“Serbian community in Kosovo is not able to impose itself as a political factor and that is our biggest problem. The economic situation has worsened, in particular due to the silent budget cuts from Serbia, and also because international community is currently focused only on the north. Due to the poor economic situation, more and more Serbs decide to go. Never less Serbs lived in Kosovo then now,” said Slobodan Petrović, vice president of the Assembly of Kosovo.
As MPs of the Serbian List, do you have help from Belgrade?
The relationship is strange – neither fair, nor specific. When we decided to jointly form the Serbian list, the idea was cooperation with Belgrade, establishment of a strategy, but it did not happen. In fact, Belgrade doesn’t have intensive contacts with us related to the help and consultation, but it rather imposes the attitude.
Did anyone ask the Serbs in Kosovo about anything?
Very little, almost nothing! Most of the major issues are launched in Brussels in the framework of the Brussels agreement. Unfortunately, very few of them are resolved. And what has been agreed is not being implemented on the ground.
How would you assess the work of the Serbian List?
I’m disappointed. I believe in unity and that ‘more heads bring better decisions’. However, I did not expect that we will eventually get a list that is supported by Serbia, and as outcome less positive results than ever. We need the economy, more contributions, and the atmosphere in which we will believe that we have a future in our beautiful Kosovo.
Will the problem of Serb property ever be solved?
This is a very serious matter where Serbia is having the key role. This is a topic for the talks in Brussels, and I hope that eventually it will be discussed. In this way, the Serb property is at the mercy of the institutions and the international community, and this issue is crucial to genuine reconciliation.
