Nikolic: Discrimination is a serious problem in Kosovo

The Director of the NGO "Communication for Social Development" (CSD), Ivan Nikolic, says that Kosovo's announcement of adopting a Law on Protection against Discrimination aligned with European standards means little, as discrimination is deeply rooted in society and cannot be easily resolved.

Nikolic tells Kosovo Online that there are many well-written laws that are not implemented in practice.

“What is very interesting, but unfortunately also a very sad fact that applies to much of the Balkans, and is particularly evident in Kosovo, is that there are many laws that are exceptionally well-written, almost copied from some EU laws, but they are not implemented,” Nikolic said.

According to him, there are many such examples in Kosovo, so even the proposed Law on Protection against Discrimination will likely mean nothing in practice.

“The fact that Kosovo will adopt a Law on Protection against Discrimination, with everything perfectly defined within it, means absolutely nothing on the ground. One example is the Law on the Use of Languages, along with countless others. I want to believe that something can change, but my doubts are far greater,” Nikolic added.

He notes that discrimination against members of the Serbian community is evident, but emphasizes that discrimination exists across all sectors.

“Examples of discrimination in Kosovo are extremely common. From the perspective of the Serbian community, we clearly see discrimination against us, but that is not the only case. There is widespread interethnic discrimination, gender discrimination, women are discriminated against in business, in institutions, discrimination is present at every turn,” Nikolic stressed.

Discrimination, according to Nikolic, is a significant problem deeply embedded in Kosovo's society.

“I wonder what they hope to achieve by changing the Law on Protection against Discrimination. I am very skeptical that this issue can be resolved quickly. It is a serious problem, deeply woven into the fabric of Kosovo's entire society, and I’m not very optimistic,” Nikolic concluded.