The rapporteur in the European Parliament: Kosovo does not have the legitimacy to enter the municipal buildings in the north

The rapporteur for Kosovo in the European Parliament, Viola von Cramon, says that she understands that the new Albanian mayors of the municipalities in the north of Kosovo, inhabited by a Serbian majority, may have the right to exercise their functions.

However, von Cramon tells Radio Free Europe that if their entry into municipal buildings will only be made with the presence of heavily armed police forces, then they have "zero political legitimacy".

"I think a lot of things go wrong in this country if this is the reality, if we see armored cars, heavily armed police, special units guarding municipal buildings 24/7, we really need to think about other possibilities and other options. At least this is not what we and the EU have in mind. I know it's a difficult situation, as I said before, the Government may have something else in mind, but how it implemented it is not in line with everything, at least we in the EU would like to see", says she.

According to the senior European official, a solution is needed that would also include the local residents, after the increase in tensions in the north of Kosovo, when groups of local Serbs on May 26 opposed the entry into the municipal buildings of the new Albanian mayors of Zveçan, Leposaviq and Zubin. Potok.

Kosovo police assisted their entry into the offices and clashed with local Serbs, who threw stones at the police forces. Police responded with stun grenades and tear gas, as five police officers were reported injured and several of their cars burned.

“We cannot simply enforce the right to enter a municipal building, even if de jure you have the right to do so. But, de facto, I don't think there is legitimacy to do something like that", says Viola von Cramon.

The international community has strongly condemned the actions of Kosovo, asking it to escalate the situation. The EU has requested that Prishtina not take unilateral actions, while the United States has requested that Kosovo immediately stop "violent measures".

Von Cramon met on May 28 with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti. While the European official refuses to reveal the details of the meeting, she says that she and the Kosovar Prime Minister have different views on the situation in the north.

"I think we are at a crucial point on how to proceed if the situation continues like this. That we are all very concerned and you have seen the strong statement from the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, of QUINT, of our embassy. So, I think that the entire international community condemns this action in the strongest possible way", she says

Von Cramon po viziton komunat në veri të Kosovës. Ajo u pyet nëse do të takohet me përfaqësuesit e Listës Serbe, por u shpreh se nga kjo parti – që është partia më e madhe e serbëve në Kosovë dhe gëzon mbështetjen e Beogradit zyrtar – kanë refuzuar që të takohen me të.

“Në mëngjes jam takuar me shumë përfaqësues, por fatkeqësisht Lista Serbe ka refuzuar të më takoj. Nuk e di arsyen për këtë, do të isha shumë e lumtur që të takohesha me ta”, thotë ajo.

Policia e Kosovës i ka thënë Radios Evropa e Lirë se për të dytën ditë me radhë, situata në veri është e qetë dhe stabile. Nga ky institucion kanë thënë po ashtu se policët po vazhdojnë të ruajnë ndërtesat komunale.

Katër kryetarët e rinj të komunave në veri – përfshirë edhe atë të Mitrovicës së Veriut që ka dalë në zyrën e tij pa problem, për shkak se ndërtesa komunale është e ndarë nga ndërtesa ku funksionojnë institucionet paralele serbe në këtë komunë – u zgjodhën në zgjedhjet e jashtëzakonshme lokale të mbajtura më 23 prill.

Zgjedhjet në këto komuna të banuara me shumicë serbe u mbajtën pas dorëheqjes së kryetarëve nga radhët e Listës Serbe në nëntor të vitit të kaluar.

Kjo parti i braktisi të gjitha institucionet e Kosovës, për shkak të vendimit të Qeverisë në Prishtinë për të kryer procesin e riregjistrimit të makinave me targa ilegale serbe.

The elections were boycotted by the majority Serb population in that area, which now does not accept the results, namely the new mayors. Participation in the April elections was 3.47 percent of the total number of registered voters./REL