“It is disheartening that many people in Kosovo believe that in the conflict between the EU/US and Kosovo, it is the EU/US who will ultimately lose and suffer, rather than Kosovo. It is difficult to comprehend how they have arrived at this conclusion,” a well-known journalist from Kosovo, Berat Buxhala, assessed. Buxhala added that he, who is nearly 50 years old, has never experienced such an anti-Western sentiment in Kosovo before.
Buxhala, the editor of „Nacionale,“ has been vocal for days in expressing his warnings regarding the current crisis in the north, which contradicts the way the Kosovo government is managing the crisis. He is also a strong critic of Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s actions.
He stated that for those journalists in Kosovo who do not agree with the approach of Kurti’s government, it is „indeed a challenging situation“, especially when it comes to the issue of the crisis in the North.
“We firmly believe that Kurti is making several wrong decisions, particularly by turning against the entire international community that supports Kosovo, including our most important ally, the United States. We have been warning people about the potential consequences of these actions.”
“Initially, the government and their online supporters dismissed our concerns and accused us of spreading lies and panic. However, after a few days, we started hearing about actual penalties from the international community. These penalties include the cancellation of Defender 2023, the US commitment to assist Kosovo in gaining more recognition, and the cancellation of government visits between Kosovo and the US,” he tweeted.
Additionally, he believes there may be other consequences from the European Union.
“The same people who previously accused us of spreading lies and being unpatriotic are now accusing us of being happy that our own country is being punished. This is absolutely absurd. I am nearly 50 years old, and I have never experienced such anti-Western sentiment in my country before. All of this can be attributed to Prime Minister Kurti and his questionable actions. He is engaging in dirty political games that are damaging the relationship between Kosovo and the international community.”
Further elaborating, he said that: “I personally advocate for a peaceful and negotiated political solution for the northern issue, following the spirit of our history. I align myself with the principles of Ibrahim Rugova, who sought peaceful means for Kosovo’s advancement. The United States and the European Union hold paramount importance for Kosovo, as they have been crucial in our journey, providing support and guidance throughout.“
Buxhala did not mince words for those he believes are responsible for the violence that broke out in the north on Monday.
“I do not seek to justify the actions of the bandits in the north, especially the recent incident where they brutally attacked NATO soldiers. Those individuals, along with any thugs engaging in similar acts, should be held accountable and face legal consequences.”
He added that It is highly likely that these actions are politically orchestrated.
He recalled Kurti’s Self-Determination party’s disruptive behaviour in central institutions in Pristina.
“However, I must also mention incidents involving Kurti’s supporters and their disruptive behavior. For instance, there have been instances where tear gas was used inside the Kosovo Assembly, endangering pregnant women and obstructing the session of democratically elected MPs. There was also an incident where a Molotov cocktail was thrown inside the Assembly premises during the election of Hashim Thaci as President of Kosovo. In the past, the Kosovo police have confiscated large quantities of illegal ammunition from supporters of Kurti’s party.”
According to him, considering all these events, it is clear that Kurti’s rise to the position of Prime Minister was marked by violence, which contradicts his claims and statements.
The situation in the northern part of Kosovo is extremely critical. Here is my analysis of the events that unfolded last night. pic.twitter.com/ksNw7QWjaZ
— berat buzhala (@buzhala) May 30, 2023
Buxhala was harshly criticized several days ago, after he came to the defense of the European rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, one of the few Kosovo Albanians to do so.
Cramon urgently traveled to Kosovo on Saturday, where she spoke to officials and members of civil society. In the north, she paid a visit to Zvecan and Leposavic.
After describing the scene with such a strong presence of special forces as scary, while underscoring to the police officers she spoke to that they were only carrying out orders, Cramon found herself under an avalanche of strong verbal attacks from the Albanian side – from officials, through analysts, journalists, and other public figures. They cut the recordings of her conversation on the ground, evaluating the performance as scandalous.
The same thing happened to the editor of „Nacionale“.
I refuse to remain silent simply because trolls are harassing anyone who holds different views from the Leader. Viola’s concerns are valid. The elections in the north were technically legal, but they lacked legitimacy. We are a democratic nation, not an authoritarian one.… https://t.co/iNxwdkhNgW
— berat buzhala (@buzhala) May 28, 2023
He reacted several times since then, also to warn international representatives about Kurti’s alleged trolls, describing it „a room with computers where young LVV activists sit, whose job it is to target anyone who dares to criticize Kurti.“
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
