EU dailies look at EULEX, borders and KFOR role

The EULEX mission is on slippery ground and threatened by violence in Kosovo, writes Austrian daily Die Presse. Die Presse writes today that the violence in Kosovo threatens to “choke” the prestigious and largest ever EU peace mission—EULEX—before it has even officially started its work. EU dailies look at EULEX, borders and KFOR role It quotes sources in Brussels who say that EULEX is on slippery ground, and that the operation largely depends on KFOR forces who want to prevent a partition of Kosovo at all costs, reports Slovenian media. The daily states that unless KFOR forces succeed in establishing order in Kosovo soon, the situation will completely change for EULEX because, "with the mandate it has now", EULEX cannot deal with a crisis situation in Kosovo. But Belgrade, backed by Moscow, says the mission has no mandate, and calls its presence in the province "illegal". Die Presse’s sources confirmed that Brussels is still not ready for a possible secession of the northern part of Kosovo. Even if the situation calms down, it is not clear if EULEX will be able to begin its work in June, as planned. The reason for that is the fact that Russia remains on Serbia’s side in the Security Council and is obstructing the transfer of UN powers to EULEX. The Austrian daily states that, if UNMIK was not able to withdraw from Kosovo by the middle of June, when EULEX is due to start its work, a problem would emerge in terms of a lack of EULEX staff, because the majority of EU members had the same people in mind that are currently working for UNMIK. This would be a particular problem for police forces, who are “hard to find”, but there are also difficulties in “recruiting” specialists, such as civil rights judges. Die Presse writes that “rumor has it” in Brussels that new EULEX officials are only envisaged for the highest positions and only “for the sake of appearances.” Meantime, in another piece dedicated to Kosovo in the European press, French Le Figaro says a new international conference "where borders in the Balkans would be finally determined is needed". "Serbs from Mitrovica, who survived one of the most radical ethnic cleansings in the Balkan history, have the right to be angry," Le Figaro said. Explaining the reasons for clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica Monday, the newspaper said that Serbs did not want to be subordinated to a Kosovo Albanian government headed by former leaders of the KLA guerilla which committed numerous crimes against Serb civilians. Serbs do not accept that the Americans and most Europeans have risked to violate international law by recognizing Kosovo's independence, the newspaper said. The daily quoted the issue of Albanian irredentism, possible demands of Herzegovina Croats to be formally annexed to Croatia and Bosnian Serb demands for independence as the reasons for the "need for a conference on new borders in the Balkans". "Intoxicated by the unexpected collapse of the Communism in 1989, the West rashly allowed Pandora's box of territorial demands to be opened," the newspaper said. In Spain, El Mundo newspaper reacted to the deteriorating security situation in Kosovo by calling for an end of Spanish participation in the international peacekeeping efforts there. The influential daily also says the "majority of Spaniards" agree with this. A poll conducted by El Mundo shows that 85 percent of those who took part are in favor of a Spanish withdrawal from Kosovo. "Since the authorities in Kosovo unilaterally declared independence, KFOR's role has completely changed," the daily says. "That mission at this point has no legal basis. KFOR was meant to be a peacekeeping mission at first, it was never planned for it to become an occupation force that is supposed to subjugate the Serb minority to the will of the Albanian majority and the policy of fait accompli," the Madrid newspaper warned. Spain has some 100 troops in Kosovo, and is one of the EU countries that have refused to recognize Pristina's unilateral secession.

EU dailies look at EULEX, borders and KFOR role

It quotes sources in Brussels who say that EULEX is on slippery ground, and that the operation largely depends on KFOR forces who want to prevent a partition of Kosovo at all costs, reports Slovenian media.

The daily states that unless KFOR forces succeed in establishing order in Kosovo soon, the situation will completely change for EULEX because, "with the mandate it has now", EULEX cannot deal with a crisis situation in Kosovo.

But Belgrade, backed by Moscow, says the mission has no mandate, and calls its presence in the province "illegal".

Die Presse’s sources confirmed that Brussels is still not ready for a possible secession of the northern part of Kosovo.

Even if the situation calms down, it is not clear if EULEX will be able to begin its work in June, as planned.

The reason for that is the fact that Russia remains on Serbia’s side in the Security Council and is obstructing the transfer of UN powers to EULEX.

The Austrian daily states that, if UNMIK was not able to withdraw from Kosovo by the middle of June, when EULEX is due to start its work, a problem would emerge in terms of a lack of EULEX staff, because the majority of EU members had the same people in mind that are currently working for UNMIK.

This would be a particular problem for police forces, who are “hard to find”, but there are also difficulties in “recruiting” specialists, such as civil rights judges.

Die Presse writes that “rumor has it” in Brussels that new EULEX officials are only envisaged for the highest positions and only “for the sake of appearances.”

Meantime, in another piece dedicated to Kosovo in the European press, French Le Figaro says a new international conference "where borders in the Balkans would be finally determined is needed".

"Serbs from Mitrovica, who survived one of the most radical ethnic cleansings in the Balkan history, have the right to be angry," Le Figaro said.

Explaining the reasons for clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica Monday, the newspaper said that Serbs did not want to be subordinated to a Kosovo Albanian government headed by former leaders of the KLA guerilla which committed numerous crimes against Serb civilians.

Serbs do not accept that the Americans and most Europeans have risked to violate international law by recognizing Kosovo's independence, the newspaper said.

The daily quoted the issue of Albanian irredentism, possible demands of Herzegovina Croats to be formally annexed to Croatia and Bosnian Serb demands for independence as the reasons for the "need for a conference on new borders in the Balkans".

"Intoxicated by the unexpected collapse of the Communism in 1989, the West rashly allowed Pandora's box of territorial demands to be opened," the newspaper said.

In Spain, El Mundo newspaper reacted to the deteriorating security situation in Kosovo by calling for an end of Spanish participation in the international peacekeeping efforts there.

The influential daily also says the "majority of Spaniards" agree with this.

A poll conducted by El Mundo shows that 85 percent of those who took part are in favor of a Spanish withdrawal from Kosovo.

"Since the authorities in Kosovo unilaterally declared independence, KFOR's role has completely changed," the daily says.

"That mission at this point has no legal basis. KFOR was meant to be a peacekeeping mission at first, it was never planned for it to become an occupation force that is supposed to subjugate the Serb minority to the will of the Albanian majority and the policy of fait accompli," the Madrid newspaper warned.

Spain has some 100 troops in Kosovo, and is one of the EU countries that have refused to recognize Priština's unilateral secession.