Gogic: Kurti uses the ban on the Serb List for political points, turning Western criticism to his advantage

Political scientist Ognjen Gogic stated that the caretaker prime minister Albin Kurti is using the ban on the Serb List for political purposes in order to send a message of consistency to his voters, while trying to turn international criticism to his advantage by telling voters that “everyone is against him and against them”.

“The ban, that is, the attempt to bar the Serb List from participating in the elections, has become part of the folklore that accompanies every election cycle, even though everyone knows what the outcome will be, which is that such a decision cannot stand. Specifically, Kurti is demonstrating consistency in the stance that no cooperation is possible with the Serb List, meaning that it should actually be banned and eliminated from political life in Kosovo. In doing so, he primarily sends a message to his own voters that he is principled in that position,” Gogic told Kosovo Online.

He added that Kurti knows that the decision will not remain in force, that it will be overturned as it was on the previous two occasions, but that this allows him to draw attention to himself.

“He is not someone who shies away from the criticism and condemnation that comes his way; he actually thrives on it. Whenever criticism from the international community is heard, he twists it to his advantage and tells his voters that everyone is against him and against them, and that he is the last Mohican fighting to protect Kosovo from the Serb List, as he frames it. He will, of course, use this for a campaign against the judicial instances, since it is expected that the ECAP, and then the Supreme Court as well, will confirm that the Serb List has the right to participate in the electoral race. Kurti will again turn this to his advantage and say that the courts are also against him, that they are undermining Kosovo, that they are collaborating with the Serb List. He will turn all of this into a broad campaign that will bring him political points,” he concluded.

On the other hand, Gogic assessed, Kurti has in a way become a prisoner of this topic, because if representatives of Self-Determination in the CEC acted differently and voted to certify the Serb List, the opposition would be in a position to accuse the prime minister of having changed his stance and of trying to warm relations with the Serb List in order to possibly count on them in post-election negotiations.

Gogic stated that this is, for Kurti, although unlawful and undemocratic, the only possible strategy, which simultaneously brings him the greatest benefits politically by strengthening support among his voters.

“I would say that this suits Kurti politically because it demonstrates that hardline attitude. He would call it ‘principledness’, but it actually strengthens support among his voters by showing that he is consistently against the Serb List. Had he acted otherwise, voters would punish that, and it would call his consistency into question. So this strategy, in which he constantly tries to marginalize the Serb List, is politically more optimal for him than the opposite, and he will continue to pursue it,” the political scientist said.

He added that when the constitution of the Assembly again comes onto the agenda, as was seen in the previous cycle, Kurti will be against the Serb List’s candidate because, according to our interlocutor, this is the only political course that the caretaker prime minister can now follow, whether he wants to or not.

“This is a political course that he now has to follow, whether he wants to or not. He does want it, but even if he didn’t, he would have to remain consistent, because otherwise his voters would punish him. The problem is that no one bears consequences, nothing costs anyone anything, no one has been held accountable for this happening for the third time, neither legally nor politically. In that sense, the call that came from the US Embassy to sanction or remove those CEC members from Self-Determination is very significant,” Gogic said.