Blazic: Kurti's bans fuel tensions and instill fear in Serbs; the ultimate goal the "quiet Storm"

Marko Blazic from the Center for Social Stability assesses for Kosovo Online that by the ban on using the flag, Albin Kurti fuels tensions and instills fear in Serbs, with the ultimate goal being an ethnically pure Kosovo and a more unfavorable negotiating position for Serbs.

"Albin Kurti continues to implement a policy of terror and fear over Serbs in our southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, and this policy has two goals. The first goal is to achieve the ultimate goal through the 'quiet storm' model, which is an ethnically pure Kosovo and Metohija. The ban on using the Serbian flag is precisely aimed at this ultimate goal. Although it may sound harmless to some, it is certainly a measure that further fuels tensions and instills fear among the Serbian population in the southern province," Blazic says.

As the second goal, he mentions a more unfavorable negotiating position for Serbs.

"The goal is to push them as far as possible from their starting points from a negotiating position and to present the new situation as a given on the ground and a new starting position for negotiations, including the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. So, Albin Kurti's task is an ethnically pure Kosovo and Metohija and a more unfavorable negotiating position for Serbs," our interviewee is explicit.

He notes that with such actions, Kosovo is also violating its own constitution and reminds that for eight years they refused to implement the Constitutional Court's decision regarding the Visoki Decani Monastery.

"In that context, we also observe the ban on the entry of the patriarch into the southern province and the ban on performances... Besides spreading fear and raising tensions, they are also violating their own constitution, and this is not the first time. If we remember the case of Visoki Decani, for a full eight years, they refused to implement their Constitutional Court's decision to register that land to the monastery, so Albin Kurti doesn't hesitate to use means and methods to worsen and endanger the safety of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," he says.

He adds that Serbs have endured worse things, such as arrests, kidnappings, and firearm attacks, but even then, the international community "silently observed Albin Kurti's behavior."

"They even allow them to use those steps that were signed a long time ago and are considered obligatory for negotiations. Thus, Albin Kurti uses elements of negotiation that he was supposed to fulfill 11 years ago, such as forming the CSM, to negotiate Kosovo's membership in some international organizations. Unfortunately, we see that the international community will remain silent on this violence being carried out in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, even though the ball, or responsibility, is definitely on them," Blazic said.