Serbia’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 25, have once again brought Belgrade’s policy toward Kosovo into focus, particularly among Serbian political parties and initiatives operating within Kosovo.
While Srpska Lista supports the Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia electoral alliance, arguing that it represents continued institutional support from Serbia and the protection of Serbian national interests, opposition groups in Kosovo have announced support for the Student List. They have criticized Serbia’s current authorities over what they describe as their exclusion from decision-making, a lack of transparency over the spending of funds allocated by Serbia for Kosovo, and political control through employment.
Among the opposition actors supporting the Student List is the Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, led by Nenad Rašić, a minister in the Kosovo government headed by Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
Speaking to Radio Free Europe, Rašić said his party’s support for the Student List was unconditional, describing the upcoming election as a potential turning point for Serbs living in Kosovo and elsewhere in the region.
The Serbian student movement previously published a memorandum stating that “Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia,” a position that prompted criticism from parts of the public in both Kosovo and Serbia.
The movement emerged around two years ago after students across Serbia demanded accountability following the deaths of 16 people in the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station.
Serbian political analyst Ognjen Gogić told Radio Free Europe that Kosovo has so far not been among the main themes of Serbia’s pre-election campaign.
“The ruling party is focusing more on voters in Serbia, who are more numerous than those in Kosovo,” Gogić said, adding that this could explain why efforts to mobilize Serbs in Kosovo appear less prominent.
He also noted that support for the Student List from Kosovo had received little attention in Serbia and had not been prominently highlighted by the student movement itself.
Srpska Lista: Support for Vučić’s List Is Important for Kosovo Serbs
Srpska Lista, the largest political party representing Kosovo Serbs, says its support for the Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia list is important for maintaining institutional support from Belgrade, protecting Serbian national interests and preserving the rights, security and living conditions of the Serbian community in Kosovo.
Srpska Lista was established with support from Belgrade and Serbia’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). It currently leads all 10 municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo and holds nine of the 10 seats reserved for the Serbian community in the Kosovo Assembly.
Several senior party officials simultaneously hold positions in Serbian institutions.
Its leader, Zlatan Elek, for example, heads the Clinical Hospital Center in North Mitrovica.
According to Srpska Lista, a victory for the Vučić-led alliance would mean continued economic development, new jobs, higher salaries and pensions, further investment in healthcare, education and infrastructure, as well as increased support for Serbian families and local communities in Kosovo.
Rašić: We Are Directing All Our Resources Toward the Student List
Rašić said his Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival had decided to use “all available means” to strongly support the Student List in Serbia’s upcoming elections.
He said his supporters would be mobilized during the campaign to make time to vote on October 25.
“Our main motivation is to change Belgrade’s policy toward Kosovo and create an opportunity for the Serbian community in Kosovo to make its own decisions on issues that affect it,” Rašić told Radio Free Europe.
He argued that Kosovo Serbs should have a greater role in institutions and in the dialogue process taking place in Brussels.
“Communication with Kosovo Serbs must be two-way. Belgrade cannot use Kosovo Serbs for its own interests, so that they serve only as a mechanism in Serbia’s process of rapprochement with the European Union,” Rašić said.
He added that Kosovo Serbs understand both Serbia’s and Kosovo’s constitutional frameworks and argued that people living in Kosovo have a particularly direct understanding of conditions on the ground.
Vučković: The Situation Could Hardly Be Worse
Ivan Vučković, head of the civic initiative Roots, told Radio Free Europe that he considers Serbia’s state policy toward Kosovo misguided.
He argued that the current authorities had placed the Serbian community in Kosovo in an increasingly difficult position.
Vučković said he had supported the Student List since its creation and therefore did not consider it necessary to issue a separate endorsement following the announcement of the elections.
He said he expected Serbia’s policy toward Kosovo to change if there were a change of government in Belgrade, while emphasizing support for younger candidates and professional expertise.
During the past two to three years, members of Kosovo’s Serbian community have faced, among other developments, the closure of Serbian-run institutions.
Kosovo authorities’ efforts to extend state authority into northern Kosovo have largely been interpreted by representatives of the Serbian community as a form of pressure or repression.
Anti-Corruption Agenda Also Resonates Among Kosovo Serbs
The Student List’s programme focuses largely on combating corruption in public institutions.
Vučković said the issue was also important for Serbian-majority municipalities in Kosovo, which are currently led by Srpska Lista.
“Corruption must be eradicated. The money coming from Serbia should be distributed more equally. Public competitions should be announced regularly and the best candidates should be hired, rather than those who are politically suitable,” Vučković said.
He also called for Kosovo Serbs to have a greater role in decisions affecting their daily lives, arguing that proposals should originate locally rather than exclusively from Belgrade.
Radio Free Europe has previously reported on cases involving Serbian budget funds allocated for Kosovo that were allegedly spent in questionable ways, as well as companies receiving multimillion-euro contracts for projects that reportedly did not exist on the ground.
Vučković said that, in the event of a change of government in Serbia, those involved in corruption connected to Kosovo should face legal accountability.
Gogić, however, said it was still too early to predict what changes might follow from a potential political transition in Serbia.
He noted that a change of government could lead to greater scrutiny of Srpska Lista’s activities in Kosovo, including the way Serbian budget funds allocated to Kosovo have been spent.
Other Kosovo Serbian Groups Back the Student List
The Serbian People’s Movement has expressed full support for the Student List, arguing that what it described as irresponsible management of the Kosovo issue had contributed to the current situation.
“This is not merely support for an electoral list. It is support for change, accountability and the right of citizens to decide for themselves about their future,” the movement said.
The civic initiative North for All has also called on its supporters to back the Student List, criticizing the SNS and Srpska Lista over what it described as the deteriorating position of Kosovo’s Serbian community.
Support for the Student List has also been announced by Serbian Democracy and the Alliance of Kosovo.
The competing endorsements highlight a political divide among Kosovo Serb actors ahead of Serbia’s October 25 parliamentary elections, with Srpska Lista backing the Vučić-led alliance while several opposition-oriented groups are supporting the Student List.
