Publisher: ESI – European Stability Initiative

MITROVICA: KOSOVO’S LITMUS TEST

MITROVICA: KOSOVO’S LITMUS TEST

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Kosovska Mitrovica;

Mitrovica is Kosovo’s litmus test. It is here that the Guiding Principles set down by the Contact Group – no partition, decentralisation, return and a multiethnic Kosovo – will face their toughest test. It is in Mitrovica that the Kosovo leadership must prove that its commitment to a multiethnic society is more than rhetorical. On 4 May 2006, Mitrovica and municipal boundaries will be on the agenda of the status talks in Vienna. In recent weeks, there has been renewed and often heated debate over competing proposals for this divided town. ESI organised a special conference on Mitrovica with Wilton Park in Vienna on 30 March, where we outlined our proposals for a lasting solution for the town.

UTOPIAN VISIONS. Governance failures in Kosovo’s capital

UTOPIAN VISIONS. Governance failures in Kosovo’s capital

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Prishtina; urban planning; urban governance;

Amidst the high political drama surrounding final status talks, it is easy to lose sight of the vast challenge facing Kosovo once status is resolved. In social and economic terms, Kosovo has been falling behind Europe for half a century. A decision on status alone will not break this trend. It will require major changes in the way Kosovo is governed. As the capital city, Pristina should be leading this process of revitalisation, by setting the standard for effective and democratic governance. Pristina is Kosovo’s wealthiest municipality, the seat of all of its governing institutions and home to a large number of international institutions. Yet Pristina is still far from setting a positive example.

CUTTING THE LIFELINE. Migration, Families and the Future of Kosovo

CUTTING THE LIFELINE. Migration, Families and the Future of Kosovo

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: post-war Kosovo; money remittances; diaspora;

If there is one universal conviction about post-war Kosovo, it is that its economy is fueled by remittances from the diaspora. Policy makers make the comfortable assumption that the diaspora and its fabled generosity will continue not only to plug a major gap in Kosovo’s balance of payments, but also to provide an informal social safety net for poor households, making up for the lack of a welfare state. || This paper argues that times are changing. Remittances have fallen significantly from their post-war high, when they funded the reconstruction of homes across Kosovo. The reason is clear. Since NATO intervention in 1999, migration has swung into reverse, as more than 100,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees have been obliged to return from Germany in particular. Furthermore, the door to continuing migration is now shut, with only the lucky few with close family in the diaspora still able to go abroad through family reunification schemes. As a direct consequence, fewer than 15 percent of Kosovo families now receive regular remittances, and all the signs are that this is decreasing. The lifeline that kept rural Kosovo afloat for the past generation is being cut. This is the legacy facing a post-status Kosovo. || This report contains an unwelcome message for EU member states: it is simply incoherent to invest hundreds of millions of euros in the stabilisation of Kosovo, and at the same time to slam the door so abruptly on any further migration. It is even more incoherent that this is happening to a small society like Kosovo (less than 2 million inhabitants) at the very moment when millions of Romanians, Bulgarians, Latvians or Poles are finding employment in different parts of the European Union. If Europe is serious about finding a lasting political solution for Kosovo, it will need to identify ways in which rural Kosovars can find temporary work abroad. The alternative is to send ever more policemen to Kosovo to deal with a new generation of angry and desperate young men.

AUSTRIA’S OCTOBER ELECTIONS. Implications for the Turkey Debate

AUSTRIA’S OCTOBER ELECTIONS. Implications for the Turkey Debate

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Turkey-EU; Austrian nationalism; Joer Haider; Heinz-Christian Strache; FPÖ;

The right-wing parties (FPÖ, BZÖ) have increased their votes and have become even more aggressively opposed to Turkish accession – but they are also more isolated now than before. || The issue of Turkish accession has figured most prominently in the campaign of the FPÖ. Opposition to any negotiations with Turkey has been the main demand of this party and it is listed as the main issue on the party’s own website. || This position is hardly surprising. The FPÖ is opposed to the European Union. It has most recently objected to the ratification of the accession treaties with Bulgaria and Romania (as the only party in the Austrian parliament). It is opposed to foreigners and dislikes Muslims. || Its position, however, is unlikely to have any direct political consequences. All other parties have excluded the option of forming a coalition with the FPÖ under its current leader Heinz-Christian Strache. || Jörg Haider, the key figure (but not official leader) of the BZÖ, has often changed his positions. In the late 1980s he was for Austria joining the EU, and in the early 1990s he was against. In the late 1990s he opposed EU enlargement, while since late 1999 he has supported it. In 2004, he argued for Turkey starting negotiations. Since 2005, he has argued against it. His influence is also seriously diminished as a result of these elections.

THE GERMAN TURKEY DEBATE UNDER THE GRAND COALITION. State of the Debate – October 2006

THE GERMAN TURKEY DEBATE UNDER THE GRAND COALITION. State of the Debate – October 2006

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: priviledged partnership; EU-accession of Turkey;

Before 1998, the coalition of CDU/CSU and FDP under Chancellor Helmut Kohl had opposed Turkey’s EU aspirations. In 2004 Angela Merkel, still lobbied for her party’s preference of a privileged partnership for Turkey. Since autumn 2005 Germany has been governed by a Grand Coalition of Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel. There were some expectations that the departure of the SPD/Green coalition under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer would yet again change German policy on Turkey. So far, however, this has not happened.

THE COST OF NON-EUROPE. Textile towns and the future of Serbia

THE COST OF NON-EUROPE. Textile towns and the future of Serbia

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Textile industry; globalisation; Leskovac;

This is a story about the economic decline and social crisis of a formerly proud textile town in a country well-placed on the edge of the largest market for clothes and textiles in the world (the EU), but unable to take advantage of it. It is also a story about the costs of non-Europe in the Balkans. The town is Leskovac; the country is Serbia; and the key policy question is how it was possible that all of Serbia’s neighbors were winners in the global restructuring of the textile and clothing industry (TCI), while Serbia was a looser. || The facts are clear and so are the consequences. In 2004 Serbia employed 56,781 people in the textile and clothing sector. In Bulgaria that number was 168,000. Since then the number has continued to fall in Serbia and has continued to rise in Bulgaria. In 1990 Serbia exported three times more textiles and clothing than small Macedonia. By 2004 Macedonia exported more than double the amount of Serbia.

TOWARDS A KOSOVO DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The state of the Kosovo economy and possible ways forward

TOWARDS A KOSOVO DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The state of the Kosovo economy and possible ways forward

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: ESPIG; Kosovo economy;

The ESPIG seminar on 15 July 2004 in Mitrovica brought together 120 highranking participants from the Government, UNMIK, the civil society and the international community. In its preparation, ESPIG commissioned the collection of over 400 economic policy documents, which have been compiled on a widely distributed UNMIK EU PILLAR CD. || This initiative has been made possible with the active engagement of the European Stability Initiative (ESI) and the generous support of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). || The seminar was opened by Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi, followed by a presentation of the Minister of Finance and Economy Ali Sadriu on the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. Amongst the discussants were the Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport, the Permanent Secretaries of the MFE and the Ministry of Transport and Communications, senior staff of most other Ministries and UNMIK Pillars, representatives from think tanks, civil society, DFID, EAR, USAID, and – last not least – the new consultant team contracted by the EAR to support ESPIG’s further work.

BOSNIAN VISA BREAKTHROUGH. Detailed Scorecard of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s results in meeting the EU Schengen White List Conditions

BOSNIAN VISA BREAKTHROUGH. Detailed Scorecard of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s results in meeting the EU Schengen White List Conditions

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: dysfunctional democracy; Schengen, visa-free travel; EU-conditionality; Schengen-conditionality; Ombudsman;

This record challenges the image of a dysfunctional country dominated by elites incapable of compromise. It underlines the force of EU soft power, if used in the right way. Recent months have shown that when there is a real incentive and credible conditionality, based on European standards, things can move forward surprisingly quickly. 2009 might yet see a fundamental turning point in Bosnia's history: the end of the international protectorate (and of the mandate of the Office of the High Representative) and the promise to overcome the visa fence that continues to isolate the country. || In May 2009 the European Commission was strict. Now that Bosnia has delivered on its commitment, will European institutions be fair? Before this recent breakthrough, the Commission was looking at mid-2010 as a possible date for a Commission proposal to lift the visa obligation for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s citizens, provided that all conditions are met. Due to the lengthy EU decision-making process on visa policy, which requires an opinion by the European Parliament on the Commission proposal followed by a vote in the Council, this would mean that visa-free travel would become a reality around October/November next year – one year from now. || This is too late. Bosnia deserves that to be rewarded for its achievements earlier. European Enlargement Commissioner promised Bosnia and Albania that “the speed of these countries’ progress towards visa-free travel is in the hands of their own leaders.” The leaders have done their part of the deal – now it is up to the Commission to deliver on its commitment.

ISOLATING KOSOVO? Kosovo vs Afghanistan 5:22

ISOLATING KOSOVO? Kosovo vs Afghanistan 5:22

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Schengen; visa-freedom; conditionality; Kosovo isolation;

In May 2008 the European Union launched a visa liberalisation process for the Western Balkans. It defined a list (roadmap) of almost 50 strict conditions – from well-secured borders to regulated asylum procedures, from forgery-proof passports to improved international police cooperation – that Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia would have to meet in order to benefit from visa free travel. It also created a progress assessment mechanism involving experts from the Commission and member states. The basic idea was that the liberalisation process, as long as it was strict and fair, would serve the interests of both the EU and the region. || One hope was that the period of uncertainty and isolation which had started with the dramatic collapse of the Yugoslav Socialist Federation in 1991 was coming to an end. Another was that the enormous obstacles to free travel facing all Kosovo residents – obstacles which had been put in place in 1991 – could finally be overcome. All this would not be easy, people acknowledged. It would require institutions and reforms, just as elsewhere in the Balkans – but there would now at least be a perspective for Kosovars to rejoin the European mainstream. || So far, however, these hopes have not been realized. Kosovo citizens are more isolated now, in terms of visa requirements, than at any point in the last half-century. Kosovo remains one of the most isolated places on earth.

SEX AND POWER IN TURKEY. Feminism, Islam and the Maturing of Turkish Democracy

SEX AND POWER IN TURKEY. Feminism, Islam and the Maturing of Turkish Democracy

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: women in Turkey; feminism in Turkey; secular Turkey; islamic Turkey; Kemalist Turkey;

There are some who fear that Turkey may be turning its back on its secular traditions. Some of the loudest voices come from Kemalist women, who insist that the rise of ‘political Islam’ represents an acute threat to the rights and freedoms of Turkish women. There have even been calls for restrictions to Turkish democracy, to protect women’s rights. Yet such an ‘authoritarian feminism’ is out of touch with the reality of contemporary Turkey and the achievements of recent years. || Turkey has a long road ahead of it in narrowing its gender gap. In a recent international study, Turkey ranked an embarrassing 105th of 115 countries – far behind the worst-ranking EU member. Improving gender equality will involve tackling a series of deeply entrenched problems, from improving access to education in rural regions to removing the institutional and social barriers to women’s participation in the workforce. Elections in July this year will test the commitment of Turkey’s political parties to increasing the number of women in parliament. || It is these issues which deserve to be at the centre of the current political debate in Turkey. And it is only the maturing and further development of Turkish democracy that holds out the promise of a genuine liberation of Turkish women.

A PORTRAIT OF DECEPTION. Monitoring Azerbaijan or Why Pedro Agramunt should resign

A PORTRAIT OF DECEPTION. Monitoring Azerbaijan or Why Pedro Agramunt should resign

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Pedro Agramunt; Human Rights in Azerbaijan; Azerbaijan in PACE; corruption;

There are very few fellow members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who have been to Azerbaijan as regularly over the past decade as Pedro Agramunt, the conservative Spanish senator, a businessman from Valencia. Agramunt has been consistent in this approach to Azerbaijan: from the very beginning of his relationship with Baku he has been a defender of the Aliyev regime. The latest monitoring report is his masterpiece. || The Agramunt/Grech report is supposed to assess whether Azerbaijan, as a member of the Council of Europe since 2001, has fulfilled the commitments it took upon itself when it joined the organisation. In fact, it is a sophisticated effort to hide a simple truth, a portrait of deception: in all areas a democracy cannot do without – from free and fair elections to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly or basic political and human rights, including the rule of law through an independent judiciary – the situation in Azerbaijan, already terrible a decade ago, is even worse today.

RED LINES FOR ALBANIA. The EU and the June Parliamentary Elections

RED LINES FOR ALBANIA. The EU and the June Parliamentary Elections

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Democracy in Albania; Ilir Meta; Edi Rama; Sali Berisha;

There has always been a risk that Albanian parliamentary elections on 23 June 2013 will fall short of international standards. This would likely precipitate a major political crisis in Albania. Another result would be the loss of any credible prospect of progress towards European integration in the foreseeable future and a spiral of political, social and economic decline in Albania. || To counter this risk, ESI argues that the international community must take a strong and uncompromising stand on the democratic principles that must be observed. It must take a non-partisan approach of strong support to the rule of law. || As Albania prepares for parliamentary elections on 23 June 2013, this paper draws attention to recent violations of democratic principles in Albania. These provide the international community, and in particular the European Union, with an opportunity to make a point of principle at a crucial moment in what is set to be a very tight and heated electoral contest.

On the Eve of Judgement Day: The ECJ AND THE DEMIRKAN DECISION on 24 September

On the Eve of Judgement Day: The ECJ AND THE DEMIRKAN DECISION on 24 September

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Leyla Ecem Demirkan; German visa practice;

On 24 September 2013 at just after nine-thirty in the morning the Court of Justice of the European Union (or European Court of Justice, ECJ) will deliver a judgement in one of the most important cases it will decide this year. The outcome will affect millions of Turkish citizens. It could also have a profound impact on the future of the Schengen visa system. || At the centre of this court case is Leyla Ecem Demirkan, a 20-year old Turkish woman from the city of Mersin who asked the German consulate in Ankara for a visa in October 2007. Her request was denied. || This briefing explains the background to this case. It explains the context and sets out the arguments and the road to this decision. Following the announcement of the decision on Tuesday, 24 September, ESI will issue a detailed analysis of the ruling and of its consequences and implication for the goal of visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens.

LOST IN THE BOSNIAN LABYRINTH. Why the Sejdic-Finci case should not block an EU application

LOST IN THE BOSNIAN LABYRINTH. Why the Sejdic-Finci case should not block an EU application

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Dervo Sejdic; Jakob Finci; Bosnian Constitution;

In December 2009 the European Court of Human Rights found – in its judgement in the case Sejdic and Finci vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – that the constitution and election law of Bosnia and Herzegovina violate the European Convention on Human Rights and its protocols. Bosnia’s laws require that political candidates identify themselves as “Bosniak”, “Croat” or “Serb” in order to be able to run for president or become a member of the upper house of the state parliament. Behind the international interest in this case lies a strong sense of moral outrage. How can a country in today’s Europe prevent a Roma or a Jew from running for head of state? Is this not a racist constitution? || Four years have passed since the ruling. Bosnia’s constitution and election laws have not changed. In December 2010 the Council of the EU told Bosnian leaders that the implementation of the ruling was a condition for a “credible application” for EU membership. Since then, the EU has warned that if the issue is not resolved, it will block the country’s path to the EU.

HOUDINI IN BOSNIA. How to unlock the EU accession process

HOUDINI IN BOSNIA. How to unlock the EU accession process

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Bosnia's EU-Accession;

On 21 March 2011 the Council of the European Union stated that the SAA could only enter into force after Bosnian politicians made a credible effort to bring the country’s constitution in line with the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).7 On 16 October 2013 the European Commission published its annual report on Bosnia. || So far, however, these warnings have not been enough to reach an agreeement. A recent ESI report, “Lost in Bosnian labyrinth. Why the Sejdic-Finci case should not block an EU application” cites two reasons for this. The first is that what is being asked of Bosnian leaders has not been asked of other EU candidates. The second is that what is being asked of them is much easier said than done.

KOSOVO – Of Patriarchs and Rebels

KOSOVO – Of Patriarchs and Rebels

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Kosovo’s (male) politicians repeat on every occasion that they see their country’s future as a member of the European Union. For this to happen, however, not only will the five EU member states yet to recognise Kosovo’s independence need to change their position, but the country will need more people willing to challenge its taboos. It will need champions for girls’ education, a revolution in the labour market and new forms of family life and gender relations. It will need scholarships for young women to study abroad and young women willing to return to take on the patriarchal values that still set Kosovo apart. It will need more women like Jeta and Besa for a European Kosovo, Kosovo 2.0, to become a reality.

KAFKA’S WORLD and the Trial of Mehmet O.

KAFKA’S WORLD and the Trial of Mehmet O.

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Mehmet Orgen; criminal justice in Turkey;

Turkey has a tradition of rough and ready criminal justice. Judges virtually never reject an indictment, including many unconvincing ones launched by overzealous prosecutors. With a population smaller than Germany, Turkey had five times more criminal cases in 2010. Germany has 24 judges per 100,000 inhabitants; Turkey only 11. The workload for every Turkish judge is thus more than ten times that of a judge in Germany. One can see the results in any ordinary criminal court across the country, where a judge hears up to 20 cases a day. || … || All of this means that any person caught up in a political trial in Turkey enters the world of Kafka’s novel. This is what happened to Mehmet Orgen, a captain (albay) in the Turkish navy.

BOOKS AND TEACHERS. The Great Debate on Education Kosovo needs in 2015

BOOKS AND TEACHERS. The Great Debate on Education Kosovo needs in 2015

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: educational reform in Kosovo; Kosovo education system;

The time is ripe for a substantive national debate on the future of Kosovo schools – how to prepare the next generation of Kosovars to meet professional challenges in an uncertain future. || Any education reform must be debated widely in order to convince not just civil servants in the capital, but thousands of teachers and school officials as well. What do teachers in different schools across the country think constitutes good education? What do they think they are preparing students for? What do students or their parents expect? The reform must make sense to school directors, teachers, students and families of students across Kosovo. It must start from where Kosovo is today.

THE GOOD NEWS FROM GREECE. Can Thessaloniki point the way?

THE GOOD NEWS FROM GREECE. Can Thessaloniki point the way?

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Keywords: Yannis Boutaris; reforming Greece;

He has always been a man of the left. He entered politics with the backing of the Communist Party in local elections in 2002. In his campaigns he promised liberation from a conservative status quo that had kept society “dwelling in darkness.” He assailed the corruption of his predecessor, who is now in jail. In 2010 he won the election for mayor by a mere 300 votes. He rejected his predecessor’s expensive limousine and is often seen on a bike. He never wears a tie. In 2014, he was re-elected as mayor of Greece’s second city by a huge margin. || … || And yet in one important respect, Boutaris remains in a category of his own: he is a reformer whom both Greek voters and outside observers have embraced as credible. European media tell the tale of a hero slaying fiscal monsters. Der Spiegel called him a “reform hero.” The New York Times wrote that Boutaris “showed Athens how it is done.” In 2014, The Economist praised his city’s “exemplary” transformation. In short, Boutaris came to be the good news story from Greece. How did this happen? And does the story of Thessaloniki suggest a way out of Greece’s current imbroglio?

BOSNIA AS WUNDERKIND OF DOING BUSINESS. Outline of 14 steps to take

BOSNIA AS WUNDERKIND OF DOING BUSINESS. Outline of 14 steps to take

Author(s): Adnan Ćerimagić,Gerald Knaus / Language(s): English

„To be frank, let us note what we can and cannot do. We can advise you on how to improve Bosnia’s ranking within one year. We do not promise that this will actually lead to any more jobs or investment. And yet, it is time for some surprising good news from Bosnia. What the European Commission has asked you to do you can do, and more. And then turn to policies which might actually make a real difference in the long run.“ (from the letter of ESI to the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Hercegovia)