Pejic: Kosovo issue could be a reason for parliamentary elections in Serbia

Vladimir Pejic, the director of the public opinion research agency "Faktor Plus," has assessed for Kosovo Online that depending on the further developments in the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, the Kosovo issue could be a reason for calling parliamentary elections in Serbia.

Commenting on the announcement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that elections could be called by December 31 and take place in March, Pejic stated that it was still uncertain which elections were being referred to.

"Most likely, the elections will be in March next year, which was expected. The question is whether they will be only local or also parliamentary and Belgrade elections. This greatly depends on the Kosovo issue, as a topic in the election campaign itself. Assuming that there will be parliamentary elections, Kosovo will certainly have a significant place and can greatly influence whether the elections will be held at all," Pejic believes.

He added that Kosovo, on the other hand, could also be the cause of parliamentary elections.

"We will see what will happen in the coming weeks and months regarding Kosovo and Metohija, the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, and many other unresolved issues between Belgrade and Pristina. In this regard, there may be new proposals or threats, and even solutions that could lead to early parliamentary elections," Pejic said.

According to him, if elections for the Serbian Assembly are held, Kosovo will be one of the "top three topics in the election campaign."

"I don't know if it will be the main topic, but it will be among the top three topics, that's quite certain. The issue of Kosovo and Metohija is always present in public opinion but has its ups and downs. At certain moments, it is not such an important topic, but when something happens, such as incidents or discussions in Brussels about resolving the Kosovo issue, this topic gains importance. I expect that, in addition to economic issues and the fight against crime and corruption, which are key issues for the citizens of Serbia, Kosovo will be the third dominant topic and will be widely discussed," Pejic believes.

He noted that the second problem was that a large number of participants in the political scene, as he said, "avoid discussing this topic."

"I don't think it's ill-intentioned, but rather a lack of adequate ideas, positions, and solutions. Unlike the government, which is forced to deal with the Kosovo problem, many in the opposition, if they don't have an urgent need, tend to avoid this topic. We often have discussions on various topics, but Kosovo and Metohija take a back seat, which is a forced situation due to a lack of ideas and policies concerning Kosovo," Pejic concluded.