LOCAL PRESS

 

FM wants status of Russian-Serbian Center "solved" (Politika)

Ivica Dacic has announced an initiative with the PM to solve the diplomatic status of the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center (RSHC) in Nis, southern Serbia.

"This issue needs to be solved, one way or the other. I have special responsibility because (Russian Defense Minister) Sergei Shoigu and I formed that center," the Serbian Foreign Minister told the daily Politika. Dacic said that an agreement on the conditions of the personnel's stay, privileges and immunities has been on hold since August 2014.

"Western countries have their objections, although they received the same, and more, through agreements with Serbia," he said. Dacic then reminded of the fact that Serbia's former President Boris Tadic and then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2006 signed an agreement on the protection of the status and access to infrastructure in Serbia that grants members of the US army and civilian staff of the Defense Department a status equivalent to that of the US embassy's administrative and technical staff.

An agreement with NATO members and other Partnership for Peace participants, confirmed in the Serbian Assembly in 2015, contains similar formulations, while NATO's Military Office essentially enjoys diplomatic immunity, Dacic said.

"What, then, is the problem with the center in Nis, which is not even military but civilian and humanitarian, and joint Serbian-Russian? The draft agreement states almost the same formulations," he said, and asked whether the problem was is this being about Russia.

Dacic pointed out that the situation has been causing problems for the center's functioning for a third year, considering that Russia is not spending the money it earmarked because of the unsolved status of the RSHC.

"This issue has to be solved, or the center should be shut down. Serbia must look after its own interests, if it has bilateral agreements with other countries, then it should have them with Russia," Dacic concluded.

 

Joksimovic, Djuric tell EU ambassadors that Serbia expects more active, clearer EU (Beta)

Minister in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic has said that ambassadors from EU member states were told at a meeting in Belgrade on May 4 that Serbia expected a clearer and more active role of the EU in stabilizing the situation in the region.

Joksimovic told a news conference that statements and verbal condemnation were not enough, rather that the explicit help of the Union and a plan for overcoming the present situation were needed.

"Everyone in some phase of the process of joining the EU has obligations regarding regional stability and cooperation with neighbors, and we pointed this out to our partners in the EU," Joksimovic said, adding that that was not just Serbia's problem, but a much wider one and possibly strategic. Joksimovic said that partnership with the EU and candidate status, in addition to obligations, came with the right to "communicate with member states in an equal manner and to voice concern about things that have to do with the region."

The minister added that after several weeks of intense rhetoric from different sides, which had the effect of undermining stability in the region and which was largely directed against Serbia's interests, it "is the right moment" to speak openly with Serbia's European partners.

"We told the embassies that we consider this rhetoric by those aspiring to become candidates and join the EU absolutely unacceptable to Serbia, and that it ought to be unacceptable to the EU," Joksimovic said, adding that the rhetoric in question was ant civilizational, did not belong in the 21st century and was not rooted in European values, especially the kind of rhetoric that pertained to territorial aspirations. Joksimovic said that the ambassadors "showed an understanding for the need to have the EU be more visible and active."

Head of the Serbian Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said that the EU had influence in the region and that it had a security presence, and that, in addition to verbal condemnation, it needed to take concrete steps to prevent a further escalation of the situation.

Djuric said that at the meeting with the EU's ambassadors, Serbia's devotion to dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was reiterated along with Serbia's devotion to solving problems through talks. He said that the hand offered by Vucic was "a hand of cooperation," but that it was not a hand that would suddenly allow the region to collapse into the "hell of clashes, war and conflict."

"Serbia supports cooperation and building better relations, but not by staying quiet and pushing its head underneath the carpet, while the most horrifying things are happening," Djuric said. Serbian officials, he said, acquainted the EU's ambassadors with the series of steps that had been taken over the past several months by representatives of Albanian political parties and Kosovo institutions, such as adopting a decree on appropriating Serbia's entire property in Kosovo or a resolution on the cessation of dialogue with Belgrade until the Ramush Haradinaj case was solved.

"It is unacceptable for threats to give positive political results to those who threaten. Those who threaten are bullies and need to be politically punished, and not rewarded by appeasing their requests," Djuric said.

 

Serbia delivers non-paper to EU regarding "Greater Albania" (Vecernje Novosti)

Serbia has handed a non-paper with four demands to EU ambassadors, regarding the tensions in the region and "the legitimization of the Greater Albania project."

The daily Vecernje Novosti reported this a day after the meeting in Belgrade between the ambassadors of member-states and Serbian Minister without Portfolio for EU Integration Jadranka Joksimovic, and Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric. The document, presented during the meeting, asks relevant international actors to condemn aggressive rhetoric that pushes the Western Balkans into new conflicts and divisions. Serbia also wants the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, a balanced, political and peaceful solution to the crisis in Macedonia, and respect for international standards in terms of respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of internationally recognized states. The document, among other things, cites the most extreme statements made by Albanian political leaders since the beginning of the year.

Djuric will next week deliver the same paper to UNMIK chief Zahir Tanin with a request to forward it to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the paper said it learned. The meeting was attended by ambassadors of almost all EU member states, including the five that have not recognized Kosovo. The newspaper is reporting that French ambassador Christine Moro, German Ambassador Axel Dittmann and EU Representative Oskar Benedikt spent the most time explaining EU's positions. To the the arguments of Joksimovic and Djuric about the aggressive behavior of Albanians and the need for greater involvement of Brussels, EU diplomats responded by saying that all sides should work to calm the situation, while the aim was peace and stability in the region.

 

Zaev: Macedonia will be neutral in vote on Kosovo’s admission to UNESCO (Prva TV)

The President of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, has stated that Macedonia will be "neutral" in the next vote on the admission of Kosovo to UNESCO. Asked by Prva TV what Macedonia's stance would be in the future vote on the admission of Kosovo to UNESCO, Zaev briefly replied: "Neutral."

He said he wished to look to the future and build good relations and that, if he had "exaggerated" in his recent statements about the authorities in Serbia, he was prepared to withdraw them if they had caused "any bad feelings to the politicians."

Asked whether the Albanian political partners had told him that the genocide lawsuit against Serbia was part of their program, Zaev replied: "No – they can make any political statement they want."

Zaev explained that it was up to them to say what they meant by such statements and that he believed the issue of genocide, mentioned in the document “the Tirana platform” and the stands expressed there should be left in the past.

"We are politicians and we should look forward" Zaev added.

 

Nikolic: Serbia will back African union's candidate for Director-General of WTO (Beta)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on May 4 that Serbia would back Ethiopian politician Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' candidacy for Director-General of the World Health Organization (WTO). Ghebreyesus, a candidate of the African Union for Director-General of the WTO and a special aide to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, asked Nikolic in the name of Africa for Serbia's support in the election of the WTO's topmost official, adding that Serbia was a country that had always cultivated friendship with African states and had actively and selflessly offered its help during their battle for freedom and the independence of the African people, the Serbian Presidency said in a statement.

Nikolic said that it was logical for specific international organizations like the WTO, to be led by competent people from areas where the help of these organizations was most needed and who best knew the ways for dispensing this aid in the most efficient way, which was why Serbia supported Ghebreyesus' candidacy.

Serbia is one of the rare countries in the world that never saw Africa as a continent that needs to be exploited, but as an assembly of states and nations that are friends and with whom one can work with to the benefit of all sides, Nikolic said, and added that

Serbia was grateful that the majority of African countries, including Ethiopia, had not recognized Kosovo.

 

Joksimovic discusses EU accession, reforms with U.N. Coordinator (Beta)

The Serbian minister in charge of European integration, Jadranka Joksimovic, met on May 4 with the U.N. resident coordinator in Serbia, Karla Robin Hershey, and discussed the models of U.N. assistance in the fields important for the EU accession and reforms. Joksimovic said cooperation with the world organization's agencies was efficient, good, intensive and very important for the state, the Serbian government stated.

Hershey said the system of U.N. agencies was at Serbia's disposal for aid and support in the implementation of national strategies and, particularly, the accomplishing of sustainable U.N. development goals until 2030, and the continued European integration of the state, the statement reads. Joksimovic said the future support of U.N. agencies in the fields of regional and local development was also very important, and support to vulnerable social groups. She added that membership in the European Union was the strategic orientation of Serbia, which intended to prepare well for the EU through internal reforms, in which the help from U.N. agencies was precious.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Members of Bosniak Caucus in B&H HoP invoke mechanism of protection of vital national interest because of amendments to B&H Election Law proposed by HDZ B&H (TV1)

Members of the Bosniak Caucus in the House of Peoples (HoP) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) invoked on Thursday the mechanism of protection of vital national interest because they believe amendments to the B&H Election Law, which were sent into parliamentary procedure by the Croat Caucus, are detrimental for Bosniaks. Members of the Bosniak Caucus reached a decision to invoke the mechanism of protection of vital national interest after the B&H HoP adopted a decision to discuss the proposed amendments to the B&H Election Law in an urgent procedure.

Five Croat delegates and three Serb delegates were in favor of discussing the amendments in an urgent procedure. Members of the Bosniak Caucus in the B&H HoP said that solutions offered in the proposal of Croat People's Assembly (HNS) are unacceptable both when it comes to the election of members of the B&H Presidency and delegates to the Federation of B&H HoP and elections in Mostar. Bosniak delegates explained that the proposed model does not solve one of the key issues - the issue of implementation of 'Sejdic-Finci' ruling.

Head of Bosniak Caucus in the B&H HoP Halid Genjac said that if accepted, the proposed solution, when it comes to the election of B&H Presidency members, would lead to a situation which is, in the context of the European Convention on Human Rights, even more unfavorable than the existing solution.

Delegate of the Bosniak Caucus in the B&H HoP Fahrudin Radoncic recalled that B&H is the only country in the world which does not have a second round of elections for members of the Presidency.

"We also do not have modus of snap elections. Too many important issues have been left out for us to vote on such a law in an urgent procedure," Radoncic underlined. Bosniak delegates further said that the offered model of election of delegates to the Federation of B&H HoP is also unfavorable, noting that peoples would not have equal rights on the territory of the Federation of B&H. This would mean that a Croat from Sarajevo could not be elected to the Federation of B&H HoP, as well as a Bosniak from Livno.

Delegate of the Croat Caucus in the B&H HoP Mario Karamatic said that if (DF leader) Zeljko Komsic can receive votes in Livno, Posusje and Orasje, then he can be a member of the B&H Presidency. "But, he will not be imposed by the Bosniak majority from Bascarsija to Ilidza," Karamatic stressed.

Members of the Croat Caucus in the B&H HoP are convinced that the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H will dismiss the request of Bosniak Caucus as unfounded, rejecting the claim that the offered solution is unconstitutional. Members of the Croat Caucus said that 'Sejdic-Finci' ruling first must be incorporated in the Constitution of B&H and then in the B&H Election Law.

 

RS President Dodik: Only RS has legitimacy to function (Narodne novine)

In an interview for Banja Luka-based daily Narodne novine, Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik stated that only the RS has legitimacy to function in this area. He reminded that the RS has the territory, people who love it and defend it, government and functional institutions and legislation that corresponds to modern and civilized world. Dodik stressed that if the RS is not in such B&H, it will be one of the most respective areas in former Yugoslavia.

 

RS President Dodik meets Head of Srebrenica Municipality Grujicic, says SNSD will again form parliamentary majority in Srebrenica (RTRS)

President of Republika Srpska (RS) and leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik held a meeting on Thursday with Head of Srebrenica Municipality Mladen Grujicic and representatives of SNSD and DNS Municipal Boards in Srebrenica. On that occasion, Grujicic and representatives of SNSD and DNS Municipal Boards informed Dodik that the new parliamentary majority in Srebrenica led by SDS works in an inadequate manner which is, according to them, unacceptable. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Dodik underlined that SNSD will again form parliamentary majority in Srebrenica Municipality. He pointed out that they already have ten councilors and promised that they will soon have the necessary 11 councilors, no matter what it takes. “We have 10 (councilors). I promise you that we will have 11 of them. We will find them no matter how. The majority will be rehabilitated and reestablished”, Dodik stressed.

In this way, according to Dodik, stability that was jeopardized by the current parliamentary majority will be restored. He reiterated that the main culprits for the crisis in Srebrenica are certain irresponsible individuals and political parties, mostly SDS. According to Dodik, SDS cares more about its relations with SDA and its leader Bakir Izetbegovic than the needs of the Serb national body, not only in Srebrenica but also in the RS. He also criticized the fact that SDS is helping SDA and former Head of Srebrenica Municipality Camil Durakovic’s return to the political scene. Dodik’s words were echoed by Grujicic, who also stressed that work of the current parliamentary majority in Srebrenica is not adequate, noting that such political situation is not good for investors. Reporter noted that, following the meeting, SNSD and DNS called on SDS to cooperate and join the majority in order to reestablish a stable political climate in Srebrenica. Later in the day, Grujicic and leader of SDS Vukota Govedarica held a meeting and discussed the current political situation in Srebrenica. On that occasion, Govedarica dismissed all SNSD’ accusations and confirmed that Grujicic enjoys support of all opposition parties. However, he stressed that SDS does not support the ‘Oric majority’ and delegate in the Srebrenica Municipal Assembly Hakija Meholjic.

 

Croatia

 

The leader of the Bridge party, Bozo Petrov, stepped down (Hina)

The leader of the Bridge party, Bozo Petrov, stepped down as Parliament Speaker on Thursday, saying that his role was to protect the dignity of the Sabor as the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic had turned it into a "circus and political bartering."

Petrov, said on Thursday evening after resigning as Parliament Speaker, that Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic had played him, even though Bridge had always been a reliable partner to the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and had always explained its opinions and announced its moves, while Plenkovic would did not announce his intentions, not even an hour before the government session, adding that now Plenkovic was deceiving the Croatian public.

The leader of the Croatian People's Party (HNS), Ivan Vrdoljak, announced on Thursday that he and HNS would launch an interpellation for a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his government, calling on other lawmakers who believe that the government does not have majority support to join the initiative.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic is meeting with leaders of parliamentary parties and independent lawmakers on Friday morning to discuss current developments, and the first to arrive in the President's Office this morning were deputies of the HDS party Branko Hrg and Goran Dodig and Josip Salapic of the HDSSB party.

 

Montenegro

 

Germany’s instrument of acceptance Montenegro’s NATO accession deposited (CDM)

German Embassy in the United States announced that the head of its mission deposited instrument of ratification of Montenegro’s NATO Accession Protocol. As the embassy announced on its Twitter account, Ambassador Boris Ruge informed the State Department that Germany’s instrument of acceptance regarding Montenegro’s accession to NATO was deposited.

Earlier, the instruments of ratification were deposited by Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey and the United Kingdom. After Germany submitted its ratification instrument, only Spain and the Netherlands remained to do that.

The State Department informed Montenegrin Embassy in Washington that the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands had deposited a copy of its acceptance instrument and that submitting the original document could be expected by the beginning of next week. After all the member states submit their ratifications to the State Department, Montenegro will submit its ratification, once the Law on Ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty enters into force. The law was passed in the Parliament on Friday.

After that, NATO Secretary General will invite Montenegro to submit its ratification instrument to the US State Department. As national NATO coordinator Dragan Pejanovic explained, the date when the State Department receives Montenegro’s instrument of the treaty ratification is the date when Montenegro will formally became a member of NATO.

 

fYROM

Mogherini-Xhaferi: The role of the Speaker needs to be above party and ethnic interests (Meta)

The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, met with, newly-elected President of the Assembly of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, as part of his first official visit abroad.

Mogherini, as stated from her cabinet, welcomed the election of Talat Xhaferi as a President of the Assembly by the majority of MPs, stressing that this is a role that needs to be above party and inter-ethnic politics, with the President of the Assembly working for the benefit of all citizens and communities.

“In the discussion, High Representative Mogherini repeated the EU’s strong condemnation of last week’s violence in the Parliament against MPs and journalists. She welcomed the election of Talat Xhaferi as a President of the Assembly by the majority of MPs, stressing that this is a role that needs to be above party and inter-ethnic politics, with the President of the Assembly working for the benefit of all citizens and communities. The EU is ready to work with him, the parliament and all other institutions to advance the Urgent Reform Priorities as well as the Przino Agreement implementation”, stated Mogherini. She stressed that the European Union expects all political parties to engage constructively in the political process, including on government formation, and in the work of the new parliament.

 

Ahmeti – Zbogar: Now it’s up to Ivanov and there is no going back (Meta)

After the election of the Parliament Speaker, Gjorge Ivanov should assign the mandate to the new parliamentary majority and then a government should be formed. This was stressed today by the DUI party leader, Ali Ahmeti during the meeting with the Ambassador of the European Union in the country, Samuel Zbogar, that took place at DUI’s headquarters in Tetovo.

Ahmeti and Zbogar, as is stated in the party’s press release about the meeting, had talks about the country’s situation after the outbreak of violence at the Parliament on the 27th of April, as well as discussing the future steps.

“Ahmeti again condemned the violence at the Parliament, with which he repeated DUI’s stance that there won’t be no returning back. After the election of the parliamentary president, Ivanov should assign the mandate to the newly reformatory parliamentary majority and then a new government should be formed” said the press release about the meeting.

Ahmeti had expressed his gratitude to the Euro-Ambassador Zbogar for the “the great international support” and stressed that “the political leaders in Macedonia should take care of the security and the stability of the country contrary to the regional and geopolitical efforts for destabilization.”

 

USA: Those who committed organized or ordered acts of violence must be held accountable (Meta)

The United States calls on the authorities of Macedonia to take steps to ensure the security of all members of Parliament, to investigate the attacks thoroughly, and to hold accountable those who committed organized or ordered acts of violence, said Kate Byrnes, the Representative of the US Mission to the OSCE at the Permanent Council in Vienna.

“The United States strongly condemns the violent attacks on members of Macedonia’s parliament, which followed the election of Talat Xhaferi as Speaker of Parliament. The United States will work with the new Speaker and the parliament to support democracy and help Macedonia move forward on its European path. Violence has no place in the democratic process. We express our deepest sympathies to those members of parliament and others injured in the attacks and their families. As a strategic partner and friend of Macedonia, and with full respect for its sovereignty and unity, the United States calls on all parties to put the interests of Macedonia and its citizens above all else, to work together constructively, and to fully implement all of their commitments under the Przino Agreement. We urge all parties to resolve any differences peacefully and respect Macedonia’s laws and democratic processes”, said Byrnes in her address.

Byrnes added that the resolution to the political crisis, can only come through adherence to Macedonia’s law and respect for the will of the people freely expressed through democratic processes, including on the basis of the results of the December 2016 elections, which were accepted by all parties.

 

SDSM leader Zaev meets US Ambassador Baily (MIA)

SDSM leader Zoran Zaev and United States Ambassador Jess Baily agreed at Friday's meeting over the necessity for continuation of the reform processes through formation of a new government.

"Following the election of the new Parliament Speaker, the parliamentary majority is undertaking the next steps, in line with the Rules of Procedures, Constitution and the laws, towards formation of the new, reform-oriented government. We expect Gjorge Ivanov to act according to the Constitution and give the government mandate", said Zaev.

He added that SDSM is committed to securing economic stability and development for Macedonian citizens.

"The new government will implement the required reforms and secure a bright future in just and unitary Macedonia for all citizens, regardless of their political, ethnic or other background. Macedonia's future lies in NATO and EU and we are committed to working on the values leading to integration in these institutions", said Zaev.

Interlocutors condemned last week's violence in the Parliament and said all political stakeholders must be responsible and enable a peaceful power transfer while protecting the interests of the citizens and the country, SDSM said in a press release.

 

Albania

 

Embassy of Netherlands: Elections should be held in line with international standards, with participation of all parties (ATA)

The Embassy of Netherlands in Tirana appealed Thursday to political parties in Albania to continue engaging in a dialogue to ensure that elections are conducted in line with international standards and with the participation of all parties.

“After consultations with Member States Embassies and the EU Delegation in Albania, the Netherlands calls on all political forces to continue engaging in a dialogue to ensure that elections are conducted in line with international standards and with the participation of all parties. All political leaders should live up to their responsibility regarding the stability of the country,” Dutch Embassy said in a press statement. The Embassy of Netherlands added that Albanians demand and deserve elections that provide a broad political offer and uphold electoral standards.

“Although elections without the participation of the opposition would be highly regrettable, the elections will be assessed on their own merit, based on international standards,” the statement read.

The Embassy also called for implementation of the crucial justice reform and make real progress in delivering on five key priorities for opening the EU accession talks.

“Taking into account the introduction of the justice reform, supported by over 90% of the Albanian population, and changes to the Albanian Constitution made by consensus of all Albanian parliamentary parties in July 2016, Member States Embassies and the EU Delegation in Albania recall that they expect tangible progress in delivering on the five key priorities for the opening of the accession negotiations. This should include credible results on the fight against drugs and against the criminalization of politics,” the Embassy concluded in its statement.

 

Second Rama-Basha meeting at president’s office (ADN)

The leaders of the Socialist Party and the Democratic Party met today evening at the president’s office trying to reach a potential agreement on overcoming the political crisis.

This was the second meeting of Prime Minister Edi Rama and Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha by invitation of the President of the Republic Bujar Nishani. But, different from their first meeting, this time the chairpersons of the Parliamentary groups of the SP and DP Gramoz Ruçi and Edi Paloka did not take part.

During a news conference earlier in the day, PM Rama spoke on the stance of the ruling majority and his proposal for a mechanism of guarantee of the opposition within the government consisting of deputy ministers of the DP that will monitor the State Police conduct, educational system and prisons accompanied by foreign or local observers.

Meanwhile, the DP leader Basha insisted that the DP is not ready to withdraw from the required guarantees for free and fair elections.

 

Meta asks European Parliament to send observation mission for parliamentary elections (ATA)

Speaker of the Parliament Ilir Meta has officially invited the European Parliament to deploy an observation mission to closely monitor the parliamentary polls in Albania scheduled for June 18. In a letter sent to the European Parliament President, Antonio Tajani, on Thursday, Parliament Speaker Ilir Meta underscores the importance of the election observation to legitimize the outcome of the election.

“Taking into account the commitment of the Republic of Albania authorities to ensure that upcoming parliamentary elections are free, fair, transparent and democratic and in full accordance with the highest international contemporary standards, I am pleased to extend, on behalf of the Assembly of Albania, the invitation for a group of international observers from the European Parliament,” Meta said in his letter to Tajani.

“I’m fully confident that a broader international observation of the next parliamentary elections in Albania will help to ensure quality of the process, but also legitimize the outcome of the elections,” Meta said.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Political Parallels: Will Macedonia Repeat Ukraine’s Painful Mistakes? (Sputnik)

In an interview with Sputnik, Serbian expert Aleksandar Rakovic specifically focused on whether it is relevant to draw political parallels between Macedonia and Ukraine.

Some experts have repeatedly pointed to certain political similarities between Ukraine and Macedonia, which both gained independence after leaving fragmenting socialist empires and which both faced a serious identity crisis 20 years later. In this regard, these experts wonder whether Macedonia and Ukraine will be able to preserve their independence and integrity in the future.

Serbian historian Aleksandar Rakovic, for his part, told Sputnikthat there are fundamental differences between Macedonia and Ukraine; according to him, Macedonia remains a more integral country in this regard. He recalled that "western Ukraine is populated by Uniates (Eastern Rite Roman Catholics) who are closer to the Poles than to the Russians," and that "in central Ukraine the population considers themselves to be related to Russians, but does not want to sacrifice its Ukrainian identity."

"In Ukraine's Donbass, Kharkov and Odessa regions, many perceive themselves as part of 'the Russian world.' As for Crimea, the overwhelming majority there considers itself Russian, so here we see a wide range of self-identifications. In this vein, the situation in Ukraine is very specific, if not to say the most specific in this part of Europe," Rakovic said. He added that unlike Ukraine, Macedonia includes only two ethnic groups: Macedonians and Albanians.

"The Macedonians are closer to Serbs and although the Macedonian language is similar to Bulgarian, culturally the Macedonians see themselves as part of the Yugoslav tradition," Rakovic said. Albanians in Macedonia, in turn, consider themselves to be part of a larger Albanian community; many are cooperating with their compatriots from Kosovo and Albania to create so-called "Greater Albania," according to him.

 

"The Macedonians defend the integrity of their state, but they do not question the identity of the Macedonian Albanians. By doing so, they differ greatly from those who stands for the Ukrainian state in its present form while maintaining a Russian identity," Rakovic added.He remained skeptical about Ukraine's integrity in the future, recalling that the country has already been split up; Crimea has become part of Russia, although the US and EU refuse to recognize this. Meanwhile, eastern Ukraine's Donbass region is under the control of Russian-speaking Ukrainians.

"The question is what will happen to western and central Ukraine, since these are different parts of the country. What we are witnessing now is a dramatically split in society (in Ukraine)," Rakovic pointed out.

As for Macedonia, it may still preserve its integrity if it agrees on some form of "weak integration" with Serbia, according to him.

"Not that Macedonia should be part of a new Yugoslavia. Serbia does not intend to impose anything on Macedonia — if the Macedonians want to establish an alliance with Serbia, Belgrade will welcome the move," he said.

"First and foremost, I mean that a certain form of integration between Serbia, Montenegro, Republika Srpska and Macedonia could become a guarantor of security," Rakovic added.

Unlike Macedonia, he concluded, Ukraine has no one to integrate with, because the project of its association with the EU will never be implemented.

 

West is best: How ‘stabilitocracy’ undermines democracy building in the Balkans (lse.ac.uk)

Recent months have seen unrest in Macedonia, with a violent protest at the country’s parliament, while other countries in the Balkans such as Montenegro have also witnessed large anti-government protests. Srdja Pavlovic argues that the West’s approach to the Balkans has suffered from what he terms ‘stabilitocracy’, with the EU and United States backing governments that promise stability, but have undermined the establishment of democracy. He argues that if such an approach continues, it will likely produce anything but stability for the region.

Just before last Christmas I wrote for this blog on the political situation in Montenegro and coined the term stabilitocracy, labeling the manner in which the West approached the Balkans in general, and Montenegro in particular. Since then, and to my delight, others have adopted this term and applied it in a broader fashion. I wish to take this opportunity to elaborate further on my understanding of the term and express my agreement with its broad application.

The core value of stabilitocracy is a conviction that protecting and promoting western interests is paramount. It is, however, a two-way street. Regimes which understand that core conviction and are willing to protect and sustain western geo-political, security, military, economic, or energy related interests in a given country are usually spared the wrath of the great powers such as the United States, the UK, or the European Union. Local autocrats, therefore, can do whatever suits their needs in their private domains. Any criticism directed towards them is usually dismissed as either sour grapes from a political loser or an attempt by retrograde undemocratic political forces to gain the upper hand.

 

As the examples of Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo clearly demonstrate, the West sees such governments as imperfect but still functional and useful structures. They are treated as damaged goods that show great potential, which needs further nurturing and support. Judging by either the silence of the West or its rather mild criticism of those states, one would think their governments are democratic, their judiciaries independent and impartial, while their elections are fair, free, and transparent. So, for both partners in the stabilitocracy game, life is about achieving and maintaining control, no matter what. For the rest of us mere mortals, it is about the hypocrisy of international politics. History and recent events confirm that such a relationship ends only when the West realizes its interests in a given country or region are either poorly served by an old partner or when a new and more promising prospect appears on the political horizon.

 

The responsibility for the various outcomes of this political discourse should be shared between a given local autocrat and his enablers in the West. The two sides feed off each other in a mutually beneficial and profitable relationship. This type of relationship between the West and the rest, has marked the political life in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, and the Balkans over the past three decades.

Stabilitocracy enables the West to maintain its rhetoric of promoting democracy, free, fair, and transparent elections, an independent judiciary, a strong parliament, the rule of law, the protection of human rights, and the need to fight against corruption and organized crime. At the same time, it enables the local partner to establish a façade democracy while diminishing the role of parliament, holding unfair elections, criminalizing the local political arena, assuming dictatorial powers, enacting predatory laws aimed at eliminating political competition, and stifling dissent as well as plundering a country’s resources for the benefit of political leaders and their closest associates.

Still, the two sides should not evenly share the responsibility for such outcomes. While there is no innocent or naïve partner in this relationship, it is always the West setting the agenda, determining the nature of the relationship and the complexity of a given stablitocracy scenario because it acts from the position of power.

 

Even though this brief note is about stabilitocracy in the Balkan context, it is important to stress that its applications transcend geographical boundaries as well as cultural, economic, political, and religious frameworks. Its application by the successive U.S. administrations throughout the twentieth century is a case in point. As a guiding principle of foreign policy and a political discourse to which western democracies have subscribed since the end of the Second World War, stabilitocracy has a long and bloody history.

 

The last century was littered with the political and physical corpses of former allies and so-called “partners for dialogue.” One only needs to recall Chile during Pinochet, Juan Peron’s Argentina, Iran during the reign of Reza Pahlavi, and the Iraq of Saddam Hussein, as well as a host of dictators in the Maghreb, to illustrate the devastating effect of stabilitocracy as a guiding principle of foreign policy. To remain within the Balkan frame of reference, it might be worth noting that for some time in the early 1990s, the Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic, was one such partner before he ended up accused of war crimes in The Hague. He was quickly replaced by Montenegro’s Milo Djukanovic, and as of late, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic.

 

As a guiding principle of western foreign policy in the Balkans, stabilitocracy produces ever greater hardship and further radicalizes political and social spaces. The disconnect between the Western rhetoric of democratization, the rule of law, and respect for the institutions of the state, and the local reality of authoritarian rule and corruption is indeed glaring. It is also rather discouraging for all those who genuinely desire to democratize their countries. The end result is often a deep suspicion, if not a complete dismissal of integrative processes, and a lack of confidence in the institutions of the EU and NATO in particular.

 

Many argue that the governments of powerful states have always favored stability over everything else and that the current Balkan conundrum is nothing new. While it is true that stability above everything else has always been an important consideration for any state, I am not sure if it was paramount for great powers. I believe that approaching it as an absolute priority gives a false sense of hope and certainly a false sense of security and stability.

We can see now that stabilitocracy, as a rule, produces everything but stability and security. More often than not, it legitimizes the existing animosity towards the West and helps new resentment emerge and thrive where there was none. Neither the Balkans, nor any other country or region can offer a new revolutionary insight into the inner workings of stabilitocracy. The events in the Balkans grab media attention because of ingrained stereotypes about the region and its peoples, and also because we are witnessing the actual unraveling of the stabilitocracy discourse and foreign policy practice in one of the more volatile regions of Europe.

There is also talk about the proverbial Balkan powder keg and threats of a possible armed conflict. While I am somewhat less skeptical about the willingness of political elites to resort to war in order to secure their stay in power, I find it difficult to believe that local political elites have sufficient resources to start a new war. They might, and they often do, inspire various radical groups to create incidents and may even incite violence at a local level. Still, the bellicose rhetoric of politicians seems more posturing than anything else.

In terms of the capacity for a stabilitocracy to function through a mutually beneficial relationship, both sides (the West and local autocrats) benefit from it. On the one hand, the talk about “war clouds” in the Balkans scares the population into submission and silences the opposition to the autocratic rule of local western-supported strongmen. The western policy makers, on the other hand, start obsessing over new war games against their arch nemesis, Russia. Both are repeating the mantra about “stability above everything else.” I see it as a New Cold War narrative, and as the instrumentalizing of stereotypes for two political purposes: militarizing foreign policy and the securitizing of international relations.

 

In Macedonia, blood is being spilled in the parliament. Armed and masked thugs beat up opposition MPs and journalists while shouting nationalist slogans and wrapping themselves up in the Macedonian flag. Here, following fraudulent elections and a prolonged crisis, we have the former prime minister, who had in the past received strong support from the EU and was its “partner for dialogue,” trying to reassert himself by instrumentalising nationalism and fear of diversity. Nikola Gruevski is being accused by the opposition leader Zaev of unleashing atavistic passions of nationalism upon his political adversaries. In fairness to him, however, it is also possible that Gruevski simply lost control over his political minions, if he ever had any real control over them to begin with. Either way, it looks as if we are about to see the typical products of the stabilitocracy game: political chaos, uncertainty, political radicalization, and the absence of any inkling of stability in the country.

 

In Montenegro, we have the same person, Milo Djukanovic, occupying the highest offices in the land – prime minister, and president – since 1989! Since parting ways with Slobodan Milosevic in 1997, Djukanovic has been the alpha and omega of Montenegrin politics, and has created a private state characterized by endemic corruption, disregard for the rule of law, the plundering of resources, and the construction of omnipotent security apparatus. Moreover, Montenegro remains an attractive investment destination for Russian oligarchs. The country is deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines, and over Montenegro’s membership of both the EU and NATO. The opposition parties have been boycotting the parliament. Meanwhile, street protests over the country’s harsh economic situation are daily features of life. Still, the EU administration maintains that Montenegro is the so-called “Balkan success story.” The U.S. officials continue to sing the praises of the government in Podgorica and its resolve to remain committed to so-called Euro-Atlantic integrations.

 

It is as if the West – both the EU and the United States – remains willfully blind to the clearly visible markers of a deep economic, political, and constitutional crisis. That is stabilitocracy at its best. I am afraid that the thought of a “Macedonian scenario” playing out in Montenegro in the coming months might not be a far-fetched one, after all.