Not in Europe’s Security Interest

Kosovo’s admission to the international police organisation ‘Interpol’ has failed. A commentary by Karl von Habsburg.

What primarily appears to be a defeat or setback for the Republic of Kosovo is, in reality, a defeat for European security policy. Out of a total of 135 states, 68 voted in favour of and 51 against the admission of the youngest European state to ‘Interpol‘. 16 countries abstained. Kosovo thus failed to achieve the necessary 2/3 majority for admission.

This was once again preceded by massive disruptive manoeuvres from Serbia and Russia. A minor disagreement even arose between the two countries because Russia had voted against Serbian interests on one point. Russia, however, had attempted to push through its own candidate as the new head of Interpol, after the previous president disappeared in China at the hands of the regime there. However, South Korea’s Kim Yong Yang was elected.

More successful than in pushing through their own candidate, Russia (together with Serbia) unfortunately was in preventing Kosovo’s admission. It is well known that there are still some states within the EU that – mostly based on erroneous assumptions – reject the recognition of Kosovo. However, this rejection does not change the fact that the independent state of Kosovo exists. From this realpolitik fact, it logically follows that it would be sensible to admit this existing independent state into the international security architecture – and Interpol is undoubtedly a part of this security architecture. Especially if, like those who reject recognition, one holds the (unsubstantiated) position that Kosovo is a hotbed of Islamic terrorism. Anyone who has been to Kosovo and looked around will find, when comparing it with other European countries, that there are probably more Islamic fundamentalists in Spain or France than in Kosovo.

A fundamental principle of security policy must be to export security. Kosovo’s admission to ‘Interpol’ would have been such a step in the export of security. The fact that it is still possible to obstruct a sensible security policy with disruptive tactics from Belgrade and Moscow, in turn, highlights one of the major weaknesses of European politics. It is not Kosovo that has suffered a defeat, but rather some European countries have inflicted a defeat upon European security policy.

The article originally appeared on Karl von Habsburg‘s website.