Elections in Serbia – outcome irrelevant for Kosovo
02/04/2008
After yesterday’s re-election of Serbia’s pro-Western President Boris Tadić, the European Union is talking of speeding up Serbia’s progress towards membership while at the same time deciding to send 1,800 police and legal officials to Kosovo where they are to take over from the United Nations forces under UN Security Council resolution 1244 which refers to an international security presence. (see BBC)
I read Lisa’s post on the elections and have been thinking a bit. Tadić and Nikolić are not as different in their POV as portrayed, especially when it comes to Kosovo. I will go out on limb to suggest that possibly, Nikolić would have been (will be?) able to negotiate better when the initial after-independence-declaration limited outbursts of violence subside. Then again, I could be wrong.
pengovsky said,
February 4, 2008 @ 9:41 pm
Only Nixon could go to China… So yes, between the two of them Nikolić would probably have a better chance of surviving (perhaps literally) the loss of Kosovo.
However, again we are in a basic disagreeement – I don’t think Serbs are willing to negotiate over Kosovo at all – beacuse there is no middle ground between being independent (what Kosovars want) and not being independend (What Serbs want the Kosovars to be).
And I don’t forget that negotiating with Kosovo basically means recognizing it
dr.filomena said,
February 4, 2008 @ 9:47 pm
I think Serbs achieved their objective if they got you to think they are unwilling to negotiate over Kosovo. That is the strongest negotiating starting point imaginable. Make the opposite side believe it and you’ve secured the greatest possible profit in return for a cause arguably long-ago lost.
Furthermore, I never mentioned negotiating with Kosovo. What I actually had in mind was negotiations with the US, EU, Russia (and ok, the UN) *about* Kosovo. Surely, oil and gas pipelines come at a price?
pengovsky said,
February 4, 2008 @ 10:04 pm
Given the multitude of Serb mythology connected with Kosovo I don’t think they’re faking it. You seem to insist that Serbs are behaving rationally. But if they are not, then negotiations are not an option.
But even if they were – how could they ever negotiate over something that is not theirs? The US have already negotiated oil and gas pipelines. With the Kosovars. That’s why they’re supporting their independence in the first plaice.
dr.filomena said,
February 4, 2008 @ 10:41 pm
I don’t think ‘the masses’ are faking it, but I think you may be underestimating the pragmatism Serbs, particularly the ones in power and those in urban areas are capable of.
Yes, we do have a fundamental disagreement here, arising from a different perception of “what is theirs”. Even if Serbs no longer have possession of Kosovo, they hold title to it in a way. And if they are expected to waive it peacefully (either in full or in relation to the southern two thirds of the province), they should be duly compensated.
I think we’ll end up having to agree to disagree 😉
(Call me Karolina press.)
frickingserb said,
February 4, 2008 @ 11:29 pm
I do hope I’ll live to see the doom of the most disgusting people in the world – Slovenians.
dr. filomena said,
February 5, 2008 @ 9:13 am
@frickingserb: You’re welcome to come sit on my couch for the wait. I’ll offer tea and biscuits as it may take a while.
pengovsky said,
February 5, 2008 @ 9:34 am
With our foreign minister the doom might just be around the corner 🙂
dr.filomena said,
February 5, 2008 @ 9:43 am
Oh well, maybe frickingserb can at least drop by for a quick couch session with a cup of coffee and a donut for today 😉 A fine introduction to the repentance scheduled for tomorrow…
Binula said,
February 5, 2008 @ 10:11 am
I think that Tadić is sexier 😉
Global Voices Online » Serbia: President Tadic Gets Re-Elected said,
February 6, 2008 @ 2:52 am
[…] Filomena, a Slovenian blogger, wrote this on the Kosovo issue and the two presidential candidates: […] Tadić and Nikolić are not […]
Global Voices на Македонски » Србија: Претседателот Тадиќ повторно избран said,
February 26, 2008 @ 11:13 am
[…] блогер д-р Филомена, пишува за косовското прашање и двајцата претседателски […]