Pristina, October 27, 2022
The full speech of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the “Public Policies in France” conference, organized by the Embassy of France in Kosovo:
Dear Ambassador of France in Kosovo, Mr. Olivier Guerot,
Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, and also Deputy Prime Minister, Mrs. Donika Gërvalla Schwarz,
Dear mayors of Kosovo municipalities,
Dear representatives of French state institutions,
Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It is the turn of the policies that are considered public today to be the first. We just have to look at the world landscape. The energy and the price crisis will affect many areas. Therefore, our commitment is continuous and in protection of citizens, especially of those who need it the most. We are aware that all lines of public policies must be involved, not only in the sense of technological modernization, but also according to the retrospective awareness of their establishment and development.
As a Prime Minister and as a social democrat, I strongly believe that the organization of public policies has two main purposes: it keeps the maximum number of people in the society valuable, and also extends the same sympathy for democracy to countries of different sizes and histories.
Democracy and public go hand in hand.
We are aware that public policies are not established in a day. But also that their resources are found in all areas, especially in the area of creativity, considering that the creativity, like nothing else, has expressed the public belonging of its products.
We are also aware of the historical importance of the city. We live in times when countries are emptying and cities are getting denser. Although the city should maintain the role of the highest publicity exposure. And indeed the citizen should be the bearer of the public and of politics. We are today in Pristina, in the city where Manifesta 14 is organized. Although under the conditions of our small budges compared to the big states of the West, we constantly keep in mind that arts and education are the most direct illustration of public policies.
And this is in the history of humanity itself. From the ancient Greeks, where the creation of the liberal arts and the directive of combining freedom and the public begins, to artists, such as Marcel Duchamp, with the criticism of exhibition places and the design of artistry in every product of the human mind and hand until ready-made.
We are aware that the history of the intervention of art and culture in the city and in publicity should not be avoided from our attention. The provocations and criticisms that come to the social situation from the artist and philosopher, be it Benjamin or Surrealist, should awaken the public policies imagination. Because, when art falls, education remains alone to meet all the needs of human talents. And to remain alone, means to remain partial/incomplete.
Here is a point where we must add public policy ventures: education and the arts. So the increase of jobs, the increase of employment and also the increase of art places even though in times of crisis. The government has launched the scholarship program for raising professional capacities in the areas of art, cultural heritage and sports. A total of 30 deficit profiles of these areas will be supported with around 300,000 Euros every year, so that we can fill the gaps in the near future and advance the institutions to even higher levels.
The independent artistic scene in Kosovo is very powerful, therefore the state support for this scene should be even greater. Ultimately, what grows, also increases the opportunity to grow. This year, only with the first public call for financial support, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has allocated 1.75 million Euros to culture and cultural heritage NGOs. With the second call, 442,000 Euros were also allocated for this independent scene.
While we have increased the budget for education by over 12%, we have made public education free for all levels, including bachelor and master studies. We have supported students, especially girls, through scholarships and financial allowances. For equal opportunities in education, we have added 100 extra assistants for children with disabilities, a number that we are going to increase every year.
In a year and a half of governance, with measures like these, we are supporting the citizens of the Republic with two packages, that of the Economic Recovery and the one of Coping with Inflation, worth 750 million Euros.
Dear guests,
Your Excellency Ambassador Guerot,
We need the rich French landscape. The French culture has always something to offer us, even for my formation here I have in mind especially the simultaneous existence of Raymond Aron and Jean-Paul Sartre. We must return to these pairs that French public opinion offers us. We need French investment, French high technology, but also French intellectual and university experience. Only in this way, we can benefit from French society, from its public policies, from the depth of its history.
I thank you and wish you good work and fruitful conversation.
Last modified: October 28, 2022