Macron says Kosovo bears ‘responsibility’ for recent clashes
Bratislava, Slovakia (AFP):
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said that Kosovo officials bore “responsibility” following clashes this week over local election results that left more than 80 people injured.
“It is very clear that Kosovar authorities bear responsibility for the current situation and there is non-compliance with an agreement that was nevertheless important, and which was secured just a couple of weeks ago,” Macron told reporters in Bratislava.
He also blamed the authorities in Kosovo for failing to respect the mediation agreement with Serbia brokered by EU bigwigs to expedite their integration into the bloc.
“The Kosovar authorities have decided not to respect the agreement that had been reached, the process that had been initiated under European mediation in which we were involved, with (German) Chancellor (Olaf) Scholz, and which had enabled significant progress to be made precisely thanks to the negotiator Miroslav Lajcak and the involvement also of (EU foreign policy chief) Josep Borrell,” Macron said.
He was addressing a joint news conference with his Slovakian counterpart Zuzana Caputova on the sidelines of GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum in Bratislava.
“We made it very clear to the Kosovar authorities that it was a mistake to proceed with these elections within the framework which was, as you know, almost non-participation,” Macron added.
Contentious mayoral elections
Since Monday morning, Serb protesters have gathered outside the Serb-dominated Zvecan Municipality in northern Kosovo to bar newly elected Albanian mayors from entering municipal buildings.
The protesters attempted to breach the police cordon in front of the town hall, the police said in a statement, adding that they used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
KFOR units also used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the protesters, who did not retreat and responded with stones and sticks.
Last month, Kosovo Serbs boycotted extraordinary local government elections for four municipalities in the country’s north. Only 3.47% of eligible voters cast ballots, according to the Kosovo Central Election Commission (KQZ).
After the elections, the EU said in a statement that low turnout did not provide the municipalities with long-term political solutions.
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