The issue of Kosovo will be one of the main topics in the pre-election campaign in Serbia

Extraordinary parliamentary elections in Serbia have been scheduled for December 17th, with the campaign running until December 14th, and Kosovo will be one of the main topics.

The Program Director of Demostat, Zoran Panovic, states that although according to public opinion polls, Kosovo has never been the top issue that concerns the citizens of Serbia, it is undoubtedly a topic that cannot be ignored and represents a "slippery slope" because, as he adds, reality is one thing, and emotions are another.                                                                       

Panovic says for Kosovo Online that when they ask the citizens of Serbia about their top priorities, it is usually issues related to their standard of living, health, and family that rank at the top.

"Kosovo is only the fifth or sixth topic, but it's deceptive - Kosovo carries an extremely strong emotional charge for the citizens of Serbia, and when there are crisis situations in Kosovo, such as Banjska, or whenever there is mistreatment of the Serbs, Kosovo suddenly emerges as the top emotional issue. So, after Banjska and certain pressures from the EU, Kosovo cannot be a topic that will be ignored," Panovic said.

As he adds, each of the election participants will try to use this topic in their own way.

In that regard, he says that the right wing will try to completely Kosovo-ize their campaign, the pro-European opposition will talk about the failure of Aleksandar Vucic's policies, while Vucic will try to position himself in the center and point out that the right wing is pursuing an unrealistic adventurous policy regarding Kosovo, while the pro-European opposition will speak critically about everything, what must be done, and what must not.

"Kosovo will be a kind of manipulative topic, but the problem is that unfortunately, in Serbia, we still don't have a national consensus on Kosovo. We have a consensus on an emotional level, that we love Kosovo, and that it pains us, but when it comes to real political situations, we constantly blame each other, and I believe that realism about Kosovo and the creation of social consensus is a fundamental necessity for conducting politics", he says.

Stating that there is a significant political division in Serbia - the government and the opposition, each with its own option, Panovic emphasizes that Kosovo is a continuity.

In that sense, he points out that President Aleksandar Vucic is now facing the same dilemmas and problems that Boris Tadic, Vojislav Kostunica, and others faced. He adds that Slobodan Milosevic had the worst situation because he had a war, and whether that could have been avoided or not is a different topic.

"However, Tadic lost the support of Germany precisely because of Kosovo. Today, Vucic is also at risk, but Germany is not so concerned about whether it's Vucic or Tadic; they have an agenda regarding Kosovo. When it comes to Kosovo, some of our Western partners don't make much of a difference, and we must always be aware of that. Except for Milosevic, who came to power on the Kosovo issue and practically fell on the same issue, all others came to power on different issues", Panovic said.

Panovic notes that the topic of Kosovo, in terms of public support, is a slippery slope because, as he says, reality is one thing, and emotions are another.

"It's easy to criticize when it comes to Kosovo, but when you ask, 'What's the alternative?' then the problem arises", he adds.

He reminds that even Boris Tadic was criticized on the Kosovo issue and in that sense, pointing out that the Serbian Progressive Party reached the Brussels Agreement, which provided Serbia with 10 years of peace and investment, he notes that this agreement was not fully honored.

"The CSM is a fundamental issue; it's a question of essential autonomy for the Serbs in Kosovo. Vucic has never spoken about maximalist goals, about bringing Kosovo back in full capacity," Panovic says and states that he conducted an analysis of how many times Vucic mentions Kacanik - a place in Kosovo that is entirely Albanian, and how Serbia can regain full sovereignty in Kacanik.

The Executive Director of the "Faktor Plus" agency, Predrag Lacmanovic, sees Kosovo as an unavoidable and essential topic because, as he states, according to research, Kosovo is consistently among the top three main issues facing Serbia.

"I believe that Kosovo is an unavoidable topic because it is a part of our country, and there's no need to view it differently. This is not just my opinion but the opinion of the majority of Serbian citizens. I deeply hope and believe that political parties and their leaders, to a greater or lesser extent, are patriotically committed and genuinely consider Kosovo as a part of their country," Lacmanovic stated for Kosovo Online.

As he adds, what differs are the approaches of parties and their political orientations - whether they are patriotic, pro-European, or pro-democratic, based on which they differentiate.

Lacmanovic believes that hardly any party leaders dare to say the sentence, "Kosovo is independent".

"Some may think that way, but no one explicitly states it. It's a poor approach, the easiest one, to just renounce something, and that's it. But that's not a solution, not only for Serbia as a country but also for the people living there. You should go there, visit the people living there, talk to them, and see the problems they are facing", he adds.

He emphasizes that it's essential to mention Kosovo in the campaign, and no one will be able to avoid this issue and the stance they take on Kosovo.

He points out that there is a problem in expressing their views because, as he indicates, it's easy to criticize and say what has been done in the previous period. Many criticize what has been done so far regarding Kosovo, but Lacmanovic says that criticism is indeed the job of the opposition.

However, he highlights that people should be realistic, and the Kosovo issue is so important that there should be a social consensus on it.

"When it comes to Kosovo, we should all be united, just as if you ask Israelis, 99 percent of them will have the same stance on the issue of Palestine, and if you ask Palestinians, 99 percent, if not 100 percent of them, will have the same stance. Here, we have disunity, and I think it's a curse for this country, and there should be no doubt about the Kosovo issue. I believe that those who present their plans for what they intend to do with Kosovo can gain some extra votes", Lacmanovic says.

Bojan Klacar, the Executive Director of CeSID, emphasizes that after the announcement of parliamentary and local elections in Serbia, we are facing 45 days of intensive campaigning, during which we can expect a consolidation in the political scene. He adds that among the topics that will be featured in the campaign are an increase in the standard of living, diplomatic defense of Kosovo, and the preservation of peace.

Klacar highlights that Kosovo is not a topic that political parties want to address in public.

"Kosovo is not a favorable topic for campaigns, not for any political party, and I often say that Kosovo is not a topic that political parties want to overly address in public. Political parties prefer to communicate achievements, spread optimism, demonstrate that the state is moving in the right direction, showcase investments, and improved living standards. But Kosovo is simply an inevitable topic now because it is a top priority for the people, and as soon as a topic is present among our voters, political parties must address that issue. Kosovo as a topic is on the right wing of the political spectrum; it will be the central and most important topic for right-wing parties in this campaign. Simply put, Kosovo is the cornerstone of their campaign, and as such, it will be permanently present in their political engagement", Klacar believes.