“Gloomy Kosovo forecasts prove unfounded”

I cannot believe that this article comes from the respected British magazine 'The Economist'.
Surely, it's from some sort of 'back street publication' elsewhere!
However, if this is not the case, then 'The Economist' editor must have been under the infuence of some form of substance abuse.

Kosovo is a mess. It has absolutely no future in its present state. After a year of 'independence' it is recognised by only 27% of the UN members.
There is a serious amount of denial going on in the 'West' regarding the state of Kosovo.
Let's face reality. Kosovo's UDI was and still is illegal.
If Kosovo remains outside of Serbia, it cannot seriously expect to have a future at all.

MB,Ireland

And today there is a realy very good editorial article in Financial Times- in same lines as The Economist.

Two conservative journails with greatest presitge clearly demascing the anti-Kosova propaganda offensive.

Thank you for your ojbectivity- but after all it is your trade-mark.

Criticizing "gloomy" forecasts are of course relative to one's point of view. While the worst case scenarios that many may have predicted have not panned out, Kosovo is far from "bright".

"The weekly writes that “the new country has so far been recognized by only 54 of the UN’s 192 countries—and five of the 27 members in the European Union are among the refuseniks.”"

-- And what happened to Thaci's list of "100 countries in the first 48 hours?" It isn’t just Russia opposing, as many predicted.

"According to the weekly, the greatest success in Kosovo is that there has been no exodus of Serbs from the province this year, adding though that the Kosovo Serbs mostly live in enclaves and in the north, which is “under de facto Serbian control,”"

-- Again, you can't expect much of an exodus when most of the Serbs have already fled after 1999. Two things are keeping the K-Serbs that are there from leaving:

a) UNMIK/EULEX/KFOR are keeping the Albanians out of Serb municipalities and enclaves, and are letting them basically run their own lives in tandem with BG

b) Belgrade has told them to stay put, doubling their salaries (you want to call it bribing them not to move, go ahead). The slightest instance where the quality of life for a K-Serbs gets irrevocably worse, they'll take the first train out.

Let's not overlook that while there have been no Serbs LEAVING Kosovo, there have been very few Serbs RETURNING to Kosovo. What's the point of returning if one knows their lives are in jeopardy from less savory Albanian mobs? No Serb is going to return to a region that's led by former KLA commanders who have recently decided to play the ethnic card and throw out words like "genocide". Multiethnic co-existence is something that is simply not part of Pristina's agenda. Thaci says one thing for Western journalists, and something quite different for his own community.

" the threat of extreme nationalists coming to power in Belgrade has passed, and has not “exploded” as had been expected, adding that Serbia now has a firmly pro-European government."

-- It is also apparent that despite the consternation of the international community, little is really being done to loosen Belgrade's grip on northern Kosovo. If the EU was firm on Serbia being blocked from all affairs in Kosovo, Nikolic would be in power now. It's one thing to have a pro-EU government in power. It's another when its Foreign Minister travels around the world working to cast doubt on Kosovo's sovereignty. This I believe is within some tacit agreement with the EU, otherwise the SRS/DSS would be in power. Do not believe for a second that Serbia has somehow "gotten over" Kosovo.

"The weekly also commends the arrival of the EU law-and-order mission, EULEX, which deployed in Kosovo in December."

-- Again, after agreement that it operates under a "status neutral" condition. Both sides can say what they want about it, but it came only after compromising with BG, which is supposed to be the capital of "another country". If Kosovo were that independent, Belgrade wouldn’t even be in the equation.

"“The Serbian government has led a very effective diplomatic campaign against Kosovo and it has a very poor image aboard,” the weekly states."

-- Thanks in large part to Jeremic's work, and Pristina foolishly deciding to let other powers speak on its behalf.

"it is commonly stated that Kosovo is the main path for drug trafficking, while the same is not said for other countries in the region, some of which are even EU member-states, such as Bulgaria and Austria."

-- No doubt, but Kosovo still remains a major transit hub and distribution center for most of Europe's drugs. It's no coincidence that Afghanistan and Turkey were the first countries to recognize. From source to transit hub to distribution center. Let's not ignore the 800 gorilla in the room: this, and émigré remittances remain Kosovo’s largest sources of income. The stereotype would not exist if it weren't true.

If the best thing that can be said about Kosovo is that an all-out ethnic war hasn’t exploded, I feel analysts are still setting the bar of progress considerably low in order to paint a somewhat positive picture.

MB,Ireland
(Micheal Breathnach, 17 February 2009 14:59)

I would suggest you not to worry about Kosova's future.
26 % of these recognitions are from countrys which are the strongest economical powers of the modern world, and belive me soon you will se more coming.

This is called whitewash. Crude propaganda for uninformed masses. An article in Scotsman mentioned that Serbs are happy to be part of independent Kosovo.
Economist also mentioned that Kosovars are the happiest people on earth.Economist is really trying too hard. On the other hand Kosovars should be happy stealing aid money from gullible Europeans.

Besides the violence, gloomy indeed. Read B92 article above this one. Right on the money!

“Some of the stereotypes that are believed in generally and are being repeated about Kosovars abroad are simply racist,” which makes Serbian president to one of them.
It would be better, if he would serously deal with the still criminal and bad human rights situation in Serbia proper!!

oops there goes Tadic's hope, when he states that Albanians are mafia ;) http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=02&dd=17&nav_id=57203

Not so long ago several albanians in kosovo we want for terrorism charges paid a western marketing agency several million dollars of eu and american tax payers money to improve their image. tough job no doubt. what i've seen from the agency so far is this unsigned paid ad in a magazine and hash-im parroting genocide, chauvinism, genocide, chauvinism, and he aint even describing him-self! :)
Ok we're here lets see if you know anything else :)

Is this toilet paper still being published or read?

I thought it was flushed away with rest of the economic garbage. Just like your national economy.

Oh yes. Serbs will "feel good" too in your feel good meter readings when your migrants start harvesting Londoners organs and scatter the rest of you in ghetto's all over the Brittas Isle.

Bon Voyage...

to serbians:
you try very hard to persude yourself that kosovo is a nasty place:keep trying again,we albanians do know what kosovo looks like,and every day is better than yesterday:the road to peja is brand new,the highway to kukes and durres will be openned this year,the airport is getting more than 1,5 million passengers by year,all very happy to travel to kosova!

I feel analysts are still setting the bar of progress considerably low in order to paint a somewhat positive picture.
(Mike, 17 February 2009 20:03)

There isn't anything in the article which isn't true. I agree, that the bar is pretty low. Kosovo would hugely improve it's image if they can produce leadership which isn't tied to crime and has no blood of innocent Serbs on their hands. For me, the latest is the single biggest obstacle to recognize. The second-biggest obstacle is that what was achieved so far, was achieved by tricking, cheating and arm-twisting of that infamous 1244.

In general, many things can be understand better if one knows, how a large, dishonest and dumb American corporation is being run, see Dilbert cartoons. We can call Kosovo "Dilbertville". I worked for few large companies in the States, all to familiar excuses and hogwash.

But - true - retirement and/or severance packages in these corporations can be nice ;)

And today there is a realy very good editorial article in Financial Times- in same lines as The Economist.

Two conservative journails with greatest presitge clearly demascing the anti-Kosova propaganda offensive.

Thank you for your ojbectivity- but after all it is your trade-mark.

I cannot believe that this article comes from the respected British magazine 'The Economist'.
Surely, it's from some sort of 'back street publication' elsewhere!
However, if this is not the case, then 'The Economist' editor must have been under the infuence of some form of substance abuse.

Kosovo is a mess. It has absolutely no future in its present state. After a year of 'independence' it is recognised by only 27% of the UN members.
There is a serious amount of denial going on in the 'West' regarding the state of Kosovo.
Let's face reality. Kosovo's UDI was and still is illegal.
If Kosovo remains outside of Serbia, it cannot seriously expect to have a future at all.

MB,Ireland

MB,Ireland
(Micheal Breathnach, 17 February 2009 14:59)

I would suggest you not to worry about Kosova's future.
26 % of these recognitions are from countrys which are the strongest economical powers of the modern world, and belive me soon you will se more coming.

“Some of the stereotypes that are believed in generally and are being repeated about Kosovars abroad are simply racist,” which makes Serbian president to one of them.
It would be better, if he would serously deal with the still criminal and bad human rights situation in Serbia proper!!

oops there goes Tadic's hope, when he states that Albanians are mafia ;) http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2009&mm=02&dd=17&nav_id=57203

This is called whitewash. Crude propaganda for uninformed masses. An article in Scotsman mentioned that Serbs are happy to be part of independent Kosovo.
Economist also mentioned that Kosovars are the happiest people on earth.Economist is really trying too hard. On the other hand Kosovars should be happy stealing aid money from gullible Europeans.

Criticizing "gloomy" forecasts are of course relative to one's point of view. While the worst case scenarios that many may have predicted have not panned out, Kosovo is far from "bright".

"The weekly writes that “the new country has so far been recognized by only 54 of the UN’s 192 countries—and five of the 27 members in the European Union are among the refuseniks.”"

-- And what happened to Thaci's list of "100 countries in the first 48 hours?" It isn’t just Russia opposing, as many predicted.

"According to the weekly, the greatest success in Kosovo is that there has been no exodus of Serbs from the province this year, adding though that the Kosovo Serbs mostly live in enclaves and in the north, which is “under de facto Serbian control,”"

-- Again, you can't expect much of an exodus when most of the Serbs have already fled after 1999. Two things are keeping the K-Serbs that are there from leaving:

a) UNMIK/EULEX/KFOR are keeping the Albanians out of Serb municipalities and enclaves, and are letting them basically run their own lives in tandem with BG

b) Belgrade has told them to stay put, doubling their salaries (you want to call it bribing them not to move, go ahead). The slightest instance where the quality of life for a K-Serbs gets irrevocably worse, they'll take the first train out.

Let's not overlook that while there have been no Serbs LEAVING Kosovo, there have been very few Serbs RETURNING to Kosovo. What's the point of returning if one knows their lives are in jeopardy from less savory Albanian mobs? No Serb is going to return to a region that's led by former KLA commanders who have recently decided to play the ethnic card and throw out words like "genocide". Multiethnic co-existence is something that is simply not part of Pristina's agenda. Thaci says one thing for Western journalists, and something quite different for his own community.

" the threat of extreme nationalists coming to power in Belgrade has passed, and has not “exploded” as had been expected, adding that Serbia now has a firmly pro-European government."

-- It is also apparent that despite the consternation of the international community, little is really being done to loosen Belgrade's grip on northern Kosovo. If the EU was firm on Serbia being blocked from all affairs in Kosovo, Nikolic would be in power now. It's one thing to have a pro-EU government in power. It's another when its Foreign Minister travels around the world working to cast doubt on Kosovo's sovereignty. This I believe is within some tacit agreement with the EU, otherwise the SRS/DSS would be in power. Do not believe for a second that Serbia has somehow "gotten over" Kosovo.

"The weekly also commends the arrival of the EU law-and-order mission, EULEX, which deployed in Kosovo in December."

-- Again, after agreement that it operates under a "status neutral" condition. Both sides can say what they want about it, but it came only after compromising with BG, which is supposed to be the capital of "another country". If Kosovo were that independent, Belgrade wouldn’t even be in the equation.

"“The Serbian government has led a very effective diplomatic campaign against Kosovo and it has a very poor image aboard,” the weekly states."

-- Thanks in large part to Jeremic's work, and Pristina foolishly deciding to let other powers speak on its behalf.

"it is commonly stated that Kosovo is the main path for drug trafficking, while the same is not said for other countries in the region, some of which are even EU member-states, such as Bulgaria and Austria."

-- No doubt, but Kosovo still remains a major transit hub and distribution center for most of Europe's drugs. It's no coincidence that Afghanistan and Turkey were the first countries to recognize. From source to transit hub to distribution center. Let's not ignore the 800 gorilla in the room: this, and émigré remittances remain Kosovo’s largest sources of income. The stereotype would not exist if it weren't true.

If the best thing that can be said about Kosovo is that an all-out ethnic war hasn’t exploded, I feel analysts are still setting the bar of progress considerably low in order to paint a somewhat positive picture.

Besides the violence, gloomy indeed. Read B92 article above this one. Right on the money!

Is this toilet paper still being published or read?

I thought it was flushed away with rest of the economic garbage. Just like your national economy.

Oh yes. Serbs will "feel good" too in your feel good meter readings when your migrants start harvesting Londoners organs and scatter the rest of you in ghetto's all over the Brittas Isle.

Bon Voyage...

to serbians:
you try very hard to persude yourself that kosovo is a nasty place:keep trying again,we albanians do know what kosovo looks like,and every day is better than yesterday:the road to peja is brand new,the highway to kukes and durres will be openned this year,the airport is getting more than 1,5 million passengers by year,all very happy to travel to kosova!

I feel analysts are still setting the bar of progress considerably low in order to paint a somewhat positive picture.
(Mike, 17 February 2009 20:03)

There isn't anything in the article which isn't true. I agree, that the bar is pretty low. Kosovo would hugely improve it's image if they can produce leadership which isn't tied to crime and has no blood of innocent Serbs on their hands. For me, the latest is the single biggest obstacle to recognize. The second-biggest obstacle is that what was achieved so far, was achieved by tricking, cheating and arm-twisting of that infamous 1244.

In general, many things can be understand better if one knows, how a large, dishonest and dumb American corporation is being run, see Dilbert cartoons. We can call Kosovo "Dilbertville". I worked for few large companies in the States, all to familiar excuses and hogwash.

But - true - retirement and/or severance packages in these corporations can be nice ;)

Not so long ago several albanians in kosovo we want for terrorism charges paid a western marketing agency several million dollars of eu and american tax payers money to improve their image. tough job no doubt. what i've seen from the agency so far is this unsigned paid ad in a magazine and hash-im parroting genocide, chauvinism, genocide, chauvinism, and he aint even describing him-self! :)
Ok we're here lets see if you know anything else :)