Pupovac: Serbs in Kosovo should learn from our mistakes; JCM in Croatia is on par with an NGO

Serbs in Kosovo should learn from the mistakes of Serbs in Croatia, says Milorad Pupovac, president of the Serbian National Council and the Independent Democratic Serbian Party (SDSS). He adds that although Serbs in Croatia are allowed self-government, in practice it is reduced to the level of a non-governmental organization without defined funding.

"Our experience in Croatia is that we have minority self-governments, but their status and position are not adequately regulated in the Croatian system. This means that the Joint Council of Municipalities, although a self-government, primarily has the formal status of a non-governmental organization, even though the status of non-governmental organizations is not regulated by any international treaty," Pupovac told Kosovo Online.

Representatives of the Joint Council of Municipalities are elected in local and regional elections in Eastern Slavonia.

"Accordingly, they cannot be non-governmental organizations but should be something else. Unfortunately, in Croatia, this has not been ensured to this day. This should be a lesson for our compatriots in Kosovo and Metohija when considering the status of the Association of Serbian Municipalities. The status should be defined in advance, and it certainly should not and must not be that of a non-governmental organization. The conditions for financing should also be defined because, in our case, the conditions for financing depend on political circumstances," Pupovac said.

He explained that Serbs in Croatia, besides through the Joint Council of Municipalities, which operates in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Srem, are also allowed to organize through the Serbian National Council.

However, he is convinced that Serbs from Kosovo should seek a "third solution."

"They should seek a third solution, which may be similar but should, in many aspects, be a third solution, as all solutions for members of minority or other nationalities in a country are specific. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; instead, it is built and developed from the specific political and interethnic context," Pupovac emphasizes.

Representatives of the Joint Council of Municipalities are elected in local and regional elections in Eastern Slavonia.

"Accordingly, they cannot be non-governmental organizations but should be something else. Unfortunately, in Croatia, this has not been ensured to this day. This should be a lesson for our compatriots in Kosovo and Metohija when considering the status of the Association of Serbian Municipalities. The status should be defined in advance, and it certainly should not and must not be that of a non-governmental organization. The conditions for financing should also be defined because, in our case, the conditions for financing depend on political circumstances," Pupovac said.

He explained that Serbs in Croatia, besides through the Joint Council of Municipalities, which operates in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Srem, are also allowed to organize through the Serbian National Council.

However, he is convinced that Serbs from Kosovo should seek a "third solution."

"They should seek a third solution, which may be similar but should, in many aspects, be a third solution, as all solutions for members of minority or other nationalities in a country are specific. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; instead, it is built and developed from the specific political and interethnic context," Pupovac emphasizes.

He assessed that it is not realistic to expect Serbs in Kosovo to have a status similar to that of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"As for comparisons with Republika Srpska as an entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, these comparisons do not take into account the specificities of the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and the relations between Serbia and Kosovo. It is not realistic for the status of Serbs in Kosovo to be like that of Republika Srpska for several reasons, including the distribution and arrangement of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija," Pupovac said.