Looking for a model for Serbs; Germany, France, Italy or Belgium?

Looking for a model for Serbs; Germany, France, Italy or Belgium?

In the text signed by the editor, Baton Haxhiu, it is said that among the multitude of different models and forms of self-government for national minorities, which are currently applied in the territory of the European Union (a total of 17 different models), a solution is being sought for the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

Examples listed include that of Eastern Belgium (self-government of the German community), the Alsace model in France, the self-government models of the German-speaking and Francophone communities in Italy, and the Danish community self-government model in Germany.

Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, as before when it published similar information, the Albanian Post writes that the Government of the so-called Kosovo must take into account that when examining the model, it should pay attention to four things.

"Firstly, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium are the founding states of the European Union, secondly, they are advanced democracies, thirdly, they are former sworn enemies and fourthly, these regions, which serve as a model, have been the source of wars for centuries," says a diplomatic source and points out that the so-called Kosovo is relatively small, so the basic idea is that "the proposed CSM model does not destroy its unitary character", reports Kosovo Online.

This means, the text says, that none of the above models can be copied (as suggested by some diplomats and experts involved in the process), therefore the creation of a unique model suitable for Kosovo is being considered.

The Albanian Post states that the idea of the general status of the CSM was taken on the model of the French Alsace. In the organizational structure of France, Alsace has an intermediate status. The problem is that, as they explain, on the so-called Kosovo, there are only two levels of government - municipal and central government, and the Alsace model is somewhat more than a municipality and less than a region.

From the Schleswig model in Germany, i.e. the self-government of the Danish community there, elements such as the right to organize the educational system and other essential systems directly connected to the community are mentioned.

At the same time, the example of the Danish community in Germany, which has a well-established system of financial and political support from the Danish government, is reportedly being considered for the regulation of financial and political support of the home state, within the current legal framework.

Italian models are taken as an example of building trust between non-majority communities and the central government, which is highlighted in the text as a very important detail for the so-called Kosovo.

Sources of the Albanian Post say that the authorities in the so-called Kosovo and Serbia should not forget that the models are essentially dealing with the German experience and trauma. Most of the German territories in the former Eastern Europe were ethnically cleansed, and the fact that countries like Italy, France and Belgium took care of human rights was crucial for the German-speaking communities.

As diplomats involved in the process say for the Albanian portal, Serbia and the so-called Kosovo cannot aspire to become a part of Western civilization, and in the meantime base the solution of the issues of its national minorities on models of former communist origin. They "hope that over time, the silent ethnic cleansing will happen by itself. That is, that the Albanians from the south of Serbia will permanently move to the so-called Kosovo, and the Kosovo Serbs permanently to Serbia".

Examining different European models, as stated by the Albanian Post, the Community of Serbian Municipalities should have the following main characteristics:

-Initially, intermediate status, that is, something that is outside the jurisdiction of the municipality, but less than the second level of government. It's not an NGO, neither an autonomous unit.

- "CSM territory" does not mean the exercise of territorial control, but only the definition of the area in which the community can perform its duties and responsibilities defined by the statute.

- The legal subjectivity of CSM will be a non-profit public organization derived from the Law on Confirmation of the First Agreement on Normalization.

- The staff and officials of the CSM will have the status of public servants. Kosovo legislation distinguishes between officials who are part of the government (civil servants) and officials who provide public services.

- Since the goal of CSM is not management, but the provision of the best services and opportunities for the Kosovo Serb community, the staff and officers of the Association will have the status of public servants, in accordance with the spirit of the law in force.

- The Community will have full responsibility in the self-organization of education, science, health, culture and sports.

- This right will serve as a sufficient basis for Serbia to withdraw from organizing a parallel system of education, health, culture and sports. According to that model, with the establishment of CSM, all these activities and services would be placed under the auspices of the Kosovo authorities, including participation in Kosovo sports leagues.

- In matters of spatial planning, the CSM would have coordination powers between municipalities. The authority of the Community will in no way compromise the powers of the central government.

- In economic matters, CSM would have coordination powers between municipalities. The authority will not in any way threaten the powers of the central government for the general organization of the economy.

- All services provided by CSM must be free of charge.

- As a primary source, the Community will be financed by member municipalities. Grants from Kosovo and outside Kosovo, with an emphasis on those from Serbia, will serve as secondary sources of funding.

- Within its competence, the decisions made by the Assembly of the CSM will have the legal force of the agreement on inter-municipal cooperation. They become authoritative only after they have been separately confirmed by each municipal assembly.

- The Assembly of the Community will consist of elected representatives, as well as members of municipal assemblies. Delegation to the Assembly is carried out by a separate vote in each municipal assembly. The elected representatives of the Serbian community, represented in the CSM Assembly, train it for the function of representing the interests of the Serbian community. Communities in the Council of Communities of Kosovo according to Article 60.2 of the Constitution of Kosovo are constitutional categories. Consequently, it will have its own representative in the Council of Kosovo Communities.

- CSM will also serve as an advocate for the promotion of the collective rights of the Serbian community. This will be achieved through commitment to creating conditions for return and integration and civil representation in relation to the central institutions of Kosovo.

- In order to create a climate of trust, the Government of Kosovo will initiate amendments to the Law on the Ombudsman. By amending the law, the ombudsman will be obliged to send the concerns of representatives of non-majority communities to the Constitutional Court without delay.

- Associations, various territorial and non-territorial autonomies and states with special status and unique characteristics are almost the norm on the European continent. Such regulations are a European standard, so it is completely incomprehensible to the international public that such a model has no place in this part of Europe.

- CSM is inevitable, so less rhetoric, more work of the Government of Kosovo, the text concludes.