Opinion: Why Kosovo-Serbia Talks Might Succeed This Time November 12-25, 2010 Issue No. 51 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1 Thousands EU SPECIAL European Union Spurn Offer Calls on Kosovo to to Legalise Tackle Corruption Homes in > page 3 NEWS Prishtina Contract Cancelled City forced to After Prishtina extend deadline for Insight Probe legalising thousands of unregulated buildings > page 5 after only one-third of BUSINESS estimated owners applied for permits. ‘New Chapter in Kosovo-Turkey See Page 10 Relations Needed’ Asylum Fears Hit Kosovo Visa Liberalisation Bid While the European Commission blames Kosovo for not doing its homework, others say EU states’ immigration worries were the real reason why Kosovo failed to make progress on visa liberalisation. “It is not the European Parliament gration and asylum-seekers arriv- tatives of member states’ govern- > page 6 By Prishtina Insight Team that has the problem; it’s not the ing as a result of the liberalized ments. They agreed only to extend Commission, it is mostly the mem- visa arrangements with other the visa liberalization scheme to FEATURE hile the long-awaited start ber states, which just gave a green Balkan countries. Bosnia and Albania. to Kosovo’s visa liberali- light to Bosnia and Albania and The issue has caused concern “They [the Commissioners] both Serbian Church Wsation process has been are reluctant to take the next step among some member states favoured offering a strategy to the put on hold, different branches of [for Kosovo] already. already, especially after thousands Kosovo government but it’s not up Accused of Sex the Brussels apparatus disagree “I’m still optimistic that the of people travelled this year from to them to decide, it’s in the over the reasons for the delay. strategy will come for Kosovo but I Serbia and Macedonia to seek asy- Council’s hand,” an EU official Abuse Cover-up The European Commission was too optimist a couple of weeks lum in the EU after the two coun- told Prishtina Insight. > page 12 argues that Kosovo has failed to ago,” she added, referring to an tries joined the EU’s White However, Renzo Daviddi, head of draw up a necessary strategy on interview given to Prishtina Schengen list in January. the European Commission Liaison readmissions and returns. Insight in October in which she Another EU official told Office in Kosovo, said that while But Ulrike Lunacek, the predicted that a strategy for Prishtina Insight that both the rel- concerns about immigration European Parliament’s rapporteur Kosovo would be announced immi- evant commissioners had might have influenced the discus- for Kosovo, blamed the setback on nently. favoured announcing a visa strate- sion, Kosovo was being held up Kosovo’s only English-language the “domestic politics” of some EU Lunacek said that member gy for Kosovo. because its readmission and rein- newspaper is available: states, which have immigration states’ “reluctance” to lift visa However, this was apparently tegration plan was not deemed up fears. requirement on Kosovo was relat- blocked by the Council of to scratch. Delivered to The Austrian Green MEP said: ed to concerns about more immi- Ministers, composed of represen- continues page 2 Your Door Kosovo Premier Stands to Sit-Com Offers Dose of EU From Newsstands Profit From Snap Poll Reality to Kosovo across Kosovo Kosovo’s biggest party, the Democratic A survey conducted this summer for the Sent To Party of Kosovo, PDK, led by Hashim European Commission Liaison Office in Your Inbox Thaci, stands to do best from early general Kosovo, ECLO, reveals that almost 40 per elections planned for December 12, cent of the public believe their country observers believe. will join the European Union by 2012, From The emergency elections were Prishtina Insight has learnt. our partners announced on November 2, giving the par- This overly optimist view of news ties just over a month... page 4 news Kosovo’s road map to the EU... page 2 see page 16 for more info Y M is supported by: C K 2 November 12 - 25, 2010 EU Special NEWS Asylum Fears Hit Kosovo Visa Kosovo’s Rulers Liberalisation Bid from page 1 “If you look at the experience of The Council of Ministers on Trade Charges with Central and Eastern Europe in the Monday lifted visa requirements Prishtina Insight understands 1990s, it became so central that it for Albania and Bosnia after the that a new strategy has now been became a bipartisan issue… For a EC had deciding that both coun- Ex-Gun Runner submitted to the Commission and country that wants to become part tries met all the technical criteria. is likely to gain approval this year. of the European Union, this is a But the move, the last hurdle in A US Balkan expert and a former spy chief have become Daviddi predicted that Kosovo must,” he concluded. the visa liberalisation process, had embroiled in a bitter war of words between the ruling would have a roadmap for visa lib- Prishtina Insight contacted faced initial opposition, with two eralisation “very soon, which Besim Beqaj, Minister for delegations withholding support Democratic Party of Kosovo and a former gun runner. means weeks or days”. European Integration, for a com- until new, tougher measures were with a series of blistering attacks He went on to criticise Kosovo’s ment, but received no reply. brought in, to beef up the monitor- on senior members of the PDK. leaders for not placing its Earlier this week, Beqaj accused ing process. In an official press release, the European Union future at the cen- the EU of double standards in its These include stricter monitor- By Lawrence Marzouk PDK claimed that Krasniqi gave tre of decision-making. dealings with Kosovo. ing mechanisms to slow the influx Phillips 500,000 dollars to write his Countries such as Hungary and Kosovo’s Interior Minister, of economic migrants and asylum report, accusations that the author the Czech Republic had done this Bajram Rexhepi, also claimed that seekers and the possibility of has branded as “absurd and false”. in the 1990s and there was no other the European Commissioner for expelling states from the visa-free hen David Phillips, a US- The PDK condemned Krasniqi as way of becoming a member, he Home Affair, Cecilia Malstrom, system if abuses take place. said. “I would like to see the issue had “prejudices about the Kosovo France has expressed particular based expert on Albanian “a pseudo-patriot”, questioned his of the European integration of people”. concern about the extension of the Wissues, released his report, war record in helping the KLA, and Kosovo becoming the centre of the The spokesperson for the visa liberalisation process in Realizing Kosova’s Independence in accused him of having committed May, he little knew that only six policy-making agenda, as it should Commissioner, Michele Cercone, recent months. crimes in Kosovo and the US. “The months later he would be dragged be,” he said. said that the Commission had not Lunacek said she feared that if PDK will take legal measures in into a bitter war of words, involving “It was a marginal issue some- promised Kosovo anything regard- problems with the visa-free system pursuing the truth,” the party’s accusations of bribery and treachery. time ago, it has become more cen- ing a visa strategy. He reiterated arose with Albania and Bosnia, press release stated. In his report, Phillips, a former tral, but in the next few years it that shortcomings over returns she was “afraid that there will “As a governing party, not want- senior advisor at the State has to become even more central,” and reintegrating Kosovars were more hindrances to the process ing to influence the acceleration or Department’s Bureau for European he added. the main reason for the delay. with Kosovo”. orientation of investigations, the Affairs, quoted an anonymous PDK has requested an investiga- source claiming that SHIK, the sup- tion into all charges, with EULEX posedly defunct intelligence arm of the ruling Democratic League of [the EU rule-of-law mission] in Sit-Com Offers Dose of Kosovo, PDK, was receiving “200 charge.” million dollars a year via bribery, A EULEX spokesperson told extortion, racketeering, and protec- Prishtina Insight that it had not received any requests for informa- EU Reality to Kosovo tion services”. Following publication of the tion and urged anyone with evi- The European Commission is using Kosovo’s most popular sit-com, Kafeneja Jone, to report by the prestigious National dence of crimes to contact Kosovo Committee on American Foreign Police or a prosecutor first. explain to the public the challenges and benefits of EU membership Responding to the accusations, Policy, the PDK, led by Prime survey conducted this Krasniqi said he would sue the Minister Hashim Thaci, which summer for the European PDK for defamation and he alleged emerged from the KLA, attacked ACommission Liaison Office that SHIK was behind the allega- the contents and its author. in Kosovo, ECLO, reveals that Florin Krasniqi, a former gun- tions. almost 40 per cent of the public runner and fundraiser for the The director of the former PDK- believe their country will join the Kosovo Liberation Army, who was linked intelligence agency, Kadir European Union by 2012, then living in New York, has been Veseli, then emerged from the Prishtina Insight has learnt. widely fingered as the source of the shadows and in a rare public pro- This overly optimist view of information. Krasniqi is reported nouncement addressed the accusa- Kosovo’s road map to the EU is to have raised 30 million US dollars tions against SHIK.