In ten months EULEX will end its mission and would leave Kosovo, but it is already clear that no one will complain. If there is something about which Kosovo Albanians and Serbs agree then it is about the final results of this mission and that they are very poor.
Though, Gabrielle Meucci EULEX Chief is not unhappy with the results of the mission’s performance and vividly explained that “EULEX mission was not entrusted to supermen who came to arrest everyone in Kosovo”.
Ilir Deda, Self-Determination, the movement which the most was against EULEX, says that results of this mission are equal to zero. Rada Trajkovic is also unsatisfied with the mission outcome, but nevertheless believes that Serbs without EULEX would be more endangered.
Legal basis to form the EULEX mission gave the so-called six point plan, which was signed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the then Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic.
Announced as a winning combination by the European centres of power that would enforce European standards in the judiciary, customs and police and therefore restore order in Kosovo society, EULEX mission became the biggest source of corruption and part of the problem, which was trying to solve.
The closure of the criminal proceedings against KLA commander Fatmir Limaj and conducting trials against Oliver Ivanovic, who, despite the statements which relieved him of liability, is still held in detention, are examples which show that international prosecutors and judges in Kosovo have taken over local patterns of behaviour, instead of introducing legal standards of the countries from which they came.
Current Chief of EULEX, however, believes that they are not bad, since they brought 550 judgements. On remark that EULEX prosecutors in seven years failed to prosecute any “big political fish” from Pristina, Meucci replied that “EULEX is not company for fishing.”
Most probably because their courts often prosecuted thieves of apples and cars, as it was ironically stated by Andrea Capussela, ex Italian official in Pristina, who led the Office for Economic and Financial Affairs at the International Civilian Office in Pristina. He states that of all cases of corruption, around 25, with which EULEX dealt since 2008, none resulted in conviction of the suspect from the Kosovo political elite.
Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric asked what people got from EULEX and how many those responsible for war crimes during the period of work of this mission were punished, how many leaders of organized crime were placed behind the bars.
Rada Trajkovic from the European Movement said that corruption potential of the Albanian leaders was huge so a significant part of EULEX personnel succumbed to corruption.
Ilir Deda from the Self-Determination said that EULEX mission was so discredited that it should end. He also noted lack of support in fight against corruption and organized crime, and strengthening of judicial authorities.
Nexhmedin Spahiu, Professor of the University of Pristina, believed that EULEX and UNMIK missions deserved a passing grade but recalls that neither of these two missions did have enough courage to confront evil. He said that Kosovo society bears the costs.
