No, it won’t be any better! Unless it has to be worst in the first place in order that it could be better in fact?! Brussels’ solutions are imposed solutions which are normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina on their paths to Euro-integrations. They don’t solve the problem of northern Kosovo. They don’t solve problems of Serbs in Kosovo, either, says Marko Jakšić lawyer and blogger from Kosovska Mitrovica, youngster who related his future to his city of birth.
“Agreements made like the ones on a green-market didn’t settle anything, on the contrary they led to new problems, such as recognition of diplomas or freedom of movement. How could it be better if there is a danger that huge number of people can be laid off, that is, left without salaries and without existence? Could it be better if, at the time being, due to customs regime at the crossing Jarinje and Brnjak average prices of goods went higher for 20 per cent? Some investment have been mentioned from the European Union, but how could EUR 30 million invested into infrastructure replace money which is coming from the budget of the Republic of Serbia, from which, only for salaries, several times more money was coming, asks Jakšić.
Mitrovica recently got the mayor, from the fourth try. That’s Goran Rakić, the last trump of Belgrade in its efforts to have ‘their own man’ in the city of resistance.
Expectations of citizens, from Rakić and authorities in Serbia are different. Ones are fed up with everything, others hope for the better, while the third ones, like Marko Jakšić, expect from authorities in Belgrade only ‘new pressure for all outstanding issues which will appear on the agenda in Brussels’.
“Judiciary is the first to come, than civil protection will follow along with the issues of education, health and all Serbia’s institutions which are functioning today in this region. Belgrade is paying its European journey with northern Kosovo, because the issue of normalization of relations with Pristina will be on the table all the time, until negotiations with the EU are over, thanks to chapter 35. From the new mayor, who is good person, I don’t expect much, but I hope that interests of people, he represents, will soon overcome local topics, such as water supply system, damping ground or parking lots. His major task is to preserve Serbs in this region, and not to blindly implement orders from Belgrade,’ claims Jakšić.
Life which is lived in fashion – from today till tomorrow, is a matrix without many options, with which Mitrovica citizens, and Marko himself, are trying to deal with problems.
“For sure that I am not planning to move, however no one knows what tomorrow brings. It is hard to predict anything. I am concerned with recent future and what the agreement on unified Basic Court in Mitrovica for entire Mitrovica region, including municipalities from the south: South Mitrovica, Srbica/Skenderaj and Vucitrn/Vushtrri, is going to bring. We’ve heard that unified crime department for all municipalities will be located in the building of the former District Court in North Kosovska Mitrovica, that is, for Serbs and Albanians. And once Albanians start crossing Ibar/Iber, there will be new problems. At first there will be incidents and later, I am afraid, gradual leaving. That is something, unfortunately, what no one from those who are tailoring our destiny thought over,” concluded Jakšić.
Dignity
Marko Jakšić reminds that in Kosovska Mitrovica ‘live quite common people with different habits and levels of education’. “I believe that every each of them expects only one thing, normal life worthy of a common man. That is, safety for himself and his family, and possibility to provide enough money for existence,” said Marko.
Uncertainty
Jakšić warned that uncertainty still awaits Serbs due to last intimidation by Eulex representatives’ arrest of Oliver Ivanović and Dragoljub Delibašić. He claims that it is about the efforts with the goal to incriminate entire north in order to justify previous policy and its standing point that ‘only criminals, smugglers and bandits live here’.
