Radojkovic: Interethnic coexistence does not exist – Kurti uses flag ban to maintain political popularity

Historian Stefan Radojkovic stated that the interpretation by the Basic Court in Pristina—according to which the decision of the Municipality of Gracanica to mark Vidovdan with Serbian flags constitutes a “threat to interethnic coexistence”—should be understood as part of Albin Kurti’s political campaign aimed at preserving his waning popularity among Kosovo Albanians.

Commenting on the court’s reasoning, Radojkovic argued that interethnic coexistence on Kosovo effectively ended on 10 June 1999 and that what exists today are parallel lives, not shared communities.

“Interethnic coexistence on Kosovo does not exist—what we see are parallel societies. Any examples of possible coexistence are exceptions, like in Kosovska Kamenica, rather than the norm. This court decision should be viewed as part of Kurti’s promotional toolkit, in which discrimination, harassment, and institutional—at times even physical—violence against the Serbian community and the institutions of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo are used to maintain political support as it declines among the Albanian population,” Radojkovic stated.

He emphasized that the court's interpretation also has a strategic dimension—namely, to strip the future Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM) of any real substance.

“Just as there is an ongoing effort to eliminate the Serbian presence in Kosovo altogether, the goal here is to reduce the Brussels Agreement to a meaningless shell—so that if the CSM is ever established, it will be empty in practice. What we are witnessing here has multiple layers: first, the tactic of blaming the victim—as if the one being oppressed is the actual instigator. It’s reminiscent of the twisted justification sometimes used by perpetrators of violence. Second, there has been no tradition of interethnic harmony since June 1999. And third, this is all part of Kurti’s political campaign, with the issue of Vidovdan now used to provoke and consolidate his support base,” Radojkovic said.

As for Vidovdan, Radojkovic stressed that it is primarily a religious and identity-defining holiday for Serbs across the Balkans and will be celebrated regardless of which flag is present.

“Vidovdan will be celebrated—as it should be—whether it’s marked with the national flag of the Republic of Serbia, a Serbian traditional flag, or the flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church. What matters is that the people of Kosovo continue to mark Vidovdan as their holiday,” he emphasized.

He assessed the court's ruling as yet another form of pressure on the Serbian community in Kosovo, though he underlined that greater pressure comes from the unilateral dismantling of Serbian institutions in Kosovo, which violates the Brussels Agreement.

“What pressures the Serbian community more than anything else—especially in Serb-majority areas without protection from KFOR or even from the Kosovo Police, which in the north is now largely Albanian—is the threat of verbal abuse, and in some cases even physical or sexual violence against women. This flag ban is just one link in a long chain of systemic pressure. The message is clear: Serbs are not welcome. But honestly, in the broader context, that’s one of the lesser concerns for the Serbian population,” Radojkovic said.

He concluded by noting that the underlying problem is the overall atmosphere, which is worsening and affects not only Kosovo Serbs but all citizens of the Republic of Serbia living in Kosovo.

“It’s important to remember that the institutions of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo are not used only by Serbs, but also by Albanians—citizens of Serbia who, like Serbs, hold dual documentation. The flag issue is a symptom of deeper dysfunctions, but the real concern is the general atmosphere of exclusion and the systematic undermining of basic rights,” he concluded.

The Basic Court in Pristina ruled that the Municipality of Gracanica had exceeded its legal authority by deciding in June 2023 to mark Vidovdan using Serbian symbols and flags. The court held that the decision “seriously undermines the constitutional character of Kosovo” and “gravely endangers public order and interethnic coexistence.”