Vucevic: The troubles and hardships of the Serbian people are taking on a new dimension

The Prime Minister of Serbia, Milos Vucevic, emphasized today that the troubles and hardships faced by the Serbian people in Kosovo are not ceasing but are instead taking on a new dimension, and that, considering the upcoming elections on February 9, the situation is becoming increasingly complicated.

"The Serb List, as you can see, is Albin Kurti's biggest problem. He has no issues with other Serbian parties because they are funded by Kurti, who holds the reins for those so-called Serbian parties and their leaders," Vucevic told RTS.

He pointed out that those campaigning against the Serb List had hoped it would be declared a terrorist organization.

He recalled that the Central Election Commission had refused to verify the Serb List’s candidacy, requiring court intervention to reverse the decision. However, this led to "further complications," such as denying the Serb List financial resources allocated to all parties and excluding it from electoral committees proportional to its representation, per the same rules set by Pristina. "Rules apply to everyone except the Serb List," Vucevic stressed.

He noted that smaller Serbian parties have disproportionately more representatives in electoral committees, while the Serb List, which previously held 10 parliamentary seats, lacks proper representation.

Vucevic remarked that in the prevailing environment in Kosovo, one cannot speak of fair election conditions. Despite these irregularities, the Serb List continues to fight to represent the Serbian people.

Kurti, he added, aims to seize mandates that belong to the Serbian community.

"His goal is to take some of the Serbian mandates from the Serb List, which, I believe, is the authentic representative of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and enjoys the majority support of Serbs and Belgrade," Vucevic said.

Citizens and businesses will have sufficient energy supplies

Vucevic stated that although challenging days lie ahead for the state leadership, nothing will change for citizens – energy supplies will continue uninterrupted.

"In the coming hours, we will receive additional clarifications. Every detail matters and synchronization of all procedures is essential to protect the state. Serbia will find a solution. This situation was not of our making; Serbia did not provoke these sanctions, including those affecting the NIS company," Vucevic emphasized.

The sanctions, he explained, have impacted not only NIS but also hundreds of companies and individuals connected to the energy sector.

He added that a parallel process will take place during the discussions with the Americans regarding the meaning of the sanctions package, and there will also be dialogue "with friends from Russia to find a way to overcome the situation."

"We expect President Vucic to speak with the new US Treasury Secretary. This is happening on the eve of a power transition in the US Meanwhile, Vucic will also hold discussions with the Russian leadership," the Prime Minister noted.

Speaking about Serbia's red lines, Vucevic acknowledged that room for maneuver is shrinking, but Serbia must not become a bargaining chip for great powers.

He emphasized that Serbia must avoid entanglement in major geopolitical disputes.

"We must prioritize the interests of our citizens. That is the task for the President and the Government. Supplies will not be jeopardized. It is not an easy situation, and time is short, but we will calmly find a solution," Vucevic stated.

He reminded that the President and the Government are meeting today with Richard Verma, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, who is visiting the region.

The agenda, Vucevic said, includes strategic dialogue, with energy being the dominant topic, however, one of the critical issues is clarification regarding NIS.