Barac: Pristina's messages to the Serbian community in northern Kosovo are no longer symbolic

Srdjan Barac, an associate of the Center for Social Stability, says that the increasing number of police stations in northern Kosovo is no longer just a symbolic message from the authorities in Pristina but rather a clear intent to assert control and create additional tension in the four municipalities with a Serbian majority.

"The messages in Kosovo and Metohija, especially in the northern part, which is predominantly inhabited by Serbs, are no longer symbolic. In that area, political Pristina, or, let's say, the Albanian factor, has not had real authority until now. With the construction of these police stations and all the measures taken in the past year, the goal is to show the Serbs that they intend to truly and effectively control the north. Another effect, which is neither hidden nor symbolic but rather fundamental, is the creation of a tense atmosphere, potentially leading to an incident. Because they need an incident. In the wake of such an event, they would have space in the European or global public to push their agenda," Barac told Kosovo Online.

He warns that another serious issue is the expropriation of land owned by Serbs.

"This further fuels the tense atmosphere, which could escalate. On the other hand, the Serbs feel threatened when we see how the Kosovo Security Forces behave, and knowing that, based on a false report or testimony, someone can be arrested. It is very clear and expected that there is a certain apprehension or fear, and we could even say a justified level of anxiety among the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, especially in the north. I firmly believe that their goal is to provoke an incident that they could use as fuel, especially now that more and more signals, first from across the Atlantic and now even from Berlin, are indicating that Pristina's policies will no longer be tolerated," Barac concluded.