On 17 September, Bernd Thran, the Deputy Head of Mission, held a talk with members of the Democracy in Europe Organisation (DEO) at EULEX Headquarters in Pristina.

DEO is a Danish debate organisation working with European issues that aims to further democracy in Europe by engaging the general public in nuanced debates on the politics and working of the European Union. 

During the talk, Mr Thran explained EULEX new mandate to the participants, in particular clarifying what responsibilities the Mission’s monitoring and operational pillars would have. He further emphasised that the Mission would be handing over many over its responsibilities, adding that “hundreds of cases are being handed over to the local authorities, including high-profile cases”.

EULEX Political Officer, Naim Hajdari, gave a short history of Kosovo to the participants, following up with an overview of Kosovo’s current political environment and challenges.

The DEO participants engaged in a lively discussion with Mr Thran and Mr Hajdari, which touched upon the Mission’s future, the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, and the fight against corruption.