Radic: Kurti uses the “Serbian factor” as a trump card in his campaign

Military analyst Aleksandar Radic has assessed that Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, by constantly raising tensions about a potential conflict, is actually using the "Serbian factor" to gain voters in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

"For the authorities in Pristina, raising tensions is a domestic political issue. There are no real circumstances in which a radicalization of the situation can be imagined in front of KFOR, under pressure from a foreign factor. That is why Kurti can, relatively harmlessly in terms of international consequences, create the image of a looming threat to Pristina through media pressure and demonstrations of force on the ground, aiming to achieve effects that will be reflected in the vote count in February," Radic told Kosovo Online.

According to him, the intensified war rhetoric and "saber-rattling" are also a result of the fact that for Kurti, the "Serbian factor" is a means of gaining support.

"Kurti, of course, reads reports daily, analyzes public opinion, and one of the few tools available to him to boost support is precisely the ‘Serbian factor.’ As long as this narrative remains in the air and the issue of relations with Serbia remains unresolved, Kurti can escalate tensions whenever needed," Radic emphasized.

He adds that, given the West’s careful monitoring of the situation in the Balkans, raising tensions is only possible through discussions about strengthening Kosovo’s combat readiness.

"When the message from all relevant actors is clear that there must be no turbulence, the focus then shifts to talk of weapons, the Kosovo Security Force, and what can be done. Naturally, tensions rise, and the hope is that this will add some votes to those supporting Kurti," Radic specified.

When asked to whom Kurti is addressing these messages, the military analyst pointed to generations who lived in Yugoslavia and Serbia.

"These are people who are well past their fifties, flipping through TV channels, and still living within the inherited value system," Radic explained.