Pavkovic: “Local topics” will not dominate the campaign; for Serbs the key issue is the return of institutions

Strategic Director at the Center for European Policies, Milos Pavkovic, stated that the pre-election campaign for local elections will not be marked by communal issues, but by political ones.

For Serbs, he said, the key issue will be the attempt to restore institutions in the north, while for Albanian parties it will be the “strengthening of sovereignty” in this part of Kosovo. Pavkovic also expects that during the campaign, the Self-Determination Movement will play the “nationalism card” and undertake new actions in the four Serb-majority municipalities.

“From the perspective of the Serbian community, I believe the campaign will emphasize the return of Serbs to the institutions, that is, the restoration of institutions currently held by illegitimately elected mayors from the 2023 elections. On the other hand, Albanian parties will focus on strengthening Kosovo’s sovereignty and statehood and keeping those northern municipalities under full control,” Pavkovic told Kosovo Online.

He stressed that in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo with predominantly Serb populations, “local topics” such as communal services or citizen services will also be “completely sidelined.”

“Here the major political themes will dominate: the unity of the Serbian community, the preservation of unity, the survival of Serbs in Kosovo. These are the issues that dominate every campaign in Kosovo, but now, in this context where Serbs feel threatened, such a campaign will be particularly emphasized. That is my expectation,” Pavkovic explained.

He added that the focus of Albanian political parties in mixed areas or areas where they are in the minority will be on trying to seize power, though it is unlikely they will succeed in majority-Serb municipalities.

The Self-Determination Movement performed far worse in the last local elections than in the parliamentary ones. Pavkovic said there is “no clear answer” as to whether this could change in the upcoming elections, but he expects the party will once again play the “nationalism card.”

“What I expect from Self-Determination is that it will once again rely on nationalism, sovereignty, and actions in northern Kosovo—whether shutting down Serbian institutions or applying some other form of institutional pressure on the Serbian community—in order to ‘stir up’ nationalist sentiment and thus build up its support,” Pavkovic noted.

He specified that it has been shown that the Self-Determination Movement “loses support and municipalities when it comes to economic and local issues.”

“The only issue that works for them is nationalism. I hope that this time that ‘card’ will not win them votes,” Pavkovic concluded.