A fierce wave of condemnation has erupted in Kosovo following a highly inflammatory statement by Serbian Minister Snežana Paunović, who declared that “if she had been in Slobodan Milošević’s place in 1998, she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo.”
The remarks have sent shockwaves across the region, with top Kosovar officials and historical institutions warning that Belgrade has failed to distance itself from its wartime past.
“Serbia Remains Chained to Genocidal Ideology”
Kosovo’s Minister for Family and War Values, Andin Hoti, issued a scathing response on Facebook, emphasizing that the statement serves as proof that Serbia’s political leadership is still driven by the criminal ambitions of the 1990s.
“Your ideological father, Milošević, tried the exact same thing in Kosovo. He ended up before international justice, while Serbia left Kosovo with its tail between its legs. The response of the people of Kosovo, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), and the democratic world is well known. Kosovo remained free.” — Andin Hoti, Kosovo’s Minister for Family and War Values
Hoti warned that anyone calling for ethnic cleansing today is a threat to regional peace, adding that “Milošević ended up as a war criminal and today lies in the dirt. You would face the exact same fate if you ever tried.”
Institutional Demands for Transitional Justice
The Institute for Crimes Committed During the War also issued a formal reaction, warning that statements of this nature actively sabotage long-term stability in the Western Balkans.
The Institute reiterated that “confronting the past remains an absolute prerequisite for building trust and lasting peace in the region,” urging international partners to hold Serbian public officials accountable for inciting ethnic hatred.
The Historical Legacy of Milošević’s Campaign
The threat directly invokes the darkest chapter of modern Balkan history, revitalizing the trauma of the 1998–1999 war:
- The Human Toll: Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević engineered a brutal military campaign that resulted in the killing of over 13,000 people.
- Mass Displacement: More than one million Kosovo Albanians were systematically expelled and displaced from their homes by Serbian forces before NATO intervention halted the campaign 27 years ago.
- The Tribunal: Milošević died in his prison cell at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague on March 11, 2006, while on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
