The fallout from Serbian Minister Snežana Paunović’s televised endorsement of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo continues to expand, igniting intense condemnation from political leaders in Albania, state representatives in Kosovo, and human rights organizations, while the Serbian opposition demands her immediate firing.
Albania’s Reaction: “The Leopard Cannot Change Its Spots”
Taulant Balla, the Chief of the Parliamentary Group of the ruling Socialist Party of Albania, issued a stinging rebuke of Paunović’s rhetoric.
Writing on his official Facebook page, Balla invoked an old English idiom to describe the persistent nature of Serbian nationalist ideology:
“We Albanians have a saying about the wolf, but the English have a similar expression: ‘A leopard cannot change its spots.’ This statement by a Serbian minister is another disgusting stain of shame.”
— Taulant Balla
Kosovo’s Response: “Milošević Ended Up Eating Dirt”
In Pristina, Andin Hoti, an acting official within the Government of Kosovo and head of the Government Commission on Missing Persons, issued a highly personal and fierce counter-statement. Hoti, whose father—celebrated intellectual and activist Ukil Hoti—was forcibly disappeared by Serbian forces during the 1999 war, drew a direct parallel between Paunović and Slobodan Milošević.
“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… Today, Kosovo remains free. Milošević finished as a war criminal and today he is eating dirt. You would face the exact same fate, and you will, whenever you try.”
— Andin Hoti
Hoti added that anyone advocating for ethnic cleansing in 2026 is a living testament that “Serbia has not yet liberated itself from Milošević’s genocidal ideology” which brought devastating wars, massacres, and historical shame to the Balkans.
Institutions & Opposition Demand Immediate Accountability
The scandal has mobilized both transitional justice watchdogs in Pristina and reformist political parties in Belgrade:
- The Institute for Crimes Committed During the War (IKKL): The Kosovo-based institute released a statement warning that Paunović’s comments revive the dangerous, state-sponsored discourse responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in 1998–1999. IKKL emphasized that “confronting the past, acknowledging crimes, and institutional apologies” are the only true prerequisites for lasting regional peace.
- Serbian Opposition Calls for Sacking: Inside Serbia, the pro-European opposition Free Citizens Movement (PSG) formally demanded Paunović’s immediate dismissal.
The Growing Political Crisis for the Serbian Cabinet
The PSG argued that a minister tasked with public administration and local self-government is constitutionally bound to guarantee equal treatment and safety for all citizens. A person justifying ethnic deportation is legally and morally unfit to hold public office.
| Regional Reactor | Core Argument | Demanded Outcome |
| Taulant Balla (Albania) | Serbian state actors remain structurally unchanged since the 1990s. | International condemnation of Belgrade’s cabinet. |
| Andin Hoti (Kosovo) | Threatening ethnic cleansing is a threat to European regional security. | Reminder of the legacy of the ICTY and defensive resolve. |
| PSG (Serbian Opposition) | A minister of state administration cannot promote ethnic discrimination. | Immediate dismissal of Minister Paunović from the cabinet. |
| IKKL (War Crimes Institute) | Reminds that ICTY trials established Belgrade’s 1999 actions as a criminal enterprise. | Formal institutional apology and acknowledgment from Serbia. |
