Nikolic: Utter confusion with the census, results will be used against the Serbian community

The Director of the NGO "Communication for Social Development" (CSD) from Gracanica, Ivan Nikolic, says that the recently concluded population census in Kosovo can be described as "difficult to explain" and "utter confusion," adding that the results will be used against the Serbian community, which is already accustomed to this.

"All in all, it is at best utter confusion, once again at the expense of the ordinary person in the Serbian community who simply does not know what to do and has to rely on themselves," Nikolic told Kosovo Online.

Recalling that the population census had been long announced and that the key message was that a boycott would be a big mistake, leading to smaller budgets for municipalities with a majority Serbian population, Nikolic says that the process started in a way that is hard to explain.

"When the census finally began, something happened that is once again difficult to explain. This is something we heard from many people, namely that they were not sufficiently and properly informed. They were confused by different messages from the Kosovo and Serbian sides about the potential boycott or avoidance. On the other hand, Pristina talked about penalties for not being counted. Another confusing factor was the lack of capacity on the ground to conduct the census properly, as many people said that no one even visited them," Nikolic pointed out.

According to him, the census results could lead to reduced budgets for municipalities with a majority Serbian population.

"This is not a small matter, as that budget is intended for citizens and can be used wisely. There could also be concrete consequences, considering the mention of penalties for those who did not participate in the census. There were no official confirmations or statements about penalties. Everything was again based on hearsay, assumptions, and rumors. We will have to wait and see," Nikolic said.

Asked how the census results will affect the rights of the Serbian community in Kosovo, Nikolic says he doubts there will be a significant impact because those rights are already sufficiently threatened.

"The rights of Serbs in Kosovo are already sufficiently threatened that this cannot significantly affect them further. It might serve as an argument for the Kosovo side to say we do not deserve additional benefits. I do not see it going to any extreme," Nikolic concluded.