Representatives of the Spanish parties, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), and the People's Party (PP) have expressed that they will vote against Kosovo's accession to the Council of Europe. Five socialist parliamentarians as well as three from the People's Party will reject Kosovo's admission, whose independence Spain has not yet recognized despite it happening in 2008, according to the Spanish news agency "Europa Press."
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"We will vote against because we continue to maintain the same criteria" regarding Kosovo, sources from the PSOE told the Spanish agency, considering that now is not the time for Kosovo's entry, as it could open up spaces for confrontation.
There is no change regarding the stance that the PP has upheld since the events of 2008 and which this stance was maintained during the Mariano Rajoy government for not recognizing Kosovo's independence, confirming that they will vote against and saying that it is not a good precedent for "this territory to be definitively a member of the Council of Europe."
The Parliamentary Assembly will hold a debate on Tuesday to decide whether to refer the decision on Kosovo's membership to the Committee of Ministers, the organization's highest body, before its meeting in mid-May in Reykjavik. This institution had requested the Parliamentary Assembly to decide on this issue a year ago after Kosovo officially submitted its membership application on May 12.
"Europa Press" writes that Kosovo's request should not have any problem passing the procedure in the Parliamentary Assembly, despite the rejection by the eight representatives of the PSOE and the PP of Spain, which has a total of twelve deputies in the PACE. There is a large majority, whose countries recognize Kosovo and will vote in favor.
Diplomatic sources clarify that the Spanish government "maintains its non-recognition position," implying that when the time comes, the Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, will vote against. However, even though twelve out of the 46 members do not recognize Kosovo, not all voted against sending Kosovo's membership request to the PACE last year. Thus, Spain, like Serbia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, and Romania, voted against, while Greece, Slovakia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Bosnia abstained. Armenia did not participate in this vote, while Hungary, which recognizes Kosovo, voted against.