Gudzic: Pristina’s accusations against the Serbian Orthodox Church are a deflection for electoral purposes

Historian Aleksandar Gudzic stated that recent attacks by Albanian politicians on the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) represent a deflection of issues, with the current government in Pristina calculating that such rhetoric will secure additional votes in the elections scheduled for February.

Gudzic says that the authorities in Pristina seize every opportunity to attack the Serbian Orthodox Church and that it seeks enemies where none exist.

He emphasizes that since the Middle Ages, the SOC has represented a harmonious balance of secular and spiritual authority.

“When the Church operated under states and governments not led by Serbian political elites, it served as a leader of the Serbian people and never engaged in terrorist actions under any circumstances. At times, SOC leaders did head uprisings, but these were rebellions aimed at improving the lives of the Serbian people within specific states,” the historian elaborated.
He adds that accusing the Serbian Orthodox Church today of financing terrorism is a "classic deflection of issues" for electoral purposes.

“This is not rooted in truth, but the current government in Pristina calculates that such claims will boost their political ratings and ultimately result in more votes in the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Gudzic assessed.

He notes that international institutions can and should respond to these attacks.

“Above all, I am referring to the leading countries of Western Europe and the United States, as they are the main sponsors of Kosovo’s statehood and independence. I believe they can do a great deal to restrain the regime in Pristina,” Gudzic said.