“The humble broker”

A portrait of Erhard Busek, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South East Europe

Type: Newspackage (interview + set-up shots) | Duration: 28’ | Version: International (interview in English)| Interview by: Isabelle Brusselmans for SEETV

SET-UP SHOTS Erhard Busek in his office

I’ve been for a long time a politician, very much interested and also for a long time involved in Central European affairs. I am a product of the post-war period of the division of East and West, suffering by this, living under western side, very close to the Iron curtain, they were very much convinced that it is a common European obligation to do something to soften this situation and I was quite happy that the breakdown of the Iron curtain brought additional possibilities. I prepared it before, not being convinced that the downfall of the Iron curtain will happen in my lifetime, but quite happy afterwards that I was able to do a lot with personalities whom I knew very well as dissidents and now they have been state presidents, Prime Ministers, rectors of universities, writers, I think it’s quite an impressive list which I did not know, they were impressive persons for me, concerning their approach to the communist system and fighting for democracy and human rights. And afterwards, being very much involved for improvement in this situation, first of all in East and Central Europe, therefore, northern part of former Yugoslavia, it was very much involved, and for sure, and Bulgaria and Rumania, and by this moving to South-East Europe and having the feeling that Europe is to do a contribution and that I have the possibility, limited, for sure, but that also something in favor of them, but that they are also Europeans with quite the same chances as we have.

What is your specific mandate all about, in very short, how would you explain to someone who doesn’t know anything about the Stability Pact, what you are doing?

The Stability Pact and, therefore, the coordinator, is a humble broker, we are bringing partners together, we are asking for some support, not only by governments, but also by foundations, by international organizations, by whoever is able, is willing to support the improvement of the situation in South-East Europe.

As a special coordinator of the Stability Pact, were there some very special moments you want to remember in what happened so far?

It is a special moment which happened before I jumped in, it was the downfall of Milosevic and in my career, the movement of Yugoslavia, afterwards Serbia and Montenegro. The second point of importance where we had some success I think are the Free Trade Agreements between all the countries of the region or the regional energy market which was started, and the same success like fighting organized crime. We were able and I’ve prepared it in my time as a coordinator of the South East European cooperative initiative (SECI) to build up in Bucharest a crime fighting center. This is a sign of regional ownership, it’s done by the countries of the region, on the police level and on the customs level, and that it was possible that they are sitting together and that’s giving, I think, an extraordinary impression, because, don’t forget, it is five years after the last war in the region and that they are doing so is very impressive. I think the third point was that the president of Serbia and Montenegro started the reconciliation process via multiple apologies with the President of Croatia and also doing it towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, that’s a great step forward, that’s very impressive, that’s more than politics and techniques, that’s more than building up highways or opening airports, I think this is of extreme importance.

How do you see this reconciliation process in the Balkans? That’s a kind of first step, what is the significance of apology?

That it is accepted that something went wrong. I think as it usually happens in history and you can compare it with every clashes and wars in the past, you need some time that everybody is considering something went wrong, also on my side, taking responsibility for this and that it happened after a comparatively short time after four and half years, after all these events, I think that’s of great importance. It’s a beginning of a process, don’t expect that it is done, I think it will need, let me say, two generations, because if you are looking to the history books of the region and a lot of other statements happening and a lot of hatred which is existing, for example, between churches and religions, I think quite a lot has to be done in the future, but that it has started is a landmark and a perspective for a common future.

So, you gave some positive examples, did you also feel at some point that there were some serious setbacks?

There is also some setback, quite primitively, if you have a new government, because, you have to start from the scratch, because you have other partners, I think there was a setback with the assassination of Zoran Djindjic, for example, there is a setback if you are getting a new Constitution, as it happened between Serbia and Montenegro, there is a setback by the volatile situation in Macedonia, also in the past, but that does not mean that you shall be desperate. I think there is always a possibility to move forward. You need some patience and it’s quite necessary to have a sustainable work, constantly going and to start always again because nothing is done quite quickly, I think we are very proud on the European development in general, what happened between France and Germany, for example, but this didn’t happen from one day to the other and in comparison, I think, the process in South-East Europe is quicker because we have this positive experience.

Coming back to the assassination of Zoran Djindjic, when you heard about this incident, what went through your mind the first seconds?

The first was a deep shock, if you know somebody personally, so it happens, I think it gives you a quite another impression and you are quite sad. He was an outstanding personality and all the price which has to be paid by human beings in these situations, is coming clearly out. It is not only Zoran Djindjic but a lot of people, those who are not known, like he was, who are suffering under the situation and is coming up the problem of those who have been murdered, what about their families, are they refugees and all these tremendous changes also. I think it is sometimes quite necessary to be aware of these situations.

Now, to speak a little bit about this concept of regional cooperation that the Stability Pact is the main promoter of. How would you define this concept?

I think you can define it quite primitively: if you are neighbors, you have to live together and you have to sit together to improve the situation and the framework conditions. I think this is regional cooperation and here after the four wars and having a new map in the region, it was quite necessary to develop it and to bring them together, that’s regional cooperation which needs results and I think the results we can measure. That’s a very good improvement because that’s a right way leading to European integration because regional cooperation, that is European integration and to prepare it, and that they are coming up, getting the standards of the European Union, is quite necessary and to say also, a very optimistic judgment of the situation, I think it is done and it is possible and we have no main difficulties. Sometimes there are some small difficulties existing but that’s quite necessary because it makes it crystal clear that we have to move in this direction.

Do you feel that if you were not there, would they do it without you?

The real momentum is the European perspective and the transatlantic cooperation, to say it quite bluntly, NATO. They are interested to attend the EU, to attend NATO, and that’s really moving. I think, therefore, there are some problems for the role of the Stability Pact and the EU here, I may say, in Brussels because sometimes we know what they have to do but the real approach must be that they have to learn by themselves what they have to do and we are only assisting. Therefore, it’s quite necessary if you are doing the job, you have to show a great empathy, feeling, maybe partly a compassion, what’s going on here, because otherwise you are not accepted but I think the crew of the Stability Pact managed to do it.

Can you give a concrete example of that, like this empathy you are talking about, taking the point of view of Kosovo, for example, of a Kosovo political leader today, how do you see, what are his problems?

You have to know the historical background because it’s a long-lasting story. As Albania was built in 1912 there was a discussion should Kosovo be a part of Albania, yes or no, it was decided no, it’s going even deeper, because before the Serbs were living there, it’s a big importance for the Serbian Orthodox church, you need a feeling for the patriarch who was situated in Pec, not in Belgrade as he is now, therefore you have to understand the Serbs, they are looking for their roots there. On the other side, the conditions of the Kosovo Albanians, within Milosevic Yugoslavia were not very favorable, they (their autonomy was) were very much suppressed, the international community, especially Europeans said they (had to go) the peaceful way, like Gandhi… It is not a success story, it has to be said, this you have also to understand and here to bring things together where there are mutual points of interest, here what you need is empathy.

So, you think that you are assisting, don’t you think that sometimes you are pushing for things?

For sure I am asking: are you moving in this direction, or, what are the problems, so on and so on… I think if you give the impression that you know it better than they do, that’s a wrong impression. This is a kind of arrogance which I think is not very good because they have their own history and it is quite a very difficult history and you can’t blame them for their history because at the beginning of the 19.century it was mainly influenced by London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna until the end of the WWI in St. Petersburg and Moscow, decisions were taken outside and what’s quite necessary is to encourage them and that means regional cooperation to make their decisions inside.

What is really crucial for the region is to get foreign direct investment in order to kick off economic development. There is much less foreign direct investment in the Balkans today as there was at, more or less, a comparative level of development in Central and Eastern countries which are now acceding to the EU. How come?

Well, that’s quite easy to explain, first of all there is a new map, the political conditions have changed, we are after four wars, that was not an advertisement for investment and a lot of things have to be cleared up, first of all, on the one side they have to look to be one region for investment and on the other side they have to harmonize implementations. That’s looking to a really working court system, that the administration is not hindering investment, supportive, they have to finish privatization which might be a little bit of a pre-condition because, first of all, if an investor is coming, he is looking, can I buy a plant or an enterprise or whatever, is it existing, and I think this lesson has to be learned. Investment is not coming from itself, I think you have to run for it and to present your country and the fact that there is a market. For sure, some are saying that it is easier to go to China and to India, therefore, you have to elaborate what are the specific advantages of the region: they are for sure the next target being closer to the European market, there is, for sure, the situation concerning wages, there is a skilled labor force existing in the region and what we have to create are the framework conditions concerning transport, internet connections ,education and so on.

Are there some particular anecdotes you can use to really explain what your job is all about?

As I started my exercise concerning border management and improvement of border management, which was one of the hindering situations concerning traffic for more transport of goods, therefore, for the business, we had a first meeting and I was telling them, they are difficult, because we need the border improvement, and management has to be done, the customs training and technical equipment is necessary because you have these long waiting lines. Everybody said to me,’ we have no waiting lines’. Then I am wondering... ‘No, no, you must be wrongly informed!’ Then I showed some photos from the air about long waiting lines on specific places. Then they said to me:’ this must have been a special day, on the other days this is not happening. I also had some other photos showing this, and here I learned the lesson, it’s some kind of national pride, they do not want to be blamed for everything, which is for sure happening by others in the international community.’ The word Balkanization, for example, is not a friendly word and, therefore, they are a little bit touchy on this. Out of this anecdote I learned a lot.

When will you have really the feeling that you did something, that your mission is accomplished somehow, is there something that you are waiting for, in particular?

That might sound strange, beginning from the moment when South-East Europe was out of the headlines, of the newspapers and the TV evening news, I knew we had accomplished something because traditionally only bad news are good news and if it is not any more reported you have the feeling, we are coming closer to normalization.

Probably one of the most delicate things at the moment is to try to put back links between Serbia and Kosovo, to bring them to speak, so that’s also a part of your task, how do you see that?

That’s already happened, Kosovo is sitting at the (working) tables (of the Stability Pact). That does not mean that the status is decided but it’s quite necessary to get standards because Kosovo can’t be a black hole in the map and I think this has developed and I think it’s accepted. That’s quite natural because nobody has to be excluded beside all the questions of international law and so on and so on…I think here the Stability Pact is relevant as an institution that we manage it to get them all on the table by different capacities and qualities existing, therefore, I am quite happy that the Stability Pact is not an instrument seen from international law, I think it is an institution where people are coming together to solve problems.

Did you see some encouraging signs, specifically between Serbian and Kosovo representatives, maybe not of the highest level because that’s still very difficult but in your different working tables. How do they relate?

Most of them have a common history and I think to use the Serbian language for the Kosovo people, I mean, officially it is not possible. But during coffee breaks, it happens. So I would be very glad if some Serbs would have been able to speak Albanian…

Do you have some small glimpses or pictures in mind, sometimes you see some things happening around you ?

I think the positive thing is that the countries coming out of former Yugoslavia are now working closely together, it’s less and less difficult and especially I admire Slovenia. After they showed (a strong interest) to be a part of the EU, now they turned around, esp. the Slovenian economy and now also in politics, they are going (looking back) to their former markets. That’s of a big importance because it’s quite clear that normal life is more important than aggressive principles or whatever is existing because we have to live together as neighbors.

What motivates you personally to do this job?

I think if you have longer time’s political experience and you are a participant of the changes within Europe, the real motivation is that I grew up in the time after the second world war in the division of Europe and we have now the opportunity to form a new Europe and the motivation is ‘not one part of Europe should be forgotten ‘and therefore I am fighting that the region of South-East Europe is not forgotten. The importance of the region has to be understood by the geopolitical situation. I think, now with Slovenia and Hungary, the region is bordering to the EU on the other side it is bordering to the eastern part of the Mediterranean sea, to the Black sea and to near East and Central Asia and that’s of a great importance. I think the Stability Pact in the region and the sustainable solutions in the region are quite important not only internally for us Europeans but also to the neighborhood. Therefore, the next step of enlargement is quite logically and also announced by the EU Thessaloniki Summit ‘South-East Europe’.

SET-UP SHOTS ERHARD BUSEK IN HIS OFFICE, WALKING OUT OF HIS OFFICE BUILDING IN BRUSSELS, STABILITY PACT EXTERIOR IN BRUSSELS

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