Kosovo Albanians celebrated Feb. 17th  their first year of sc. Independence.  Among normal praising statements and congratulations there was also various definitions of the status of this Serbia's separatist province.  Newest for me was one of which  the former PM Ramush Haradinaj used.  He addressed many criticisms toward the Government - a quote (Koha Ditore, Zëri, Epoka e Re):

We are witnesses of the transformation of the state into the private property of the leadership that wants to monopolize everything good that we inherited, our entire history and future, and which has transformed Government into organized corruption.

Rude words but given the background also understandable.  Today's PM Thaci and Haradinaj are representing two leading and competing tribes or clans of organized crime in Kosovo.  Both have been accused also e.g. about war crimes, Haradinaj even was in Haague but released when witnesses surprisingly were murdered or threaded to keep their mouth shut.

State as private property is quite good description  about how matters stand.  I have earlier described circumstances in Kosovo with  “Quadruple Helix Model” where government, underworld, Wahhabbi schools and international terrorism have win-win symbiosis.  First I was thinking that Kosovo is sliding to be a "failed state" now I am tending to the opinion that a "captured state" is better definition - maybe Kosovo's ex-PM is concluding the same.

Other definitions were also heard during "celebrations - here few of them:

  • One Kosovo Albanian political leader, Mr. Demaci, said that his dream for independence was different and he kept stutus of Kosovo as "half independent" (Epoka e Re and Kosova Sot)
  • Serbian PM Mirko Cvetkovic described Kosovo as "a virtual state on the Serbian territory" (RTS)
  • The Assembly of (Serbian) Municipalities of in Kosovo adopted a declaration and "dismisses as non-existent and legally invalid any act and activity declaring the independence of the quasi-state of Kosovo and forming the institution thereof". (RTS)


From the other side one could note that celebrations went without incidents so as positive point one could conclude that conflict has rised on the level of words which is real progress compared region's past.