Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in a joint conference with the Minister for Communities and Return, Nenad Rašić, stated that Serbia interfered in the elections using at least 10 methods.
He said that Serbia had influenced the selection of Serbian deputies and those from non-Serb minorities, all of whom are fully controlled by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, the government, intelligence, and organized crime in Serbia.
Kurti further stated that the Serbian president had encouraged every state and non-state Serbian actor to get involved in the elections in Kosovo. To this end, the executive role was taken by the head of terrorism, Milan Radoičić, or the man who received tasks for Kosovo directly from Vučić.
The Prime Minister in office further added that each of the seven candidates chosen by the head of terrorism Milan Radoičić received at least 2,000 more votes than others.
Prime Minister Kurti’s Address during the Joint Media Conference with Minister Nenad Rašić Regarding Serbia’s Interference in the February 9 Parliamentary Elections:
Dear journalists and other media workers,
Dear citizens,
Serbia’s interference in our parliamentary elections is an infringement on the democracy and sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo. It has affected the selection of Serbian deputies and those from non-Serb minorities, all of whom are under the full control of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, the government, intelligence, and organized crime there. In this way, Serbia is attempting to hold our country hostage, not only in its internal political development but also in advancing international relations.
In the last elections, the methods of interference have changed, due to the noticeable improvement in security in the four northern municipalities, as a result of the rule of law, the successful fight against criminal and terrorist groups, and the closure of illegal structures. The brutal physical influence of the past, including beatings and killings, has no longer been possible. As a substitute, other forms of hybrid threats have increased—mainly financial inducement and coercion, blackmail, intimidation, and cyberattacks.
The Serbian President himself has encouraged every state and non-state Serbian actor to get involved in Kosovo’s elections. For this purpose, the executive role was taken by the head of terrorism Milan Radoičić, or the man who received orders for Kosovo from the Serbian President.
The Serbian state apparatus has made extraordinary efforts to harm rival Serbian parties, particularly the “For Freedom, Justice, and Survival” (Za Slobodu i Pravdu Opstanak – SPO) party of Nenad Rašić, our Minister for Communities and Return, and the “Democracy of Serbia” (Srpska Demokratija) of Aleksandar Arsenijević, as well as the voters of other communities, primarily Roma and Ashkali.
Representatives from almost all other political parties have withdrawn from the race after threats they received. These cases have been recorded in the four northern municipalities, as well as the other six municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo. For the majority of these cases, our institutions have evidence, which, for the privacy and security of Serbian citizens, it is not appropriate to make public.
Our law enforcement agencies, based on testimonies from some members of the Serbian community who reported direct interference in the electoral process, on February 21 of this year, raided and closed several so-called “Social Affairs Centers” in the four northern municipalities, which were used to entice or blackmail voters from the Serbian community to vote for the Serbian List.
In this interference scheme, we identified seven instances or state and non-state actors of Serbia:
- Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić;
- Head of terrorism Milan Radoičić;
- Director of the so-called Serbian office for Kosovo, Petar Petković;
- Serbian Intelligence Agency (BIA);
- Serbian media controlled by the government in Belgrade;
- Serbian List;
- Illegal structures, including the Postal Savings Bank, Social Centers, pension offices, MTS/Serbia Telecom, and former members of the Kosovo Police.
At least 10 methods have been used:
- Financial inducement, through monthly financial support of 20,000 dinars (about 170 euros) for all unemployed adults;
- Financial coercion, through the risk of losing financial benefits, including salaries, pensions, child allowances, social aid, and others;
- Dividing rival Serbian parties;
- Blackmail and pressure to not support any party other than the Serbian List;
- Threatening to remove individuals from Voting Center Councils;
- Registering so-called “secure voters,” i.e., compiling lists of so-called “secure voters” from their perspective;
- Organized transportation of voters from Serbia to Kosovo;
- Organizing collective voting in voting centers;
- Monitoring voters on election day near voting centers;
- Marking ballots.
This interference, using at least 10 methods, was carried out in three phases:
I. Pre-election phase;
II. During the election campaign;
III. On election day, up until the conclusion of the electoral process.
In the first phase, before the election campaign, Serbian President Vučić repeatedly declared that “only the Serbian List defends Serbia in Kosovo.” He encouraged all other Serbian state and non-state actors to undermine the electoral process in the Republic of Kosovo. Alongside this, to achieve the same goal, President Vučić authorized Milan Radoičić, the head of terrorism, to carry out the interference plan in the February 9 parliamentary elections. As part of this plan, lists of “secure voters” were created, containing at least 50 individuals, who were threatened with consequences if they did not vote for the Serbian List.
In addition to the “secure voter” list, a list of seven essential Serbian List candidates for voting was dictated. The names on the list included: Zlatan Elek, Slavko Simić, Igor Simić, Branislav Nikolić, Verica Ceranić, Srđan Popović, and Liljana Stefanović. All these candidates were elected. Each of these seven preferred candidates of Milan Radoičić received at least 2,000 more votes than others.
In addition to ensuring support for the Serbian List from Serbian voters, the interference plan also included expanding the base of votes for the Serbian List from non-Serb minority communities. It was also ordered that the political party from the Roma community, the Romani Initiative, should not participate in the elections and that this party should support the Serbian List.
Furthermore, opposition MPs from Serbia, originating from Kosovo, were also involved in the interference from outside in our parliamentary elections. Zharko Ristić, under the guidance and directives of the Serbian intelligence services and government in Belgrade, influenced the division of other Serbian party leaders, rivals to the Serbian List, when these parties were preparing their election campaigns. Ristić, pretending to advocate for the unification of these parties into a single list, actually did the opposite—he divided them, in the name of unity, he caused division. The eventual unification into a single list would significantly threaten the Serbian List’s mandates.
The Serbian BIA was also involved, pressuring certain candidates to position themselves according to Serbia’s interests, using coercion and threats of arrest for those who did not obey the orders.
The branches of the “Postal Savings Bank” near the Kosovo-Serbia border were ordered to register all Serbs who withdrew money from the bank. These records were handed over to the head of the so-called Kosovo office, Petar Petković, so that they could be blackmailed into voting for the Serbian List.
In the second phase, during the campaign, financial inducement and threats dominated against political opponents of the Serbian List. Financial inducement was implemented through a social support plan for individuals who were not beneficiaries of various aids from Serbia, planned to begin in February 2025, coinciding with the elections, offering 20,000 dinars (about 170 euros) as financial packages to condition the vote of Serbian citizens for the Serbian List and interfere in our parliamentary elections. Voters benefiting from these social schemes had their ID cards photographed and were sent threatening messages that “if they do not vote for the Serbian List, all their benefits from Serbia would be stopped.” This vote conditioning method and pressure on voters through threats to stop social benefits was also noted in the European Union Election Observation Mission’s report.
There were also cases of direct threats against members of Voting Councils of other Serbian parties, rivals of the Serbian List, recorded in the Peja region. They were threatened that if they did not withdraw from their positions, there would be direct consequences in stopping all the income they receive from Serbia. They were even threatened with greater consequences if they reported the cases to the police, including harm to their families.
On January 22, 2025, posters of the political subject “Srpska Demokratija” – Democracy of Serbia by Aleksandar Arsenijević were damaged by unknown individuals in North Mitrovica and Zvečan. On January 24, 2025, the campaign banner of candidate Divna Bojić Andreus from the “Srpski Narodni Pokret” or Serbian People’s Movement was attacked with a Molotov cocktail in Kllokot.
Meanwhile, Minister for Communities and Return Nenad Rašić has been continuously threatened by Milan Radoičić and his close associates, attempting to blackmail him with various fabrications to damage his reputation with Serbian voters and force him to withdraw from the race. He and the ministry he leads have also been targets of cyberattacks, with his profile and ministry’s social media accounts hacked.
Finally, the third phase of interference in our elections involved the organized transportation of voters from Serbia to Kosovo, organizing collective voting in voting centers, monitoring voters on election day near the voting centers, and marking ballots.
Near voting centers in municipalities with a Serbian majority, particularly in the four northern municipalities, there were individuals who exerted pressure on Serbian voters. Most of them were former Kosovo Police officers who resigned in November 2022. In the Štrpce municipality, certain individuals tried to influence those with access to the electoral process with big financial promises to damage and cancel votes for rival political parties to the Serbian List. To mobilize and apply pressure
, these same individuals visited voters in their homes.
This involvement of the Serbian state has endangered the democracy of Kosovo. But we will not be intimidated. We will resist every form of interference and manipulation. We will do everything in our power to ensure that Kosovo remains free and sovereign, and that democracy prevails.
Thank you!
