Radakovic: It would be a catastrophic decision to accept the resignations of Serbian judges and prosecutors

The Executive Director of the NGO Center for the Advocacy of Democratic Culture (ACDC), Dusan Radakovic, told Kosovo Online that had the elections not been held on June 7, Serbian judges and prosecutors might already have returned by the end of June.

He says that one perspective is positive: "to initiate the resolution of the problem and bring people back."

"It is certain that without Brussels, or rather without a serious political dialogue through Brussels, if a government is formed in Kosovo, it will be difficult to return to the negotiating table. Through Brussels, with the highest-level political negotiators, and if Belgrade calls on people to return, we can hardly expect a serious return, of course, provided that the institutions accept it as well. But I fear that this is more of a political moment being used during the political campaign and perhaps serves to divert attention from the political agreements on government formation and the election of the president. The focus is being shifted to other topics and away from the core issue that needs to be resolved," Radakovic said.

He added that he sincerely hopes that, if things move in the right direction and the European Union takes the initiative, more serious talks on returning people to the institutions could begin in September.

"That is the essence of solving the problems of all communities, especially the Serbian community – the return of Serbs to the judiciary. That could also encourage the return of a certain number of people to the police, of course those who meet the requirements, who have not retired, and who pass security vetting. I believe it is important to restore the pillar of trust and rebuild the confidence of the Serbian community in the north, above all the Serbian community, in the institutions. The return of people to the judiciary and the police is a key step," he said.

Radakovic warned that if the resignations of Serbs who left the institutions are accepted, it would be a catastrophic decision, especially regarding the judiciary, because for the next eight years there would practically be no possibility of restoring the trust of Serbs in Kosovo's institutions.

"I have always said that the law is the same for everyone. Whether the judge is a Serb, Dusan, Bekim, or of any other nationality, the law must apply equally to all. Whether a judge interprets the law incorrectly or whether there is politicization, all of that exists today. But on the other hand, if the resignations are accepted after three and a half years, I fear we will find ourselves in a catastrophic situation. It would further reduce trust in the institutions, lead to more people leaving, and after that I truly do not see a possibility for people to return. Perhaps a certain number of police officers will return to the police, or some progress can be made in local self-government, but without a return to the key institutions, it will be extremely difficult to rebuild trust," Radakovic said.