Kosovo Shuts Serb Institutions, Fueling Tension Before Vote
(Bloomberg) -- Kosovo’s government shut down more than two dozen Serb-run institutions on its territory, risking a potential flare-up in tensions in the Balkan nation less than four weeks before it holds a parliamentary election.
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Closures included municipal offices and tax facilities in 10 locations, including the capital, Pristina. Kosovo’s interior minister, Xhelal Svecla, on Wednesday called the move — in areas largely south of the country’s Serb-majority enclave — a necessary step to dismantle “criminal and illegal” structures.
“Today marks the end of parallel Serbian institutions in Kosovo,” Svecla said in a statement on Facebook, referring to the 28 institutions targeted. Other facilities in Serb-majority areas of northern Kosovo were shut down throughout last year.
The decision prompted a furious response from Serbia’s government and risked compounding tensions that have escalated since a cross-border shootout in the country’s north in 2023 killed a Kosovo police officer. It also set the tone for the Feb. 9 election, in which Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is expected to extend his term in office.
Kurti’s government embarked on a campaign last year to shut down Serb offices, primarily in Serb-majority areas of northern Kosovo, and restrict the use of the Serbian dinar. The moves drew a rebuke from the US and European Union allies, who said the “unilateral and uncoordinated” actions risked stoking ethnic tension.
EU-Brokered Dialog
Kosovo’s closures during the election campaign “go against its obligations towards the European Union under the normalisation process,” the EU’s diplomatic service said in a statement. The actions will be monitored in accordance with the Balkan nation’s adherence to the EU-brokered dialog, it said, referring to the process aimed at ending tensions between Serbia and Kosovo as a condition to eventually join the bloc.
Serbia’s representative to Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, accused Kurti’s government of provoking tension for political gain.
“This terror brings into question the dialog,” Petkovic said. “It’s clear that it’s not just Kurti to blame for this — responsibility also rests with the European Union.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly accused Kurti of pressuring the already dwindling Serb community into moving out of Kosovo. He’s also demanded the implementation of an EU-brokered deal under which the Serb community is allowed some autonomy.
Kosovo authorities have maintained that the Serb-run institutions are illegal and that shuttering them is essential for asserting state control.
Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement won 51% of the vote four years ago, giving him an absolute majority for the first time since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Six parties will also compete for seats in the assembly reserved for minorities, including the Serbian List, which is supported by Belgrade.
Tensions remain high in northern Kosovo since the 2023 attack, in which a group of armed Serb militants attacked Kosovo police. In addition to the officer, three of the attackers were killed in the standoff. Kurti has demanded that Serbia hand over Milan Radoicic, who took responsibility for the assault.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this month that the alliance is in contact with both Kosovo and Serbia to ensure stability during Kosovo’s parliamentary election on Feb. 9.
--With assistance from Misha Savic.
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