Imagine this: a man who is detained in The Hague for war crimes becomes the president of Albania. Sounds like a scenario from a Balkan film, but an Albanian journalist claims that is exactly the possibility under discussion - Hashim Thaçi to succeed Bajram Begaj in the presidential role.

And it doesn't stay at the level of a marginal idea. According to sources, support supposedly comes from Premier Edi Rama himself. The logic? Thaçi would be a "unifying moment for Albanians" ahead of EU entry. Yes, you read that right - a man accused of war crimes as a symbol of unity ahead of European integration. In the Balkans, irony isn't a literary device, it's political reality.

But let's think seriously. Thaçi is in The Hague, the trial continues, and the indictment is heavy. Would the EU, which insists on the rule of law, accept a candidate with Hague dossiers as president? Or perhaps the rules only apply to some of us in the Balkans who are considered a less important part of Europe?

For us in the Balkans, this is yet another proof that regional politics operates by its own rules. While Brussels counts values and standards, on the ground things happen that would be unthinkable in Germany or France. Does anyone believe that a candidate with Hague dossiers would even be possible in Germany or France?

The question isn't whether Thaçi will become president - that is far from certain. The question is what it means that this idea is publicly debated at all without anyone being shocked.