Ivic: By refusing to certify the Serb List, Kurti draws international consensus of criticism upon himself

Petar Ivic, associate of the Pupin Initiative, told Kosovo Online that Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti, by maneuvering to prevent the certification of the Serb List’s participation in the elections, may only gain additional points with his already well-established voter base, but is, on the other hand, drawing upon himself an international consensus of criticism.

Ivic stresses that Kurti has gone too far this time, which is evident from the numerous reactions of foreign ambassadors, the European Union, and international organizations such as the OSCE and UNMIK.

“This is clearly visible from the criticism voiced by embassies in Pristina, and we see it as well in the U.S. Congress, where almost the entire Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously labeled Kurti as obstructive in the context of Kosovo–U.S. relations. This is a moment of deep, months-long crisis, where I fear that any further escalation on his part will only produce a countereffect — a boomerang. His support is only declining, and this is a semi-rational move, probably aimed at scoring political points with his already entrenched voter base, but I fear that this time it may backfire,” Ivic emphasized.

In his view, the refusal of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to certify the Serb List is by no means a politically beneficial move for Albin Kurti.

“Kosovo, as an actor, depends on international support. Through his actions, he is only further strengthening the international coalition against himself. The ambassadors of France and the United Kingdom have made it clear that the Serb List — that is, the Serbian community — must participate in political life in Kosovo. There is also strong criticism from the U.S. Embassy, and such a move simply cannot be politically profitable,” Ivic notes.

By contrast, he stresses that Serbia has positioned itself as a stabilizing partner, while Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti is doing the exact opposite when it comes to relations with the United States and the international community.

“With the Americans, we see a major shift – they are exerting increasingly strong diplomatic pressure on Kurti. On the other hand, we have Belgrade, which has positioned itself as significantly more cooperative and peace-oriented,” Ivic concluded.