Garic: A huge danger for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is hidden behind the Public Property Law

Pristina would completely strip Serbian municipalities in Kosovo of the right to manage their property under the new Public Property Law, journalist Milos Garic said, stressing that this is a deliberate plan aimed at completely undermining any possibility of self-government for Serbs, RTS reports.

Garic said that such an act would deprive Serbian-majority municipalities of the ability to decide on projects in their territories, while “every investment would be left at the mercy of Pristina.”

“A huge danger for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is hidden behind this law,” Garic said, describing it as “yet another in a series of attempts by extremists in Pristina, led by Albin Kurti, to make life completely unbearable for Serbs” and prevent them from deciding their own fate, as provided for by the Brussels Agreement.

According to him, the law would completely strip municipalities in Kosovo of the right to manage their property, and it is clear that the target is the Community of Serb Municipalities and the municipalities where Serbs constitute an absolute majority in Kosovo.

“It would come to the point where these municipalities would have no ability whatsoever to manage their property, land, and all the matters that municipalities are supposed to handle,” Garic told RTS.

He stressed that everything would be centralized, with Pristina having to be consulted on every decision, leaving local self-government with no ability to make decisions.

“This is directed against peace, against security, and against the possibility of dialogue. We all expect international actors to raise their voices,” Garic said.

He noted that it is clear that everything is directed against Serbs.

“Because that is actually what is most important for Serbs at this moment, that in those municipalities and communities where they live, especially where they are the majority, they can organize their lives in the way they believe is appropriate, that they can influence processes ranging from economic development, healthcare, education, urban and rural development, and everything else that falls within their responsibilities,” Garic said.

He recalled that this is guaranteed by the Brussels Agreement as well as by the laws currently in force in Kosovo.

He emphasized that this is a deliberate plan whose aim is to completely undermine any possibility of self-government for Serbs, as well as to suspend the Brussels Agreement.

“That is what Albin Kurti has been trying to do all these years, through blocking dialogue, and now through this as well, by causing complete paralysis in political and institutional terms in Kosovo and Metohija,” Garic said.

Garic believes that the current parliamentary crisis in Pristina leaves open the possibility that such a law may not be adopted, noting that Kurti is making maximalist demands and acting like the “absolute owner of Kosovo.”

He assessed that, if the situation continues along its current course, Kosovo will probably hold elections again, particularly given that a verdict in the Hague proceedings against the defendants is expected on September 16, which could affect the political environment ahead of new elections.

Garic stressed that Kurti's policy toward Serbs represents unprecedented terror on European soil since the Second World War, noting that there have recently also been cases of elderly and vulnerable people being beaten.

“Serbs are persistent, resilient, vital, and truly carrying an enormous burden on their shoulders,” Garic said.

He added that Serbs in Kosovo are “the heroes of our time.”

Speakers who spoke to Kosovo Online on Sunday also warned that the adoption of the law in its current form would mean the disappearance of Serbian municipalities in Kosovo.

Milan Radojevic, the mayor of North Mitrovica, pointed out that this would effectively mean that the municipality would have to seek approval from the central level for every infrastructure project or any planned investment, and that given the situation in which Albin Kurti is already carrying out his plans in North Mitrovica without consulting anyone, “one can only imagine what would happen if such a law were adopted and came into force.”

The Association of Kosovo Municipalities has also raised objections to the Draft Public Property Law.