be hold responsible for the life of thousands of families and businesses. Rama is the only man to be blamed for this wrong way of doing. He will leave one day letting a huge fire behind, stated Vasili.  He concluded the declaration by quoting the European Council in relation to the foreign affairs. Albania has a deep political division, where politics and clan relations intertwine into a network of vengeance and corruption. Drug trafficking and money laundering are booming in this country. Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, instead of responding to these government failures, has recently worsened the situation by talking about Greater Albania.

Parliament votes pro-electoral reform and minorities law (ADN)

Parliament voted late on Friday to increase a new ad-hoc parliamentary committee on the electoral reform and pro a new law on minorities. With consensus, parliament voted with 116 votes pro the ad-hoc committee which will be composed by 18 members to realize the new electoral reform in Albania. Part of this Committee will be all political parties in parliament.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Bieber: More inward-looking Austria expected, WB might lose a reform partner (European Western Balkans, by Nikola Burazer,  16 October 2017)

In the Austrian parliamentary elections, which were held on 15 October, Sebastian Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) won a relative majority of votes and looks set to form a new government. Many believe that the coalition with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is more likely than the continuation of the current coalition, where the People’s Party governs together with the Socialists. According to Florian Bieber, professor at the University of Graz and member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), “the election results are not much of a surprise”. Bieber expects Kurz’s People’s Party to form a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria. “His party became the strongest party and very clearly shifts towards a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party, which was very much expected. Both his voters and voters of the Freedom Party expect to cooperate. So all signal towards a new coalition which also has a majority in the new parliament, and that is very clear no matter what the final results will be.” According to Bieber, this is a second time that a conservatives are forming a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party, the first time being in 1999. However, as Bieber points out, “back then the Freedom Party and Conservatives were roughly equal in support, so this is the first time that the conservatives are clearly stronger than the Freedom Party, which gives them a stronger bargaining position.” As Bieber points out, the Freedom Party is more interested in internal policies. “The chancellor will be Sebastian Kurz, the Freedom Party will be well represented, and their focus is more toward domestic politics, so you can expect that Freedom Party will focus more on issues such as the interior. Their policies are anti-immigration, so the Ministry of the Interior will be the key ministry.” One of the biggest issues will be the choice of the new foreign minister, which is a position that traditionally belongs to the junior partner in a coalition. However, Bieber believes this is unlikely. “It seems unlikely for two reasons. First of all, the Conservatives have always been in control of the foreign ministry, so it is unlikely that they would let it go. Secondly, the Freedom Party makes for a bad international partner, so it is likely that Kurz will insist not to have a Freedom Party Foreign Minister, which would bring difficulties for Austria, especially considering that Austria will hold presidency over the European Council next year.” According to Bieber, there are some individuals in the Freedom Party, such as former presidential candidate Norbert Hofer, who could be appointed as Foreign Minister, but it could as well be that the new Foreign Minister will be a “neutral” figure.

When it comes to the policy on EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, it is important to understand that both Kurz and the Freedom Party are more interested in domestic politics and the issue of immigration. “Sebastian Kurz, who was a Foreign Minister, who has been quite interested in the Western Balkans, but after initial general interest he was pursuing a very Austrian domestic policy agenda which is pretty much focused on closing the immigrant routes and using the influence in the Western Balkans for that particular purpose.” According to Bieber, similar could be expected from the Freedom Party. “Overall expectation would be that the Freedom Party will pursue a very similar policy, and that they would also subordinate any reforms toward stability and towards preventing migrants from coming to Austria. This would be a shared foreign policy concern.” Bieber believes that the Freedom Party’s endorsment of the independence of Republika Srpska and opposition to Kosovo’s independence could be destructive for the Western Balkans if they would hold the position of Foreign Minister. “It would have a more destructive policy, because first, it is more anti-immigrant than Kurz, and they have also openly endorsed secession of Republika Srpska and opposed the independence of Kosovo. It is unlikely that they would pursue this as a foreign policy of Austria, but it is certainly something which would be bringing trouble to the Western Balkans.” However, Bieber believes that a more inward-looking Austria is the more likely scenario, which could also affect enlargement. “A more inward-looking Austria, Austria which is more focused on foreign policy as an extension of its domestic anti-immigrant policies, where both the Conservatives and the far right agree, which means that Austria might continue to support enlargement, but for selfish reasons, and not as a push for reform. In that sense, maybe we could say that the Western Balkans might likely be losing a reform-oriented partner in the European Union.”