Jihadi escalation from Kosovo

12.7.2018

Question for written answer E-003849-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Mario Borghezio (ENF)

In June, elements of jihadi groups from Kosovo were identified which were planning attacks either in Pristina, against civilians and KFOR, or in other European cities.

The preaching of many fundamentalist imams, the high rate of unemployment and the presence of more than 900 mosques, mostly financed from abroad, have made Kosovo the country with the largest number of foreign fighters in relation to its population (some 330 ex-combatants in Syria and Iraq). They are believed to have a large network of supporters and contacts with Macedonian, Bosnian and Albanian terrorist cells.

On several occasions, the EU has stated that it wishes to normalise relations between Serbia and Kosovo in 2019, which is a totally unrealistic objective without insisting on any significant measures to combat the creation of new jihadi bases.

What urgent measures will the Commission take, in cooperation with Europol and the intelligence services of the Member States, to combat the jihadi threat from Kosovo?

Does not the Commission consider that it should as soon as possible bring pressure to bear on the Kosovo authorities to secure more guarantees in the fight against Islamic radicalism?