During the debate on extending the mandate of the Swiss contingent within KFOR, members of the People’s Party asked the defense minister for a concrete answer on what Switzerland is doing to protect the Serbian minority. The session of the Swiss parliament was also attended from the diplomatic gallery by representatives of the Embassy of Serbia in Bern.
Today, during the discussion on extending the mandate of the Swiss contingent within KFOR until 2029, the Swiss parliament for the first time clearly and explicitly raised the issue of the position and human rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.
Although the majority of MPs supported the continuation of Switzerland’s military engagement in KFOR, the debate was marked by the insistence of members of the Swiss People’s Party that it is impossible to speak about stabilizing the situation in Kosovo without an open discussion about the vulnerability of the Serbian community.
The People’s Party generally advocated for the swift return of Swiss soldiers home and opposes the long-term, practically open-ended engagement of the Swiss military abroad. However, during the debate, party members emphasized that the possibility of reducing or ending KFOR’s presence is directly conditioned by real progress in security and the protection of human rights, especially regarding the Serbian minority in Kosovo and Metohija.
For that reason, People’s Party MPs strongly insisted that Defense Minister Martin Pfister and representatives of the relevant parliamentary committee explain what Switzerland is specifically doing regarding violations of the rights of Serbs.
The issue was also brought before parliament thanks to a preparatory working lunch of the Switzerland–Serbia Friendship Group, held two days earlier and attended by 14 members of the Swiss parliament.
At that meeting, in discussions with representatives of the Embassy of Serbia and guests who spoke about the situation on the ground, special attention was devoted to the position of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija, the security of minorities, and the question of how to create conditions under which the presence of KFOR would one day no longer be necessary.
MPs sought a concrete answer on the protection of Serbs
The issue of the Serbian community’s position was most directly raised during the debate by MPs Christian Imark, Roland Rino Büchel, and Andreas Glarner.
Imark first pointed out, in his address to Security Policy Committee rapporteur Andrea Crid, that there is a long list of human rights violations against the Serbian minority in Kosovo, documented even by the United Nations. He requested an answer as to whether this issue had been discussed in the relevant committee and how the commission assesses the state of human rights in Kosovo.
Andrea Crid’s response showed that the position of Serbs had not been one of the central topics discussed in the committee. Nevertheless, she emphasized that such questions precisely confirm the importance of the presence of Swiss troops on the ground, as they monitor the situation and seek to positively influence its development. She also stressed that the protection of human rights is one of the fundamental political principles of her party.
Roland Rino Büchel then requested that the discussion not remain at the level of general assessments, but clearly state what Switzerland has concretely done so far in this difficult situation. In response, the role of Swiss soldiers on the ground, their close contact with the local population, and the fact that they enjoy trust and respect within the peacekeeping mission were once again emphasized.
The most direct pressure on the government came when Christian Imark addressed Defense Minister Martin Pfister. He reminded the minister that he had provided him the previous week with a list of documented human rights violations in Kosovo and stressed that this was not merely about abstract “tensions between ethnic groups,” but about specific violations of rights committed by the Kosovo authorities against the Serbian minority. His question was direct: after 27 years of international presence, what exactly is being done to prevent such irregularities and violations of rights?
Minister Pfister replied that Switzerland is acting in two directions. The first is through foreign policy, via intensive efforts to improve the human rights situation in Kosovo, including the Solothurn Process, which is intended to contribute to concrete progress. The second is through the actions of troops on the ground. Pfister emphasized that Swiss forces do not represent either the Kosovo or Serbian side, but rather carry out a United Nations mandate that предусматриes the advancement of human rights and the preservation of security.
READ MORE:
Andreas Glarner further sharpened the discussion, assessing that explanations about “monitoring” the human rights situation were not concrete enough. He demanded an answer as to what is actually being done to prevent the harassment and mistreatment of minority communities. Pfister acknowledged that there are a number of foreign-policy measures he cannot discuss in detail because they are not under his jurisdiction, but stressed that KFOR’s very presence represents an important prerequisite for improving the human rights situation and respecting guarantees for all communities.
In this way, the discussion acquired a clear political dimension: violations of the rights of the Serbian minority and instability on the ground became one of the arguments for continuing KFOR’s presence, but also for questioning what Switzerland is specifically doing to create conditions under which that presence could one day be reduced or ended.
Switzerland extends the mandate, the issue of Serbs enters parliamentary debate
The Swiss parliament ultimately supported the extension of the Swisscoy mandate until 2029. A majority of MPs voted in favor of the government’s proposal, while members of the People’s Party voted against it.
The Swiss government claims that continuing its presence in KFOR is necessary because the situation in Kosovo remains unstable, particularly in the north. As reasons for continuing the mission, it cites preserving peace and stability, preventing a deterioration of circumstances that could also have consequences for Switzerland, and the importance of international peacekeeping missions for Swiss security policy.
The People’s Party, on the other hand, believes that Swiss soldiers should not remain abroad without a clear timeframe and that the costs and purpose of such a lengthy engagement must be questioned.
Nevertheless, the most important political message of today’s debate is that the issue of the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija has, for the first time, clearly entered discussion in the Swiss parliament.
The KFOR debate was no longer only about whether Swiss soldiers should remain or return home. It also openly raised the question of what must be done to make their return possible at all: ending pressure on the Serbian community, respecting human rights, ensuring the security of minorities, and de-escalating tensions on the ground.
For Serbia and the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija, this represents a significant step forward: the issue of the endangerment of Serbs has for the first time been presented before the Swiss parliament as one of the key questions of security and stability in Kosovo.
MORE TOPICS:
TWO GREAT TRAGEDIES ON THE VELIKA MORAVA: First a girl (13) drowned, and then two boys aged 15!
THE PETER’S FAST BEGINS TODAY: Here is how long it lasts and what should be observed!
Source: RTS, Foto: Profimedia