Miroslav Lajcak, the EU’s Western Balkan Envoy since 2020, has faced mounting criticism for his management—or mismanagement—of the delicate Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. During a June 2023 European Parliament Foreign Affairs meeting, Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz unleashed a searing critique of Lajcak’s tenure, accusing him of a “blatant bias towards Serbia.” Waitz questioned the very foundation of Lajcak’s diplomatic efforts, pointing out how the envoy consistently downplays Serbian aggression while scrutinising provocations from the Kosovar side. This isn’t just a diplomatic misstep; it’s a fundamental flaw in approach, as Waitz highlighted: “Lajcak’s failure to address the Serbian side’s responsibilities erodes trust and hinders progress in the region.”

“We really gave a very bad impression on defending the perpetrators while attacking the victims of the aggression, even though some of the political moves were regrettably mistaken. This is really undermining the credibility of us in the whole region.” Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz.

“You didn’t even mention one single point what [Serbia] actually have to deliver… Are you not discouraging [the opposition] with what you do? I personally would ask you at what point do you actually reflect whether your own role in this is of any help?” Austrian MEP Thomas Waitz .

“I strongly condemn the violent attack on the Kosovo Police. It’s high time that EU Special Envoy Lajcak takes responsibility for the stalled dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. The ongoing appeasement of Vucic must come to an end.” — Thomas Waitz, referencing to his Sept 23, 2023 interview on Euronews Albania.

In September 2023, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused the European Union’s special envoy, Miroslav Lajcak, of lacking neutrality and fairness in EU-facilitated normalization talks with Serbia. Kurti alleged that Lajcak had coordinated with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during discussions in Brussels, overseen by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. The talks broke down, with Borrell attributing the failure to Kurti’s demand that Serbia recognise Kosovo before any progress on prior agreements could be made.

Lajcak’s perceived partiality has significantly undermined the EU’s credibility, and this concern reached a crescendo following his visit to Prishtina on September 6, 2024. In a bold and erroneous claim, Lajcak stated that Serbia had withdrawn a letter rejecting the Ohrid Agreement as binding. Yet, the Kosovar daily Koha Ditore soon exposed this falsehood by publishing a “new” letter from Serbia that explicitly rejected the recognition of Kosovo’s sovereignty, its UN membership, and its territorial integrity. The discrepancy between Lajcak’s statements and the reality of the letter’s contents not only cast doubt on his credibility but also revealed a deeper issue: Lajcak’s actions appear less about fostering peace and more about appeasing Serbia at any cost.

The ongoing tension between Serbia and Kosovo stems from their 1998-1999 war, which resulted in over 10,000 deaths, primarily Kosovo Albanians. NATO intervened with a bombing campaign against the Serbian Armed Forces of Yugoslavia to prevent a second genocide in the Balkans, following the international community’s failure to stop the first in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. These unresolved hostilities continue to hinder both Serbia’s and Kosovo’s EU membership ambitions. Under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vucic, a former Milosevic-era official known for defending the regime’s atrocities during the Balkan wars, Serbia’s alignment with Kremlin interests has been further complicated by Western appeasement, motivated by the strategic value of Serbia’s lithium resources for the electric car industry.

Who is Miroslav Lajcak?…