Brussels based correspondent of this daily considers that it would have been good if the EU should learn a lesson from the recent scandals with EULEX. This would have been a benefit for the future of the European Union and its operations outside of its territory as much as for Kosovo. The EU should act as it usually sermonizes and prove zero tolerance against corruption, if required within EU, as it requests from Balkans countries. It should also have zero tolerance towards those who impeded detection and punishment of crime in Kosovo, no matter political consequences. If this is not done, the presence of the EU in Kosovo will only organize crime better.
Palokaj considers that justifications that “this is all a frustration of a woman whose contract was not extended,’ does not stand. There is not a single accusation or scandal, there are many, therefore, instead of dealing with the motives of the prosecutor, the EU officials should deal with the content of her claims. The EU officials already admitted that there were suspicions and that investigations have been going on for a year. During the last week, Koha Ditore published each day another case and each of these cases was a scandal on its own. Finally the EU understood that the scandal cannot be “localized’ as a minor fire. In its efforts to prevent revealing of these facts, EULEX made an additional scandal by trying to make pressure on the journalist Vehbi Kajtazi, who claims to be threatened that he would be prosecuted if he published the scandals. Now, the EU has to deal with the consequences which are difficult to be repaired.
The first consequence is loss of that little trust that Kosovo citizens had on this mission, the second is loss of trust within this mission, and the third, loss of trust on the European Parliament and serious EU countries. Closure of this scandal will be more important for the future of Kosovo than who would create the future government. Palokaj holds responsible the entire chain of command starting from the judge, to Baroness Catherine Ashton. The reasons for failure should be sought at the political level and not only among the judges and prosecutors. A diplomat from an EU country ironically says that “now I understand why Kosovo politicians express full support for EULEX’s work.
EU should immediately give up its efforts to find EULEX’s enemies. The disappointed ones are not the ones that used to be against this mission, but those who had great expectations, writes Palokaj, mentioning several EU representatives and Euro Deputies among them. For Kosovo citizens, EULEX’s failure is not only a scandal but a tragedy. They are losing faith on justice and on those that they believed to have come to Kosovo to bring examples from the most democratic countries on how does the rule of law function. EU mentioned for years that EULEX is the greatest, most important and expensive civilian mission in its history, concludes Palokaj.
