Kosovans say "in the EU, not under the EU"

The EU security mission to Kosovo, EULex, will begin deploying on 7th December.

The EU is sending 1,300 police officers, judges and customers officers to Kosovo to take over from a UN mission, UNMIK. The number will rise to 1,900 in the coming months.

What is interesting is the protest by several thousand Kosovans in their capital, Pristina, about the deployment. Kosovo has ambitions to join the EU - like a lot of poor countries in Europe they see the EU as a gravy train - but they are already wary of the influence the EU will have over them. One of the banners said "Kosovo in the EU, not under the EU" and the organiser of the protest, Albin Kurti, expressed concern at the EULex officials having immunity from prosecution.

Poland and the Czech Republic are both thorns in the side of the eurofederalists, constantly fighting to ensure that their voice is heard and that they maintain as much of their sovereignty as is possible as a member of the EU. Kosovo wants to join the EU and is already clearly concerned at being under the EU rather than in the EU. They're also concerned about EU officials having immunity from prosecution - something that EU officials are entitled to and one of the main reasons that corruption and fraud is at epidemic levels in the EU.

Kosovo will still pursue a pro-EU agenda because the alternative is either going it alone or aligning themselves with the Russians. They've burnt their Russian bridges and they've based their future plans on joining the EU and getting their hands on bucket loads of cash to pay for infrastructure projects. There's no Plan B.

A common theme throughout Eastern Europe it seems ...