The Kurti government's first year marked a rocky beginning in foreign policy, and the situation deteriorated further in the second year, underscoring the urgent need for recalibration. By the third year, the situation was worsened by an unqualified foreign minister and inexperienced lobbyists tasked with representing Kosovo’s interests abroad.
Under the Kurti government, undiplomatic behavior has been the modus operandi. Despite being the first government to complete a full four-year mandate, it has failed to secure any new state recognitions or memberships in prominent international organizations, making it both the longest-serving Kosovo government and the only one to achieve no progress in this domain.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Kurti government has failed to deliver on almost all foreign policy fronts, showcasing a lack of knowledge and strategy, leaving the country in a very precarious position and isolated more than ever.
Cases of cronyism: Contracting inexperienced friends as lobbyists
To improve Kosovo’s relations with key allies, such as the U.S. and EU member states, the Kurti government has contracted several lobbyists. However, concerns have risen about the selection process and qualifications of these lobbyists.
One notable case involves Gani Jakupi, who was awarded a contract for 90,000 euros over one year. The manner in which Jakupi was contracted suggests that the process was not open and competitive.
Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry announced the call for consultants for public and cultural diplomacy on June 13, 2023. Just six days later, on June 19, Foreign Minister Gervalla-Schwarz delegated the responsibility to the Kosovo Embassy in Brussels to contract Jakupi, who signed the agreement the following day. The swift time frame with which this process was concluded suggests that Jakupi may have been pre-selected before the formal process began.
In an attempt to defend herself, Minister Gervalla-Schwarz has made misleading claims about the contract, suggesting that Jakupi’s role includes securing new recognitions for Kosovo, a responsibility not mentioned in the contract. The contract emphasizes that Jakupi's work would focus on the Benelux countries and France, nations that have already recognized Kosovo.
Furthermore, she falsely stated that the payment was project-based rather than a salary. However, the contract indicates that Jakupi received the income as an “external consultant.” A recent document published by Gazeta Express suggests that Jakupi’s other expenses such as travel, food and accommodation were covered as an additional cost.
In the U.S., the Kurti government signed two hefty contracts with two newly established firms, without any prior lobbying contracts registered under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The companies in question are Aferdita Rakipi Communications and Ambal, the latter represented by Avni Mustafaj. According to the contracts, each company received 147,000 euros for a period of one year for their work. At first, the government tried to keep these contracts hidden from the public, but they were made public by FARA in the U.S.
Neither of these companies have websites, and it is unclear how many staff members they employ. Additionally, they have no prior lobbying experience, making it difficult to justify such substantial contracts with these one-man show “companies.” However, one common factor is that both have close ties to the Kurti government.
Although these firms are contracted for lobbying activities in the U.S., a recent report by Radio Free Europe indicates that in the first six months, most of their expenses were for flight tickets and were incurred in Kosovo. This raises serious questions about the efficacy and legitimacy of their work, as well as the potential misuse of public funds.
The Kurti government, already lacking in the foreign policy domain, has further exacerbated this challenge by hiring inexperienced lobbyists. This approach risks undermining diplomatic success, as demonstrated by the unprecedented strain in Kosovo's relations with its allies.
Relations with key allies reach a nadir
Beyond the ongoing challenge of non-recognizers, Kosovo is now dealing with a sharp deterioration in relations with its key allies, threatening its diplomatic standing and long-term stability.
Kosovo remains the only country in the Western Balkans to not receive EU candidate status and the only country in the region to be under sanctions by the EU.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Kosovo’s bilateral relations with its key ally, the U.S., is at the lowest point ever. The U.S. administration has raised concerns about the quality of its partnership with the Kosovo government, a situation that was previously unheard of in Kosovo.
Prime Minister Kurti has undermined fundamental diplomatic principles by openly labeling EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak as biased by siding with Serbia and characterizing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as naive.
Furthermore, there are allegations that the Kurti government has used various proxies to spread disinformation in order to attack the character of international diplomats. For instance, one unreliable journalist published an article falsely claiming that the former U.S. special envoy, Gabriel Escobar, was dismissed from his position.
Escobar responded by stating that the rumors about his dismissal were circulated immediately after his communication with the Kosovo government regarding the end of his mandate and transition into a new role, implying that the information might have leaked from there.
This unethical and undiplomatic approach has increasingly isolated Prime Minister Kurti, leading world leaders to avoid meeting with him and resulting in a lack of bilateral meetings between Kosovo and Western countries.
No new state recognitions and memberships in international organizations
Over the past four years, Kosovo has not gained any new state recognitions. This does not seem to be a priority for Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz, who said that state recognitions are not a measure of foreign policy success.
Similarly, the Kurti government has failed to secure membership in any prominent international organizations. Notably, Kosovo did not join the Adriatic Charter, an association of Western Balkan countries and the U.S. aimed at supporting NATO integration. This is particularly significant as membership in the Adriatic Charter was a specific promise made by this government in 2021.
Not only did Kosovo fail to join any international organizations, but it also risked expulsion from the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) and the Berlin Process for banning imports of goods from Serbia in June 2023, a violation of both CEFTA’s guidelines and Kosovo’s Stabilization and Association Agreement. The Kosovo government partially lifted the ban on Serbian goods on October 8, 2024, at one border crossing.
Nevertheless, despite the subpar level of leadership, Kosovo had a solid opportunity to become a member of the Council of Europe (CoE), a leading intergovernmental organization focused on promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe.
However, France, Germany and Italy intervened and demanded in a joint letter that Kosovo implement its own constitutional court rulings by taking significant steps toward establishing the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities (ASM). They highlighted the submission of a draft statute for the ASM by the EU as a specific action that needed to be taken.
However, the Kosovo government did not take this demand seriously. In a last-minute effort to convince Kosovo’s allies to include Kosovo’s bid in the General Assembly of the CoE on May 17, 2024, Gervalla-Schwarz sent a letter to the President of the General Assembly urging him to reconsider adding Kosovo to the agenda of the General Assembly, pledging that Kosovo would proceed with sending a draft statute to the Kosovo Constitutional Court for review by the end of May 2024.
Upon learning that Kosovo did not make it to the agenda, Gervalla-Schwarz stated that the letter sent to the President of the General Assembly of the CoE had lost its relevance. This demonstrates a lack of vision in foreign affairs.
Interfering in foreign elections
Prime Minister Kurti has been consistently meddling in foreign elections. In Serbia, Kurti supported the mayoral candidacy of Ardita Sinani, who previously served as an advisor in his cabinet, for the Albanian-majority town of Presevo in Serbia, where she won the election.
Furthermore, he interfered in recent parliamentary and presidential elections in North Macedonia, where he supported the coalition VLEN, the Alliance for Albanians led by Arben Taravari, who was hosted by Prime Minister Kurti in his office in an attempt to boost his electoral campaign.
This approach is problematic on four fronts. Firstly, endorsing a single political party, coalition or candidate overlooks fundamental principles of diplomatic principles and undermines the sovereignty of other nations. When Prime Minister Kurti calls to support a specific party, coalition or candidate, he does so in the capacity of Prime Minister, not just the leader of the Self-determination Party. This interference can seriously harm bilateral relations with those countries.
Secondly, Kosovo is constitutionally defined as a multi-ethnic state rather than a nation-state. Therefore, by aligning with a specific ethnic group in neighboring countries, Kurti appears to disregard the foundational tenets of the Kosovo Constitution.
Thirdly, advising Albanian minorities in the Western Balkans on which candidate, party or coalition is better for them risks exacerbating polarization within Albanian communities who are not monolithic in their political preferences.
In the past, Kurti has also called the Albanian community in the U.S. to support Joe Biden’s candidacy in the presidential election. Recently, Kurti has urged the Kosovo diaspora in the EU to support the social democrats. This move is a strategic mistake, given the significant gains made by the right and far-right parties in the EU’s latest elections and Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election.
This lack of vision in foreign policy demonstrates that Prime Minister Kurti sees the world in a binary manner and has not recognized the necessity of taking advantage of opportunities that provide a real window for potential progress, or establishing certain foundations with parties on the right before the impending changes in elections in Europe and the U.S.
The Kurti government has shown a lack of knowledge, experience and professionalism needed to develop a coherent foreign policy strategy for Kosovo. This has resulted in diplomatic gaffes, marked by the deterioration of key relationships with allies, seriously harming Kosovo’s national interests and hindering efforts to enhance Kosovo’s international legitimacy and presence.
