Op-Ed by the EU Ambassador in Kosovo, Aivo Orav
With 2024 behind us, it is time to reflect on what we have achieved and to make resolutions for 2025: a year of new dynamics and fresh opportunities.
As someone new to Kosovo, with just four months in office, I was impressed to learn the results of an EU-commissioned survey, which found that 92% of respondents support Kosovo’s EU accession. Kosovo also shows the most positive views towards the EU, with 91% of respondents expressing a favourable attitude. What a welcoming environment for an EU Ambassador!
The will of the people of Kosovo is clear, as is the EU’s vision for the Western Balkans: the future of the region is in the EU. Together, we want to move forward towards this common goal.
The recent EU-Western Balkans Summit demonstrated a renewed momentum for our strategic partnership and a new dynamic of the enlargement process. The new President of the European Council, António Costa, described enlargement as the EU’s most important geopolitical investment – an investment in peace and prosperity for all the people. And this is exactly what it is: an investment in our common future.
To do this, both the EU and future Member States need to be ready. The EU needs to lay the necessary internal groundwork and reforms, whereas aspiring members should step up their reform efforts.
Gradual integration and the Growth Plan as a catalyst for reforms
The gradual integration of the region is already underway in many areas. The EUR 6 billion Growth Plan is a prime example – a tool that will allow our Western Balkan partners, including Kosovo, to reap some of the benefits of partial integration into the EU’s Single Market even prior to full accession to the EU.
The Growth Plan will also incentivise EU-related reforms, as the payments under the Reform and Growth Facility will be made upon completion of agreed reform steps outlined in Kosovo’s Reform Agenda. In total, more than EUR 880 million are available for the implementation of the Reform Agenda.
With this in mind, my message to Kosovo is to make full use of the Growth Plan, implement its Reform Agenda, and move closer to the EU. Enlargement is a merit-based process, and the pace of integration is also in Kosovo’s own hands. It will depend on its preparedness and track record in implementing the necessary reforms.
As Kosovo’s largest trading partner, investor and provider of financial assistance, the EU will continue to support Kosovo in its reform process.
However, I want to stress that the reform process is not only about receiving the Growth Plan funds or joining the EU. It is about implementing democratic and economic reforms for a better Kosovo; it is about ensuring a better life for the people of Kosovo.
In this spirit, the EU would also like to see a sustainable solution to the situation in the north of Kosovo, see a place where all communities live side-by-side in safety and security, feel duly represented by those in office, and properly looked after by their public services.
The 2025 elections and the importance of information integrity
This year, Kosovo will hold parliamentary elections under a new electoral framework, which implements recommendations from successive EU election observation missions. A transparent, well administered, inclusive and competitive electoral process is key to any democratic society.
But what is also critical to any election process is information integrity and voters’ access to accurate, reliable, and authentic information. The importance of this was highlighted during the recent Romanian presidential elections on 24 November, where there were serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the elections by using TikTok. This prompted the European Commission to launch formal proceedings against TikTok for a suspected breach of the Digital Services Act concerning the platform’s obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity.
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference is a global challenge: it poses a threat to liberal democracies, which depend on free and open information. But when the information citizens depend on is distorted or manipulated, it undermines their ability to make informed decisions.
As the renowned author and TV producer Peter Pomerantsev said, “When information is a weapon, everyone is at war.” Any individual can become a target of information manipulation. The issue is what we do to fight it and how we respond: fact-check every information you come across and report illegal content.
Alongside factual reporting by the media, it is essential for all of us to help preserve an untainted information space. This includes addressing potential threats from actors spreading disruptive or divisive narratives, sowing societal doubt, fuelling interethnic tensions, or undermining democratic processes.
The EU will also do its part. We have commissioned a study on disinformation during Kosovo’s upcoming elections, focusing on identifying key narratives, their actors, and their impact on public opinion and the electoral process.
By fostering a space where everyone feels safe, we can ensure that information remains a tool for empowerment, not division.
Kosovo voluntary aligns with the EU Common Security and Defense Policy, carrying its weight in facing our geopolitical challenges. The information battlefield is equally critical for our democracies, and we rely on Kosovo’s support in this area as well.
My New Year’s Resolution and Wish for 2025
Over the past four months, I have served as the bridge between the EU and Kosovo, fostering deeper diplomatic, economic, developmental, and cultural relations. My New Year’s Resolution is to get to know Kosovo and Kosovars better and to help bring Kosovo even closer to the EU.
My wish for 2025 is for a year filled with prosperity, peace, health, cooperation, and unity in diversity.
Happy New year to you and your loved ones!
