German Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Michael Gahler, representing the powerful European People’s Party (EPP), has issued a stern warning to official Belgrade, stating that inflammatory rhetoric from a candidate country minister cannot be swept under the rug.
Gahler’s sharp intervention comes in response to the escalating international scandal surrounding Serbian Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government Snežana Paunović, who openly admitted on national television that she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo of Albanians in 1998. The German MEP explicitly stated that he expects her immediate removal from office.
The European Union Escalates the Pressure
The political shockwave from the interview has reverberated through the highest institutional halls of Brussels. While broader EU bodies have voiced immediate concern, the most direct executive ultimatum came from the European Commissioner for Enlargement:
“Following such a horrific statement, I cannot possibly imagine a scenario where Snežana Paunović continues to serve as a government minister.”
— Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement
The Original Statement That Sparked the Crisis
The diplomatic crisis stems from an interview broadcast on TV Kurir. Paunović, who is originally from Peja (Peć), explicitly laid out what she would have done differently than former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević during the buildup to the Kosovo War:
“And now, regarding our shortcomings and our stupidity: if I had been Slobodan Milošević, I would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo in ’98. And this is the harshest qualification I have ever uttered in my life.”
— Snežana Paunović, Serbian Minister of State Administration
Domestic Polarization and Regional Legal Action
The fallout from the broadcast has triggered a sharp division within Serbia and a fierce legal offensive across the region:
| Actor / Region | Formal Response & Current Action |
| Kosovo Authorities | Officially declared Paunović persona non grata; the Kosovar Minister of Justice has formally filed a criminal complaint against her. |
| Serbian Opposition | A broad coalition of opposition parties (including SRCE) and civil society organizations have demanded her immediate dismissal or resignation. |
| Serbian Ruling Majority | The SNS-led ruling coalition has dug in, publicly defending Paunović and dismissing the international outcry. |
With prominent EU lawmakers and the Enlargement Commissioner backing demands for her dismissal, the scandal has transformed from a domestic media blunder into a significant hurdle for Serbia’s European integration prospects, placing immense pressure on Prime Minister Đuro Macut to break his silence.
