Dušan Janjić of the Belgrade-based Forum for Ethnic Relations has said that he broadly agrees with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that Serbia must accept the political reality regarding Kosovo. However, he stressed that before making any major decisions, Serbia’s new government must establish exactly what has been agreed in the dialogue with Prishtina and which commitments Belgrade has undertaken.
Kurti recently told Radio France Internationale (RFI), during his visit to Paris, that Serbia’s new government should recognise Kosovo’s independence, describing such a decision as a key indicator of Serbia’s democratic direction.
Speaking on RTK2’s morning programme, Janjić said that confronting political reality is in Serbia’s own interest, but argued that the first step must be full transparency regarding previous negotiations.
“The new government must not recognise anything without first examining what has been signed. In Serbia, we do not know what has been signed, what has not, and what has been implemented. We know some things, but we want official information. A condition for accepting reality is knowing what commitments have been undertaken in Serbia’s name,” Janjić said.
Referring to the 2023 Brussels Agreement on the path to normalising relations and its Ohrid Implementation Annex, he emphasised the need to clarify the legal and political status of the commitments made.
He specifically pointed to letters sent by former Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić to European officials, in which Belgrade expressed reservations about certain provisions of the agreement. According to Janjić, it remains necessary to establish how EU mediators interpret those letters and whether additional understandings, including possible verbal agreements, have since been reached.
Janjić also highlighted the importance of Chapter 35 in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations, which links the country’s European integration process to the normalisation of relations with Kosovo.
He argued that formal recognition cannot be considered separately from the implementation of existing commitments and Serbia’s future European integration prospects.
According to Janjić, Serbia has already taken steps during the normalisation process that amount to a form of de facto recognition of Kosovo’s institutions, although formal recognition remains unresolved.
He added that the continuation of the dialogue will depend on the formation of Serbia’s new institutions and the establishment of a clear negotiating mandate. The incoming government, he said, must first review existing agreements and their consequences before defining its future policy towards Kosovo.
Janjić Criticises Serbian List’s Political Monopoly in Kosovo
Commenting on statements by representatives of Serbia’s Student List that they would not cooperate with the Serbian List, which represents part of the Serb community in Kosovo’s institutions, Janjić described their position as a political reaction to the party’s previous conduct.
He identified what he called the Serbian List’s political monopoly among Kosovo Serbs and its restriction of political pluralism as one of the main problems.
“My main criticism of the Serbian List is that it has served as an instrument for dismantling the multiparty system and limiting the right of members of the Serb community to make decisions for themselves,” Janjić said.
He stressed that political positions and parliamentary mandates should not shield anyone from potential investigations into financial activities or structures linked to the party.
In this regard, he referred to the case of ALTA Bank, raising allegations of possible financial irregularities that he said should be investigated by the competent authorities.
Janjić believes that the change of power in Belgrade could also bring a shift in the government’s approach towards the Serbian List, particularly regarding political accountability and compliance with Serbian law.
“This is an important warning. Things will no longer be able to continue as before, with arrangements made with individuals at the top of Serbia’s political leadership while avoiding Serbian laws,” he said.
He also recalled the Serbian List’s previous decisions, including its withdrawal from Kosovo institutions and the political crises that followed, arguing that these actions contributed to the deterioration of the Serb community’s position.
Janjić additionally referred to the armed attack in Banjska and the continued departure of Serbs from Kosovo, warning about the declining prospects for the community.
Janjić Calls for Transparent Financial Support for Kosovo Serbs
Discussing Belgrade’s future policy towards Kosovo Serbs, Janjić argued that the existing model of budgetary support should be replaced with a development-oriented approach and stronger oversight of public spending.
Rather than treating Kosovo Serbs primarily as a socially vulnerable group, he proposed establishing a substantial fund dedicated to supporting the normalisation of relations and the development of the Serb community.
He said such funding should be distributed transparently and subject to proper supervision to ensure that financial assistance genuinely benefits the community.
