Vujinovic: A weak coalition of the current opposition is the most favorable outcome for the Serbian community

Security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic said that the most favorable outcome of the upcoming elections for the Serbian community would be a weak coalition government of the current opposition, which would be susceptible to the influence of the international community. He emphasized, however, that no Albanian majority differs from Self-Determination when it comes to respecting the basic rights of Serbs.

“I think that, unfortunately, there is neither a good nor even a least bad option, all choices are bad. What I think would be best for the Serbian community is some weak coalition government of the current opposition parties, because it would be most susceptible to international influence. Here we must say that it depends on the international community whether it will use that influence,” Vujinovic told Kosovo Online.

Speaking about the international community, he assessed that the United States will in no case jeopardize the functionality and integrity of Kosovo, but that it has clearly taken a position and does not consider Kurti a partner, and would prefer DPK leader Bedri Hamza to be the new prime minister, because, according to our interlocutor, it is not by chance that he stayed in the United States a few weeks ago.

“So, unfortunately, for the Serbian community, especially for local governments that have regained power through the Serb List, there will be no easy choice. Perhaps the best solution is for this crisis to continue. That is, for new elections to continue, for there to be an institutional blockade of Albanian institutions, because then the international community would have to exert influence. Any influence by the international community will be good for the Serbian community,” Vujinovic said.

Cooperation between the Serbian community and the central authorities would change if Bedri Hamza or any other structure that does not include Self-Determination comes to power, our interlocutor says, adding, however, that he cannot assess to what extent.

“What Self-Determination has achieved is believed by all Albanian actors. They all think that the Serb List is a terrorist organization that does not recognize the integrity of Kosovo. The truth is that the SL does not recognize the integrity of Kosovo and did not vote and will never vote for certain laws, such as the law from seven years ago when the Kosovo army was established. So I am not quite sure that whoever sits in the chair of the minister of public administration and local self-government in Kosovo, who essentially controls local self-government and its political life, will be very benevolent toward Serbian municipalities,” Vujinovic said.

He said that in such a situation, the international community is also a key factor and that its decisions will significantly influence the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, as well as changes to certain issues that are the result of the actions of Self-Determination in the north in previous years.

“But the precondition for all that is further instability of Albanian political relations, where Self-Determination and Mr. Hamza would not achieve a coalition, but would instead enter into conflict, since we see that at least some marginal parts of their parties are still in a major conflict,” the researcher noted.

Nevertheless, Vujinovic assesses that no other majority would have greater understanding for the basic rights of Serbs.

“Any Albanian majority thinks the same about Serbs. Unfortunately, that is what their NGO sector thinks, that is what their citizens think. The fact is that life in Kosovo and Metohija is slowly pushing that ethnic hatred toward Serbs to the margins, but now everyone is fighting over the diaspora. The diaspora comes filled with a nationalist attitude toward Serbs, and all actors are playing that card. I expect that by the end of the campaign the rhetoric against Serbs will indeed be sharpened, but I do not believe that there will be physical or any other actions, because the international community simply would not allow it, and they are now fighting for its favor,” Vujinovic concluded.