http://www.russiatoday.com/features/news/37410
Russia Today
February 17, 2009
‘Independent’ Kosovo depends on breadwinners abroad
-Seventy per cent of young people there are unemployed....[T]oday, after being
liberated by the West, they face a capitalist system where the strong survive
and the weak struggle.
Kosovo is marking a year since its declaration of independence from Serbia. But
the mood there appears mixed as it struggles with the highest unemployment in
Europe and the deepening financial crisis.
February 2008 was a happy month for Albanians in Kosovo. They celebrated their
independence, a new government, a new constitution and recognition by some of
the world community, but a year on and there’s nothing new to celebrate.
The European Union has taken over from the United Nations, but no one is happy.
This, however, is not the main problem. Seventy per cent of young people there
are unemployed.
Albanian businessman Defrim Boja is pessimistic about the efficiency of the
government:
“The budget for the Kosovo government for next year is not enough. It’s not
enough for the government to do anything about the current world financial
crisis. The only way we can take care of ourselves is if foreign countries
protect their companies here in Kosovo. But our government can’t do anything to
help,” he says.
The world economic crisis is not the only problem for the people of Kosovo. For
people who have nothing, there’s simply nothing more to lose. This is why three
children of Albanians Xhafer and Dinore Malaj have gone abroad to live.
The Malaj family tell of how the majority of Kosovars survive. The young and
strong do everything they can to find their way into the European Union. They
work abroad and then send money back home to parents, wives and children. So,
when the economic crisis hit Europe, many Kosovar families started receiving
less through Western Union.
“My son hasn’t worked recently because of the financial crisis. We’re learning
to live with less. I buy less to eat, less to wear; we spend less on fun,” says
Dinore.
In previous years Kosovo was part of a different economic system called
Yugoslavia. Most of the people lived under communism, with their jobs protected
by the government.
But today, after being liberated by the West, they face a capitalist system
where the strong survive and the weak struggle. Unfortunately for Kosovars,
it’s a system in which they haven’t yet learnt how to operate.
Defrim Boja is convinced the financial crisis will have a big effect on
families with breadwinners abroad. “We will see less and less investment from
Kosovars living outside the country,” he believes.
However, it’s not only Kosovars. European governments now have to deal with
economic problems inside their own countries, making it less and less easy for
them to open their pockets for their poor Albanian neighbours on their Eastern
border.
Serbian News Network - SNN
[email protected]
http://www.antic.org/
