Pavkovic: A long process lies ahead for Serbs to change unfavorable decisions in northern municipalities

A difficult and lengthy process awaits the Serbs in the north to amend the unfavorable provisions adopted by the current Albanian authorities in the four municipalities, said Milos Pavkovic, Director of Strategy at the Center for European Policy in Belgrade. Commenting on the results of local elections in Kosovo, he stated that they accelerate the process of disempowering the Self-Determination Movement, considering that in the parliamentary elections that party won the majority in 27 municipalities, and now only in seven.

“As for the predominantly Serbian municipalities, the handover of power is expected. What matters is that the new mayors, municipal presidents, and councilors try to change some of the unfavorable provisions adopted by the current authorities, such as the renaming of streets, decisions on dismissals and expropriations – all of which have negatively affected the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija. This will not be an easy process, as it does not depend solely on local authorities. It is the beginning of a difficult and lengthy process,” Pavkovic told RTS.

He noted that some things cannot be changed, such as demolishing the bridge, and when it comes to building a school, that issue cannot be resolved without cooperation with the central government.

“Decisions such as membership in the Association of Kosovo Municipalities or the naming of streets can be changed, but everything else requires cooperation with the central authorities, and I do not expect much cooperation there,” Pavkovic emphasized.

He reminded that a new government in Pristina has not yet been formed and questioned how open it would be to cooperation with Serbian mayors.

Pavkovic also said he does not expect Serbs to be able to automatically return to institutions since their positions have been filled by others.

That, he believes, is another process that will be dictated by ministries at the central level, which means there will not be a collective return.

Pavkovic pointed out that mayors, by opening new positions, will be able to gradually return Serbs to institutions.

Regarding the police, he stressed that the issue must be part of a broader agreement – not only between the Serbs in Kosovo and Pristina but also within the framework of the dialogue.

When asked about the political situation in Kosovo and the strength of the Self-Determination Movement after the second round of local elections, Pavkovic said that if the results are analyzed purely statistically, given that Self-Determination had previously won in four municipalities and now in seven, one could say there was some progress. However, he added that one should not ignore the loss of major cities such as Pristina and Prizren.

“Taking all this into account, this is a debacle for Self-Determination, especially considering that in the parliamentary elections it won the majority of votes in 27 municipalities, and now only in seven. Essentially, these results accelerate the process of disempowering Self-Determination,” Pavkovic assessed.

He added that the only remaining question is whether elections will be held at the end of December.

“If elections were to take place at the end of December, that would favor Albin Kurti, since members of the diaspora, who are traditional Self-Determination voters, are in Kosovo at that time. The opposition is therefore in an awkward position – whether to vote for Glauk Konjufca’s government or to go to elections in December,” Pavkovic said.

He pointed out that there is no crisis of political parties in Kosovo, as the party system is stable because traditional parties have a consistent voter base.

According to him, the four main parties could form a government, but mutual disagreements and the desire to go to elections to reshuffle the political deck prevent them from doing so.

Local elections, he said, send a signal that Kurti is weakening and that he has no real prospect of forming a government.

“The only question is whether it suits the opposition better to have elections in December or to support Konjufca so they can later bring him down. For Kurti, December elections are more favorable, as that is his only chance to secure another mandate. If elections are held later, his prospects are weaker. These are Kurti’s final tactical maneuvers to stay in power,” Pavkovic underlined.

He noted that Serbian votes will always carry significant weight, and that the Serb List remains an important political factor even after these elections. However, he added that there is an unwritten agreement among Albanian parties never to allow a situation where an Albanian government is toppled with the help of the Serb List.

Nevertheless, he believes that the opposition coming to power would be more favorable for the Serbs in Kosovo.

“The opposition parties do not have as much of a problem with forming the Community of Serb Municipalities as Self-Determination does. Regardless of whether the Serb List joins the government or not, the position of the Serbs will be better because the opposition parties do not have as hostile an attitude toward Serbs as Self-Determination does,” Pavkovic explained.

When asked about the EU’s report on Kosovo’s progress, he said it was unfavorable, showing stagnation, and that the Union is waiting for the formation of a new government and a return to dialogue.

“Without the continuation of dialogue, there can be no talk of progress for Kosovo on its path toward European integration,” Pavkovic concluded.