Borisavljevic: I am not surprised that there is no funding for Serbian municipalities in the budget; the lives of Serbs will not become easier

Analyst Dusan Borisavljevic stated that he was not surprised that this year’s budget does not include funding for municipalities with a Serbian majority, noting that this has been a political agenda pursued for years. At the same time, he added that the most significant problems in Kosovo do not recognize ethnic affiliation.

Speaking to Kosovo Online, Borisavljevic emphasized that the already difficult life of Serbs in Kosovo will not become any easier in the period ahead.
“This does not surprise me at all. That budgetary approach and political agenda have been ongoing for years; one or more political parties have been guided by it, and from that perspective, I am not surprised. I regret that the already difficult life of Serbs in Kosovo will not become any easier in the coming period. This is yet another instrument of pressure—although it is no longer even pressure, but rather a way of life for Serbs. The information I have obtained indicates that, due to the most recent census, in which many Serbs did not participate—whether because of enumerators’ errors or by the will of certain individuals—some municipalities lost their status as Serb-majority municipalities and consequently had their budgets reduced. Specifically, if I am not mistaken, Gracanica’s budget was reduced by one and a half million euros. I believe this is merely a continuation of the existing approach toward Serbs,” he said.

He noted that such a move sends a clear message, but that the message from the Serbs is that they will adapt and persevere.
“We will adapt; we want to remain where we are, we want peace, and we want prosperity and stability for every young person, regardless of the community they come from. We aim to work on developing skills and improving quality of life. Everything else is of lesser importance,” Borisavljevic added.
He stressed that major problems in Kosovo do not have an ethnic dimension.
“For example, we are all aware of the environmental problem in Gracanica that has persisted for 40 years—a mining waste landfill and the Gracanka River, which flows not only through Serbian areas. Environmental degradation does not affect only Serbs or Roma, but everyone. Through such political games, we will not resolve a problem that could potentially cause cancer in many people, as the issue of heavy metals in our rivers and water, unpleasant odors, and related hazards will remain unaddressed,” Borisavljevic stated.

Yesterday, at a session of the Kosovo Assembly, the Serb List voted against the proposed budget for this year. During the parliamentary debate, the head of the Serb List parliamentary group, Igor Simic, pointed out that of the nearly four billion euros allocated in the budget, not a single ministry would allocate even one cent to the ten Serb-majority municipalities, where no capital projects have been envisaged—something he described as a clear message to the Serbian community.