Strategic Analysis Balkan Brief

Review of August 2024

Petra Bošková,  Zuzana Šmilňáková, Kristína Šebová, Lýdia Chobotová

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Albania
Ruling Party Candidate Wins Himara Mayoral Election

On August 4, the candidate from Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party won the mayoral election in Himara. This comes after the former mayor-elect, Fredi Beleri, an ethnic Greek, was jailed just before the May 2023 local elections for allegedly buying votes, leading to tensions between Albania and Greece.

Vengjel Tavo, who is also an ethnic Greek, celebrated his victory by saying, “Today, Himara has won. We will now begin fulfilling our promises to the citizens.” He also offered the role of deputy mayor to his rival, Petro Gjikuria, another ethnic Greek.

According to the Central Elections Commission (CEC), Tavo secured 5,022 votes, which is 58.62% of the total, while the opposition candidate received 3,545 votes.

The election had some issues, including the media being prevented from filming inside polling stations, which is allowed under Albanian law. Additionally, hundreds of voters were unable to participate because their ID cards had expired. Opposition leader Sali Berisha criticised this, calling it unconstitutional.

The arrest of Beleri last year strained relations between Albania and Greece, particularly when Greece’s ruling party nominated him for the European Parliament elections. Despite being in prison, Beleri managed to secure around 237,925 votes in those elections, although he was unable to campaign. Albania permitted him to leave jail to take his oath in Strasbourg.

In the meantime, the municipality was initially led by former mayor Jorgo Goro, who was later removed due to corruption allegations. Afterwards, caretaker mayor Blerina Balaj resigned for “personal reasons.” The municipal council then appointed a new caretaker mayor, Arqile Bollano, who is also under investigation by Albania’s Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK).





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Bosnia and Herzegovina
National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina Receives Funding to Continue Operations after Employees’ Strike

The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina employees announced a halt of the library’s operations until further notice on August 26. In a collective statement read at the press conference, they cited a lack of necessary funding as well as the unresolved legal status of the institution as the main reasons for suspending their work. The President of the library’s Employees’ Council, Aldin Huskić, confirmed on August 28 that the institution will resume its responsibilities thanks to a new funding agreement; its legal status is yet to be negotiated.

The employees have been voicing their dissatisfaction with a lack of funding given to the institution for a long time. According to their statement, several have not received wages in the past months. Furthermore, they claim that the library does not have enough money to continue its work in the long term. They blame the financial problems on the unresolved legal status of the institution, which has caused similar problems for other top-level institutions like national archives.

Before the war, state-level institutions, such as the National and University Library, received funding from the state budget. However, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina currently does not have a state-level ministry of culture since cultural matters are decentralised and handled by the cantonal ministries. These do not have enough finances to operate large institutions like the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, the incident uncovers a deeper problem in the management and structure of the Federation.

The strike was first condemned by the Federal Minister of Education and Science, Jasna Duraković, who commented that she saw the strike as illegal. She further expressed her disappointment with the steps taken by the library employees by stating that she perceived the strike as unnecessary since she had already agreed to help find a legal solution to the library’s status. In her comments, the minister emphasised that the National and University Library does not fall within her ministry’s jurisdiction.



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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Montenegro
Montenegro’s Efforts to Tackle Corruption Show ‚Very Limited‘ Progress, Greco Reports 

The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, Greco, has labelled Montenegro’s recent efforts to curb corruption as “very limited,” noting that only three out of 22 recommendations have been fully implemented.

The latest report from Greco, released on August 8, indicates that Montenegro has made only minimal progress in addressing high-level corruption and promoting integrity. According to the report, of the 22 recommendations provided in the Fifth Round Evaluation Report, only three have been fully implemented, 11 have been partially addressed, and eight remain unaddressed.

Regarding top executive functions, the report acknowledges some positive steps, such as the introduction of integrity checks for candidates for the Chief of Cabinet of the Prime Minister and advisors to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers. However, it criticises the lack of integrity checks for candidate ministers and state secretaries before their appointment.

The report also highlights ongoing concerns about corruption prevention within the police force. While new rules have introduced integrity checks for the appointment of Integrity Managers within the Ministry of Interior, there has been no progress in implementing similar checks for police officers during appointments, promotions, or throughout their service. Greco emphasises the need for police appointments to be based on merit and free from political influence, a recommendation that has yet to be implemented.

Montenegro began negotiations for EU membership on June 29, 2012, but has only closed three of the 33 negotiating chapters over the past 12 years. However, there may be some hope for progress, as the European Commission’s June report was positive about Montenegro’s fulfilment of temporary benchmarks related to the rule of law and judiciary.

In response to the June report, Montenegro’s parliament passed a series of laws aimed at improving the judiciary, combating organised crime and corruption, and regulating the media.



 

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Kosovo
Kosovo ́s attempts at reopening the Mitrovica bridge are escalating tension

The Mitrovica bridge is, for many Serbs and Albanians, a symbol of decades-lasting division and tension between ethnicities in Kosovo. This bridge above the Ibar river connects the South part, where most residents are ethnic Albanians and the Northern part, populated mostly by ethnic Serbs. This bridge has been closed to vehicles since 1999.

It is not for the first time that the Mitrovica bridge is an actual issue. It was already debated during the EU-facilitated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo in 2015. At that time, an agreement was reached about opening the bridge for all traffic in 2017.

Despite this, citizens of the North of Mitrovica gathered for protests on August 7 against Kosovo’s government and their attempts at reopening this bridge. Protesters claim that they feel attacked by the moves of Kosovo’s government, and people in North Mitrovica do not wish for this bridge to be fully reopened for vehicles.

Kosovo ́s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has stated on social media platform X that these attempts should not break peaceful interaction between two ethnic communities living in Mitrovica.

Kosovo ́s government has subsequently hired a company for technical inspections which were meant to be conducted on the bridge. NATO and KFOR have been informed about these inspections. The UN has stated that these are benefiting the security of both communities living on both sides of the bridge, therefore, it is not considered as an issue.

However, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, expressed her concerns on August 15 about the bridge reopening and has warned that reopening could lead to escalation of tension not only within the ethnicities but also with the NATO and US troops. NATO made clear that it is prepared to conduct a blockade of the bridge with its soldiers in case of the full bridge reopening.

As the tensions rise, the EU warns Kosovo, too and emphasises the need to return this point to the common Belgrade-Prisshtina dialogue. Since these declarations from the EU and the Ambassador of the USA to Kosovo, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has softened his expressions and tension has started to decrease for now. There is a pre-election campaign in Kosovo, with general parliamentary elections to be organised at the beginning of the year 2025.

Sources:
  • Perparim, Iusufi and Florinda, Kelmendi.Balkan Insight.Pristina. “EU warns Kosovo as Mitrovica Bridge Standoff goes On” , https://balkaninsight.com/2024/08/16/eu-warns-kosovo-as-mitrovica-bridge-standoff-g oes-on
  • Perparim, Iusufi. Balkan Insight.Pristina.“Kosovo Serbs Protest Against Move to Open  Bridge in Mitrovica”, https://balkaninsight.com/2024/08/07/kosovo-serbs-protest-against-move-to-open-bri dge-in-mitrovica/
  • Batos, Byticy.Reuters, Mitrovica. “Opening Kosovo ́s Mitrovica bridge risks conflict with US troops, says president”, Opening Kosovo’s Mitrovica bridge risks conflict with US troops, says president | Reuters

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Serbia
Serbians protest the controversial lithium mine, Vučić alludes to a planned coup by the protestors

After a deal was struck between Serbia and the EU to re-launch a lithium mine project in the western part of Serbia, people rallied in Belgrade to oppose this decision, citing environmental concerns. President Vučić expressed he was warned by Russia of a planned coup in Serbia by the protestors.

In mid-July, Serbia, Germany and the EU signed a deal to extract lithium in the Jadar Valley region to minimise the EU´s dependency on China´s lithium batteries. Afterwards, several thousands of people rallied in Belgrade and other cities to protest the government´s decision, warning about potential water pollution, public health concerns and the project’s environmental impact. The protests have occurred regularly since Serbia´s court´s decision, concluding that the previous halt of the lithium mine project was unlawful and was strengthened after the deal was signed with the EU. The concerns of the protestors were recently confirmed by a scientific study that tested the water that surfaced from the exploratory wells the lithium mining company Rio Tinto drilled. The scientists concluded that the opening of the mine would endanger “the lives of numerous local communities and destroy their freshwater sources, agricultural land, livestock, and assets.”

The government opposes the allegations, claiming the highest EU environmental standards will be followed to protect the people, land, and water. On the other hand, the government highlights the potential economic benefits, including 20,000 new jobs and a 16 per cent increase in Serbia´s GDP. Moreover, when the protestors blocked two major train stations in Belgrade in mid-August, Vučić expressed that “it is part of a hybrid approach of conducting ‘colour’ revolution” and claimed that he was warned by Russia that a potential coup d´état may occur in Serbia with the aim to overthrow the government.

Sources:
  • Euractiv, “Thousands across Serbia protest lithium mine restart”, https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/thousands-across-serbia-protest-lithium-mine-restart/
  • Una Hajdari, Antonia Zimmermann & Stuart Lau, “Serbia’s leader wins the West with promises of ‘white gold’ — but loses the people”, https://www.politico.eu/article/serbia-president-aleksandar-vucic-win-west-promise-white-gold-lose-people/
  • Rob Schmitz, NPR, “A lithium mine in Serbia could rev up Europe’s e-vehicles, but opposition is fierce”, https://www.npr.org/2024/08/23/nx-s1-5081517/rio-tinto-lithium-serbia-europe-ev-vehicles-battery-supply-chain
North Macedonia
United States Monitors North Macedonia Amid Concerns of ‚Destabilization‘

The United States is closely watching developments in North Macedonia after Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski raised alarms about potential ethnic conflict destabilising the country.

On August 20, in response to questions from Voice of America, a spokesperson for the US State Department confirmed that the US has been in “regular contact” with North Macedonian officials concerning various shared concerns.

Mickoski has repeatedly warned that his political opponents are trying to destabilise the nation by stoking ethnic tensions. Mickoski, who became Prime Minister in June, accused his rivals of attempting to incite ethnic conflict and disrupt inter-ethnic harmony in the country. He urged the public and media to avoid provocations, emphasising that his government would not allow such destabilisation.

During a press conference in Skopje on August 5 with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Mickoski accused the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), the largest ethnic Albanian opposition party, of orchestrating the destabilisation effort. He alleged that DUI leaders, who held high-ranking positions in previous governments, were trying to protect the wealth they had accumulated over the past two decades.

The DUI, which also consists of former Albanian guerilla leaders who led a brief armed insurgency against state forces in 2001, denied the allegations, calling them “false” and “dangerous.” They argued that these claims were attempts to distract from the current government’s shortcomings.

Since Mickoski’s VMRO-DPMNE party won the May 2024 elections and formed a new cabinet in June, the DUI has insisted that, as the largest ethnic Albanian party, they should have been included in the government. However, Mickoski partnered with DUI’s political rivals, the “Vlen” coalition, which received fewer votes.

The DUI criticised this decision, calling it a disregard for the will of the Albanian population, which makes up about a quarter of North Macedonia’s 1.8 million citizens. The party announced plans for various activities, including potential street protests in the fall, but assured that their actions would remain within the bounds of democratic processes.

The conflict between ethnic Albanian insurgents and Macedonian security forces in 2001 ended with the Ohrid Peace Accord, which granted greater rights to the Albanian community and led to the formation of the DUI party by former insurgent leaders.

Despite the rising tensions, North Macedonia’s President, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, has stated that she does not need to convene the Security Council.



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