In The Balkans Always Look Both Ways

Michael Hedges October 28, 2009 Follow on Twitter

Establishing democratic institutions and the rule of law where ethnic wars once raged in South East Europe has been the focus of international organizations and experts for two decades. Free press and independent public media have been seen as essential for bringing stability to this corner of Europe. The results of these efforts have been disappointing as local tribes, clans and factions quickly revert to old ways.

The seven States formerly part of Yugoslavia, often referred to as the Western Balkans, are the incomplete corner of Europe. Slovenia joined the European Union (EC) in 2004. Croatia will likely be accepted by 2011 or 2012. Macedonia and Serbia will certainly follow. The rest have miles to go.

European Commission Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn issued (October 14) the annual progress report on the Western Balkans and Turkey. Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania are making “uneven progress,” said his report. Many obstacles remain for these “potential candidates.” Media development in these countries has also made uneven progress.

Kosovo – officially ‘Kosovo under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244/99’ – was added to the list of EU expansion “potential candidates” when it declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia and Spain have not officially recognized the nascent country. The United Nations (UNMIK - United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) and the EU (EULEX - European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) have functionally administered Kosovo.

"From today there is a new area for relations between the EU and the Republic of Kosovo," said Prime Minister Hashim Thaci (October 14) as the EC Enlargement report was released. "From now, Kosovo has a very clear perspective towards the EU."

Radio Television Kosovo (RTK) was set up ten years ago with international support under the tutelage of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and patronage of the Organization for Security and Cooperation Europe (OSCE) and UNMIK. Establishing a model public service broadcaster was the plan. The management board included representatives of the international community. Slowly RTK took shape with a television station and two radio stations, a restructured local station Radio Pristina and the UN established Radio Blue Sky folded in. A local director, Agim Zatriqi, was named in 2001 as the EBU’s operational mandate ended.

When Kosovo declared independence RTK was viewed as a valuable keystone. The EBU maintained a special relationship with the broadcaster, pride of parentage being strong. Under established rules RTK is not a full EBU member because Kosovo is not fully recognized as a State by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). EBU General Director Jean Réveillon has taken personal interest in RTK’s future.

Naming a fully local management board and separating somewhat from institutional members was part of RTK’s organizational development plan. The Kosovo Parliament accomplished that task (October 12) amidst evidence that politicians – anticipating Kosovo’s first elections since declaring independence – wanted special, favorable treatment from RTK. A news director friendly to the political party of PM Thaci was named, forced on Agim Zatriqi say local media watchers. Zatriqi’s future at RTK dimmed when he sacked the news director. RTK’s future dimmed as the license fee, €3.5 per month per household collected by the State-owned electric utility, came under fire. Critics said Zatriqi misspent the money; medical insurance for RTK employees being a point of contention. Kosovo’s newly minted Constitutional Court suspended collection of the license fee (October 15), RTK’s primary source of financial support, threatening salaries and other services.

Agim Zatriqi resigned a month ago (September 26) saying it was not possible to continue. His resignation was immediately accepted, Antonio Gashin named interim General Director. Zatriqi had appealed to European Union Special Representative Pieter Feith for support. It was not forthcoming; Feith reportedly telling Zatriqi to quit if he “can’t handle the pressure.” Feith, who answers to the European Union’s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, has offered support for creating a separate ‘public’ broadcaster for the Serb minority in Kosovo.

Pressure is something well understood at the EBU. In a strongly worded letter to PM Thaci (October 26), EBU General Director Révellion placed blame at the top: “Pressure from your government transformed RTK from being a balanced supplier of news into a media arm of the ruling party and of yourself as prime minister.” (See EBU statement and Jean Révellion letter here)

“The European Union expects of its Members and candidate Members that they have functioning and well-funded public service broadcasters, not state broadcasters. In order to raise awareness of the damage currently being done to RTK, which has been built up successfully over the past 10 years, I am sending copies of this letter to, among others, Mr Jacob Krasnici, President of the Kosovo Parliament; representatives of the international community in Pristina; the OSCE; Mr Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission; the Director General of UNESCO; the Secretary General of the Council Europe; and a selection of Members of the European Parliament.

“I urge you and your government to re-think the pressure currently being exerted on RTK and to restore the independence RTK requires to perform its proper function as a genuine public service broadcaster and bedrock of democracy at a time when Kosovo is still seeking full international recognition.”

The timing of all this is significant; elections brewing, local economy suffering, political barons flexing. Mixed signals from the EU and the UN are further compromising institution building in Kosovo. One of the few successes, RTK, looks to become a footnote to the next story of the Western Balkans.

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