Europe is our destiny, Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani tells Euronews

Joining the EU is Kosovo's "destiny," President Vjosa Osmani told Euronews' morning show Europe Today, emphasising its complete alignment with the bloc's values.

"As an identity, as a country, as a nation, we've been contributing to the values on which the European Union stands for centuries," Osmani said. "While it's a very complex process, if merit-based criteria is used, Kosovo actually would have been a frontrunner by now."

Kosovo applied for EU membership in December 2022 but holds only potential candidate status, with its path to accession complicated by non-recognition from five EU states and the need for a political agreement with Serbia, which refuses to recognise the independence of its former province, declared in 2008 — a dialogue Brussels has facilitated for over a decade.

Meanwhile, Kosovo remains 100% aligned with the EU security and foreign policy, "whether it's sanctions against Russia or against other adversaries of the Western world and what the EU represents today," Osmani told Euronews.

According to her, Kosovo is also one of the Western Balkans' top performers in terms of economic and administrative reforms.

"Obviously there are still some things and some homework that we have to complete, but I think if there were no political complications that have nothing to do with reforms, we would have absolutely been the top," Osmani said.

Russia and China have sought to expand their influence in the Western Balkans in recent years, with Moscow maintaining an interest and Beijing investing heavily in infrastructure projects across the region.

And if the EU does not retain influence in the Western Balkans, "someone else will come, not for charity, but because they have strategic interests there," Osmani warned.

In that context, Kosovo supports Ukraine's EU membership bid "a security imperative," Osmani said. Yet, Kosovars would want Ukraine "to complete all of the reforms that are required" for other candidates, she added.

In this year's assessment of candidate countries, the European Commission praised Kosovo's commitment to EU accession but noted that elections and political deadlock delayed reforms. Brussels emphasised that normalising relations with Serbia is essential.

Kosovo has recently been mired in a political crisis after parties repeatedly failed to form a government following the February vote. It will hold snap parliamentary elections on 28 December.