Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has launched a blistering attack on official Belgrade, accusing the Serbian government of running an active campaign of “terror, blackmail, and intense pressure” against the Serb community in Kosovo.
The Prime Minister’s statements follow a major domestic security operation on Tuesday, during which Kosovo law enforcement agencies arrested seven individuals of Serb nationality in the municipality of Graçanica. The suspects are being held under grave allegations of “intimidation, coercion, and blackmail” explicitly aimed at undermining the free will of voters ahead of the June 7 extraordinary parliamentary elections.
“Alarming Proportions”: Direct Testimony of Voter Coercion
Speaking during a government session on Wednesday, Kurti highlighted that the level of structural extortion being exerted on local Serbs has bypassed standard political maneuvering, crossing into state-sponsored intimidation.
Kurti drew heavy reference to an official brief delivered by the Minister for Communities and Returns, which detailed a ruthless, coordinated effort by Belgrade to force Kosovo Serbs into voting exclusively for Lista Serbe (the Serb List).
[THE PATTERN OF INTIMIDATION]
• Direct Action: Seven individuals arrested in Graçanica for voter blackmail.
• Coercion Target: Kosovo Serb citizens who show political independence.
• The Ultimate Goal: Enforcing a total electoral monopoly for Lista Serbe.
• Historical Peak: Kurti notes blackmail has hit unprecedented levels in 2026.
“The immense pressure being applied to Kosovo Serbs to force them to vote for the Serb List, and the aggressive measures being taken by Serbia, are alarming,” Kurti stated. “This kind of terror being carried out by official Belgrade over Kosovo Serbs is heavily documented through the direct complaints of the Kosovo Serb citizens themselves. This phenomenon has exploded in scale during my tenure as Prime Minister. There have never been more threats and blackmails.”
Dismantling Belgrade’s Institutional Dualism
Beyond the immediate scope of electoral interference, the Prime Minister emphasized that these tactics are part of a broader, asymmetric strategy deployed by the regime of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to challenge Kosovo’s statehood from within.
Kurti reiterated that Belgrade is actively weaponizing its political proxies to maintain parallel governance structures inside Kosovo, directly violating the country’s constitution.
“On the other hand, you are well aware that Serbia is continuously trying to implant its own elements to create institutional dualism within our Republic’s territory. These are flagrantly illegal operations within our independent state,” Kurti added.
The arrests in Graçanica and Kurti’s subsequent warnings echo growing international anxieties over the June 7 vote. Just hours prior, the German Embassy in Pristina issued an uncompromising statement demanding that Belgrade immediately halt its interference, warning that the democratic will of Kosovo’s minority communities must be protected at all costs.
