Bisevac: Manipulating Serb numbers in Kosovo driven by the goal to change their status

The repeated statements by various officials in Pristina claiming that the number of Serbs in Kosovo is smaller than the number of Albanians in Serbia or Montenegro reflect their intent to change the status of Serbs in Kosovo, Nemanja Bisevac, a member of the Presidency of the Serb List, says for Kosovo Online.

"I believe they will do everything possible to avoid establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities, while simultaneously attempting to argue that there are not many Serbs in Kosovo and, therefore, no need for the Serbian language to remain an official language in Kosovo," Bisevac remarked.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated during a visit to Sarajevo that there are fewer Serbs in Kosovo than Albanians in Serbia, a claim later echoed on the social media platform "X" by his deputy Besnik Bislimi.

Bisevac links these statements to a broader campaign by Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement, which, he claims, seeks to gain political leverage at the expense of the Serbian population.

Kosovo officials are speculating on the number of Serbs, Bisevac pointed out, especially since many Serbs, particularly in the north, did not participate in the census conducted last spring.

"The numbers they are presenting are, of course, neither reliable nor realistic. The authorities in Pristina will likely try to use these distorted figures for their benefit in the run-up to January 20, when newly elected US President Trump takes office, and February 9, the date of elections in Kosovo. Their goal is to score cheap political points. However, I hope the international community will not entertain their claims and will instead highlight the actual number of Serbs in Kosovo," Bisevac concluded.