The issue of reinstating Serbian judges and prosecutors who resigned from Kosovo’s justice institutions is being handled within the broader framework of the Kosovo-Serbia normalization dialogue, the European Union said on Wednesday.
An EU spokesperson told Radio Free Europe that Brussels has consistently called on Serbia to encourage the return of Serbian community members, while urging Kosovo to enable the reintegration of justice personnel in line with agreements reached through the dialogue process and Kosovo’s legal framework.
“The European Union has continuously called on Serbia to encourage, and on Kosovo to facilitate, the reintegration of justice personnel from the Serbian community, in accordance with the agreements reached in the dialogue and Kosovo’s laws,” the spokesperson said.
The EU also urged both sides to create the necessary conditions for implementing these obligations and to avoid actions that could further complicate the process.
Representatives of the Serbian community withdrew collectively from Kosovo’s institutions in November 2022, following disagreements with the Kosovo government’s decision to phase out vehicle license plates issued by Serbia and replace them with Kosovo-issued plates.
Among those who resigned were around 130 judges, prosecutors, and administrative employees from the justice system in four northern municipalities with a Serbian majority: North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zveçan, and Zubin Potok. Police officers and local administration officials also left their positions.
The unresolved resignations returned to public attention in mid-June, after Kosovo’s acting president, Albulena Haxhiu, requested that the Kosovo Judicial Council and the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council finalize procedures related to these resignations “without delay.” She argued that continued delays were affecting the normal functioning of the justice system.
The Kosovo Judicial Council confirmed to Radio Free Europe that it had received Haxhiu’s request on June 19 and that the matter would be reviewed at one of its upcoming meetings, in accordance with constitutional and legal procedures. The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council did not respond to RFE’s request for comment.
The collective withdrawal of Serbs from Kosovo’s institutions was initiated by the Serbian List, with support from authorities in Belgrade.
Those who resigned were later given temporary contracts and continued receiving payments from Serbia’s state budget. However, some individuals who did not support the Serbian List eventually lost those payments and were also unable to return to their previous positions.
Following a series of crises in northern Kosovo, which culminated in the armed attack against Kosovo Police in Banjska in 2023, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called for the return of Serbs to Kosovo Police and justice institutions.
The Serbian List also acknowledged before last year’s local elections that withdrawing from Kosovo’s institutions had been a mistake.
Meanwhile, Kosovo authorities led by Albin Kurti have maintained that the return of Serbs to Kosovo’s institutions should not be treated as a political matter, but rather as a legal and constitutional issue.
