Albanian Language Media:

• Bislimi: License plates decision is unrelated to Brussels agreement (media)
• Tensions following reciprocity change dialogue's course (Koha)
• Court rejects SL's claims that Kosovo Government's formation was unconstitutional (media)
• In Hungary, Speaker Konjufca criticises EU over visa liberalisation (media)
• KSF and Kosovo Police conclude joint exercise with KFOR (media)
• Committee approves national programme for implementation of SAA (Kosovapress)
• COVID-19: Four deaths, 84 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Peaceful protest of Serbs in northern Kosovo continues (RTS, Kosovo-online)
• One of three Serbs beaten by police in wood close to Brnjak speaks about attack; police denies local media report (KoSSev, media)
• Elek: Beaten Serbs spent difficult night at hospital (Tanjug, Kosovo-online)
• Serbian PM tells Belgian counterpart Pristina perpetrating violence (N1)
• Brnabic to address UN General Debate of world leaders today (B92)
• Washington more strongly involved with the EU in renewing the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and calming the crisis in Kosovo (NMagazin, Beta)
• Kosovo police removed poster “Welcome to ZSO” in Strpce (Radio KIM)
• Vulin: ''We are not negotiating with a gun pointed at the forehead'' (NMagazin, Beta, N1, TV Pink)
• Former Greek ambassador: "In the end, we will recognize the so-called Kosovo" (B92)
• Brnabic: We have much to lose if we fall for Pristina’s provocations (Tanjug)
• Ursula von der Leyen to visit Belgrade on September 29 (Tanjug)
• Commission for Missing Persons: Mortal remains of three Serbs taken over at the Merdare crossing (FoNet, Danas)
• Kosovo Constitutional Court issues Decision on non-execution of its verdict which confirmed ownership of Visoki Decani Monastery (Danas)

Opinion:

• The Potemkin facade of Vucic's rule (Kosovo 2.0)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Bislimi: License plates decision is unrelated to Brussels agreement (media)

Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Besnik Bislimi said that the decision on license plates has nothing to do with the Brussels agreement and that President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic is trying to manipulate the matter by claiming that it is a violation of the deal signed in Brussels.

Speaking before the members of the Kosovo Assembly committee on European integration, Bislimi said: "That agreement expired on 15 September. The decision for reciprocity was Kosovo's sovereign decision."

Bislimi also spoke about the natural gas project media reports saying that the pipeline in question, that delivers gas from Greece via North Macedonia is supplied by Azerbaijan and Russia. "It is foolish to say that the gas coming from Greece through North Macedonia is from America," he added.

He said that the USD 200 million allocated by the Millenium Challenge Corporation has not been pledged specifically for the gas pipeline project but dedicated to the overall energy sector.

Gervalla: Recent tensions, result of Serbia’s unilateral actions (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla, met today Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Gervalla said that the decision of the Kosovo Government on reciprocity towards Serbia regarding license plates is in accordance with the agreement signed in Brussels and that the current tensions, she noted, should be seen as Serbia's unilateral move.

Tensions following reciprocity change dialogue's course (Koha)

Koha reports that the introduction of reciprocity measures on license plates has changed the course of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and that in addition to previous demands, media in Serbia have reported of additional demands put forth by President Aleksandar Vucic in order to return to the negotiating table.

The first demand is the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, second is for Kosovo not to send police forces with heavy weaponry to the north without prior consent of KFOR and of the Association, the third is the establishment of two Serb companies in charge of energy distribution in the north, and the fourth is to ensure that trial chambers in the north to be in the 2:1 ratio, in favour of the Serbs, the paper adds.

It says that the Government of Kosovo has not entirely extinguished the hopes of Serba to have an association but that in the recent meetings in Brussels, Kosovo officials said they would take under serious consideration the issue of the Association when Serbia dissolves parallel structures in Kosovo. 

Koha has unsuccessfully reached out to the EU Special Representative for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak's office to comment but a couple of days ago, spokesperson Peter Stani said they are focused on finding a solution to bring the parties back to the negotiating table. "We call on the two sides to use the EU facilitated dialogue as a platform to address and resolve all open issues between them, including free movement and license plates. We are ready to host a meeting in Brussel at any given time," Stano had said.

Koha notes that the parties were called to de-escalate tensions by the U.S. acting ambassador Nicholas Giacobbe, the German ambassador Jorn Rohde, as well as the head of UNMIK Zahir Tanin.

Court rejects SL's claims that Kosovo Government's formation was unconstitutional (media)

The Constitutional Court of Kosovo has rejected the case submitted by the Serbian List claiming that the Government of Kosovo was formed unconstitutionally after it failed to give the Serb community leadership over two ministries.

The Court said that the case related to the process of appointment of ministers representing non-majority communities in the Government but not that relating to the appointment of one minister from the Serb community or one minister from the other non-majority communities, but rather the appointment of the third minister from non-majority communities which the Constitution recognises in case the Government of Kosovo consists of more than 12 ministries. "The Applicants alleged that the appointment of the 'third' Minister in the Government requires consultation/approval of the majority of all MPs representing non-majority communities in the Assembly, respectively of at least eleven out of twenty MPs that represent non-majority communities," the ruling reads.

It adds that with regard to the third minister, the Constitution of Kosovo provides the candidate for Prime Minister the discretion to choose from which community the minister will be elected without stipulating that this minister would have to be nominated by MPs representing the Serb or other non-majority communities.

"In the circumstances of the case at hand, the candidate nominated for Minister was a Member of the Assembly and consequently his formal approval was not a constitutional obligation... Therefore, the Court found that the challenged decision of the Assembly of Kosovo on the election of the Government was not issued in violation of paragraphs 3 and 5 of Article 96 of the Constitution."

Slavko Simic from the Serbian List had argued that the decision on the formation of the Kosovo Government was not in accordance with Article 96 of the Constitution, because the Minister of Local Government Administration was not elected after consulting the majority of MPs representing non-majority communities in the Assembly of Kosovo.

In Hungary, Speaker Konjufca criticises EU over visa liberalisation (media)

Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly Glauk Konjufca said in an address before Hungarian MPs that the failure of the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo, despite all criteria being met, sends a negative message of the way the process is managed. 

Konjufca said Kosovo is aware that the EU integration implies an internal democratic transformation. "We are therefore determined and very ready to continue faster-paced reforms and to deepen them. We have more work ahead. The Western Balkans can have a safe future only if you don't extinguish the hope that membership and enlargement depends fully from us and not from you."

Konjufca continued: "There was a time, 20 years ago, when the EU had a better understanding of the fundamental importance of the Western Balkans integration. Two decades on, we can regretfully conclude that for the first time in Europe's history, it is precisely the Western Balkans that has a better understanding than the EU of the enlargement necessity."

He also warned of the dangers if the region is left behind in European Union integration. "The space that would be created by other unfriendly projects would be fatal for the stability of this region which is already quite complicated."

KSF and Kosovo Police conclude joint exercise with KFOR (media)

On 23 September, KFOR in cooperation with the Kosovar security institutions – carried out the 2021 edition of its annual “Silver Sabre” exercise in the Gjakova air field training area and in the Ereniku factory.

The exercise featured a large-scale emergency response operation, where representatives of the Kosovo Police, Red Cross, Kosovo Security Forces, Emergency Management Agency and Gjakova/ Đakovica municipality have been tested - with support from KFOR personnel - in their efforts to save lives, alleviate the distress of the local population affected by the natural disaster, maintain security, preserve the running of essential services, and prepare for the restoration of the normal situation, KFOR said in a press statement. 

It added that the Silver Sabre exercises series have been taking place since 2012 and that their aim is to train the Kosovar Security Organizations and help them develop the capacity necessary to tackle natural emergencies.

Committee approves national programme for implementation of SAA (Kosovapress)

Kosovo Assembly's committee for European integration approved the national programme for implementation of the Stabilisation and Associations Agreement (SAA) covering a period of four years, from 2021 to 2025, and the action plan for implementation of the second phase of political priorities agreed between the European Union and Kosovo - the European Reform Agenda. 

Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi highlighted the importance of these two acts and the committee endorsed them with a majority of votes. 

COVID-19: Four deaths, 84 new cases (media)

Four deaths from COVID-19 and 84 new infections were recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours. 786 persons recovered from the virus during this time. 

There are 5,371 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Peaceful protest of Serbs in northern Kosovo continues (RTS, Kosovo-online)

People dissatisfied with Pristina’s decisions, relating to the vehicle license plates and deployment of Kosovo special police ROSU units, entered the fifth consecutive day of protest at Jarinje and Brnjak crossing points in northern Kosovo, RTS reports. Kosovo special police ROSU units are still deployed in the area.

RTS said the night at Jarinje went without incident, and more than 100 Serbs spent the night there in tents and convoys. Kosovo-online portal reported that the number of people spending the night at Brnjak was the highest since the protest started. Serbian List representatives visited the people yesterday, following the tensions in the area and urged them not to fall prey to provocations and remain peaceful. They also requested police not to provoke citizens and attack barehanded people who are peacefully protesting.   

Serbian List President Goran Rakic said yesterday the situation in northern Kosovo was more tense than during the previous days of protests. He called for the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, as this is a solution to the problems such as the one causing the protests. 

The traffic is still blocked, and it is possible to cross the points on foot only. Kosovo-online portal reported yesterday that Kosovo police special unit didn’t allow a local Serbian Orthodox Church priest who was going to a nearby village to serve a memorial service to cross Brnjak on foot. 

One of three Serbs beaten by police in wood close to Brnjak speaks about attack; police denies local media report (KoSSev, media)

Serb sources reported yesterday that three ethnic Serbs were beaten up by the Kosovo police at Brnjak crossing point, KoSSev portal reports. Meanwhile, Kosovo police, refuted a media report of the Kosovo-online portal that the incident took place at Brnjak.

In the meantime, Kossev recorded the testimony of Dragisa Vlaskovic from a hospital bed in North Mitrovica, who testified that he was a victim of psychological and physical violence by Kosovo police (KP). Vlaskovic and two other Serbs who were with him, were reportedly attacked by the KP in the woods near the village of Kopilovice located on a hill above the main road.

KP spokesman, Baki Kelani, could neither confirm nor deny this news for Kossev by the time it was published yesterday. Kelani, however, insisted that the police have yet to verify what happened in that area.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3i2egay Elek: Beaten Serbs spent difficult night at hospital (Tanjug, Kosovo-online)

Two Serbs who were beaten up near Brnjak and transferred to Mitrovica North hospital yesterday spent a difficult night in the hospital, Director of Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North, Zlatan Elek told Tanjug news agency.

"They spent the night under sedative therapy, analgesics and psychiatric supervision", Dr. Elek said.

Dragisa Vlaskovic and Zoran Tomovic were admitted to the hospital yesterday with severe contusion injuries to the head, chest and body as a result of hitting, trampling and kicking, and were hospitalized in the surgery department.

"They were beaten and after yesterday's hard day, they are in stable condition", Elek added.

Yesterday, members of ROSU beat up three Serbs, Dragisa Vlaskovic, Zoran Tomovic and Jovan Takov, near Brnjak, who went to cut the woods, the media recalled.

Serbian PM tells Belgian counterpart Pristina perpetrating violence (N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic voiced Belgrade's accusations against Pristina over the latest crisis in Kosovo during her meeting with her Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo, N1 reports.

“I especially drew attention to the violence being perpetrated by the provisional institutions in Pristina in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. I especially pointed out the continuous destructive behavior of Pristina which is persistently refusing to form the Community of Serb Municipalities as agreed under the Brussels Agreement”, Brnabic wrote on her Instagram profile.

According to the post, Brnabic informed De Croo of the progress Serbia made in the European integration process, especially in rule of law. Brnabic also asked for Belgium’s support for the opening of new clusters in Serbia’s pre-accession talks during Slovenia’s European Union Presidency.

Brnabic to address UN General Debate of world leaders today (B92)

Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic will address the UN General Debate of world leaders today in New York, within the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, B92 reports.

It is planned that Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic will deliver a speech at around 5.30 p.m. local time.

Prime Minister of Serbia and Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Selakovic, will previously meet with the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

Brnabic will hold other meetings with foreign officials. During the day, Minister Selaković will have meetings with the foreign ministers of eight countries. General Debate at the UN headquarters lasts until September 27th.

Washington more strongly involved with the EU in renewing the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and calming the crisis in Kosovo (NMagazin, Beta)

The US administration will be more strongly involved in the European Union's efforts to break the stalemate in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and calm the crisis in northern Kosovo as soon as possible, which threatens the stability of the region, reported portal NMagazin last night, citing Beta news agency.

These are the expectations that arise from the talks in New York between the EU High Representative Josep Borrell and the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, European diplomatic sources in Brussels told the Beta agency.

These sources unofficially mentioned that it remains to be seen how the Americans can contribute to the return of Pristina and Belgrade officials to the negotiating table with the mediation of the EU, as before, primarily it is being counted on Washington's influence on Pristina to not reject what has already been agreed in the Dialogue

The US administration and the EU are against unilateral moves that hamper dialogue and negotiations, and here, they say in Brussels, it must be clear to the authorities in Pristina that such steps lead to a reduction in support in the international community.

Both Europeans and Americans believe that "both sides", including Belgrade, should show readiness for a settlement, because that is the only way to overcome disputes.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, Borrell and Blinken, in addition to the crisis in US-EU relations, "discussed other issues of common concern, including Afghanistan and Iran, as well as the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (for Iran's nuclear capabilities) and Dialogue Belgrade-Pristina," announced the European External Action Service (EEAS).

More detailed information about the Borrell-Blinken talks is still expected in Brussels, but Washington's likely determination to help the EU more urgently in resolving the Kosovo crisis and resuming the Dialogue adds to the statement of the newly appointed US envoy to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar that ''America wants much faster integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union". 

Escobar also pointed out that the best way to build trust is to resolve the issue of missing persons, and pointed out that "1,600 people, mostly Kosovo Albanians, went missing in the 1998-1999 conflicts in Kosovo".

Kosovo police removed poster “Welcome to ZSO” in Strpce (Radio KIM)

Kosovo police, over the night, removed the poster with a message “Welcome to Community of Serb Municipalities” in Strpce, Radio KIM reports citing Kosovo-online.

Serbs started putting up posters and billboards with this message following Pristna’s decision to introduce reciprocity measures relating to vehicle licence plates and send special police ROSU units to northern Kosovo.

The posters and billboards were placed in Mitrovica North, Gracanica, Ranilug, Novo Brdo villages and Strpce.

Earlier this week police in Gracanica arrested three young Serbs who were putting up the billboard with the same message in the town. They were told it represents “a provocation”, and the three men were released after giving statements.

Meanwhile, the police removed posters in Ranilug and Novo Brdo villages. 

Jevtic: Strpce will be a part of ZSO

The vice president of the Serbian List, Dalibor Jevtic said, following the removal of the poster "Welcome to the Community of Serbian Municipalities", that this city will be part of the Community. 

Jeftic pointed out on Twitter that most of the Serbian people in Strpce unequivocally wanted that, and on the occasion of last night's action in which, according to information from the field, a Serb from the ranks of the KPS also participated, reported Kosovo Online..

"Unfortunately, there are also Serbs, by name and surname, who showed what they think about ZSO last night in Strpce. Fortunately, they do not have the support of the Serbian people for their policy, because, one is the words and the other their deeds," Jevtic said.

According to a statement from the Kosovo police, posters  "Welcome to the Community of Serbian Municipalities" were spotted on the Urosevac-Prizren road, which was reported to the prosecutor who initiated the procedure for the crime of "inciting discord and intolerance", Kosovo Online reported, citing Ekonomia online.

Vulin: ''We are not negotiating with a gun pointed at the forehead'' (NMagazin, Beta, N1, TV Pink)

Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said today that Pristina would have to withdraw its move with the plates "with which is destabilizing the region" if it wanted to negotiate, because "Serbia is not negotiating in front of a gun pointed at its forehead", reported NMagazin.

"If someone needs to play by force, we can show more force than (Albin) Kurti with that handful of bandits, but we won't because we are responsible and take care of every life. I don't want Kosovo to burn, but peace," Vulin told TV Pink.

He stated that the "Serbian gendarmerie will carry out every order of President Aleksandar Vucic, it is ready to do so and is highly motivated, it will defend its people wherever necessary" and assessed that "there will be no new pogrom against the Serbian people".

Stating that Pristina is not fulfilling its obligations from the Brussels agreement, he said that the European Union (EU) is "a lying organization whose word is worthless".

"Let (EU) tell us whether the Brussels agreement is valid, if it is not valid then it is not valid as a whole, then many things will change in Kosovo and Metohija. Many, we will see how the judiciary will function, let's see what will happen with the Kosovo police, with the electric power system," Vulin said.

He said that "the EU is worth as much as its signature (on the Brussels agreement). The next time someone asks me again why I am not for the EU, here just that - you are liars who do not respect its own signature," said Vulin.

Former Greek ambassador: "In the end, we will recognize the so-called Kosovo" (B92)

Former Greek ambassador Alexandros Mallias stated that ‘’Greece will eventually recognize the independence of the so-called Kosovo’’.

In the op-ed for the newspaper "Kathimerini", Mallias spoke about the relations between Greece, Albania and Kosovo, i.e. the policy pursued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias.

"High-level contacts with Kosovo have intensified. It has been more than 16 years (March 3, 2005) since then-Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis visited so-called Kosovo. It was the prime minister's first and unfortunately last visit to that independent state which Greece has not recognized and which is located two hours from the Evzoni border crossing", Mallias wrote.

Mallias, serving as Greek Ambassador to Washington D.C says that the agreement between Greece and the so-called Kosovo has improved the country's position, which could "embrace" Pristina and suppress Turkey's influence in the Balkans.

"Minister Dendias has initiated a high-level dialogue between Greece and the Republic of Kosovo. At the end of the road, recognition is likely to come. This development, which would bring Greece closer to the Albanian factor, would disrupt Turkey's dominance," he said.

Such a document, which Mallias calls a "pact", would have to include provisions that would prohibit any association of ‘’the so-called Kosovo with another country or territory’’.

"Recognition is therefore combined with the basic condition for the wider region regarding the exclusion of border changes, divisions and exchanges of territories (with Serbia) and a possible future union (with Albania)," he said. Speaking about how such a decision by Athens will affect Serbia, Mallias writes that Greek-Albanian relations should not affect Serbia.

"It will be done despite warnings from Serbian officials who have obviously forgotten that Greece has spent large amounts of diplomatic capital in the past to support Yugoslav and Serbian policies," he concluded.

See at: https://bit.ly/3CCKzV8 Brnabic: We have much to lose if we fall for Pristina’s provocations (Tanjug)

Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said late on Thursday Serbia had achieved much in the past period and that it must not fall for Pristina’s provocations, but that it also must call on all partners to react to ensure peace was maintained.

“We have so much to lose and that is why we must not fall for provocations, but we must send a clear message to all our partners, however much we may disagree on the Kosovo-Metohija issue, that peace and stability are important and that they must react in a timely manner so that peace and stability, and all that we have been building so far, are no longer threatened,” Brnabic said in a statement to Serbian media in New York, where she is representing Serbia at a UN General Assembly session.

Brnabic said she had had a cordial and sincere meeting with Belgian PM Alexander De Croo about Serbia’s EU integration and achievements in rule of law.

She also said she had tried to present to De Croo what Serbia had done to get Belgium’s approval for opening two clusters in its EU accession talks in December after it was denied at a June intergovernmental conference in Brussels.

She also said that, since Belgium had been one of the first countries to recognise Kosovo, a large part of the meeting had been devoted to ongoing tensions and problems in Kosovo.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/2ZsYEX3 Ursula von der Leyen to visit Belgrade on September 29 (Tanjug)

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit Belgrade on September 29, Brussels announced, Tanjug news agency reports.

The EU Commission said Ursula von der Leyen will start “her program in Western Balkans” on September 28 by visiting Tirana and Skopje. The day after she will go to Pristina, Podgorica and in the afternoon hours arrive in Belgrade.

She will conclude her visit to the region by visiting Sarajevo on Thursday, September 30.

Brussels said the exact agenda and schedule of the meetings with officials in Belgrade and the region would be announced beginning of the next week. 

Commission for Missing Persons: Mortal remains of three Serbs taken over at the Merdare crossing (FoNet, Danas)

At the administrative crossing Merdare, the identified remains of three persons of Serbian nationality, who died during the conflict in Kosovo, were taken over today, the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of Serbia announced, reported Danas daily.

Representatives of the Belgrade delegation of the Working Group for Missing Persons took over the remains of the victims from the Pristina delegation.

The funeral will be performed in accordance with the expressed wish of the family.

"This continues the process of identifying and resolving the fate of victims and missing persons of Serbian nationality in Kosovo and Metohija, which is especially important for members of their families," the Commission said in a statement, daily Danas cited.

Kosovo Constitutional Court issues Decision on non-execution of its verdict which confirmed ownership of Visoki Decani Monastery (Danas, KoSSev)

This week, the Kosovo Constitutional Court passed a decision on non-execution of its verdict from 2016, which confirms the ownership of the monastery Visoki Decani over 24 hectares of land that this monastery uses, reported Danas, citing portal KoSSev. 

The Kosovo Constitutional Court announced today that its decisions are binding for the judiciary and all persons and institutions of Kosovo; as well as that through its mechanisms, it periodically evaluates the execution of its judgments.

In case of non-execution of the decision, this court can make a decision on non-execution, which is published in the Official Gazette and the state prosecutor is informed about it, KoSSev writes.

More than five years after the verdict was pronounced, the Constitutional Court once again specified that their decision was not executed, because the responsible bodies did not take the necessary measures for their full execution.

"Implementation of final decisions is a fundamental principle of the rule of law, as a basic value of the constitutional order of Kosovo," stated from this court, as reported by KoSSev.

The portal recalled that, after 16 years of dispute over the ownership of the monastery land in the municipality of Decani, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo issued a decision in May 2016 confirming the previous decision of the Supreme Court from 2012 on confirming the ownership of the monastery Visoki Decani over 24 hectares of land.

   

Opinion

  The Potemkin facade of Vucic's rule (Kosovo 2.0) By Dario Hajric

For the first time ever, the Serbian school year started this September with the mandatory playing of the national anthem. The night before school started in Novi Sad, numerous building facades and public institutions were painted with the colors of the national flag. The paint job, covering dozens of meters of facade, is legally speaking a form of vandalism, but despite the many instances of such acts, the police have mysteriously failed to identify the perpetrators.

At the same time, Belgrade is working to catch up with Skopje in terms of the aesthetics of its monuments devoted to medieval rulers and other historical figures. The Serbian National Assembly has also adopted, in an accelerated process, a Law on the Protection of the Serbian Language and Cyrillic Script, which has significantly broadened the circle of institutions obligated to use Cyrillic. Now, alongside state institutions, this rule applies to economic entities with majority public funding, and the logos of cultural events with public funding must also be in Cyrillic, despite the Serbian language functioning perfectly well in both Latin and Cyrillic.

The day of the breakthrough on the Salonica Front in World War One, September 15, was recently declared a new state holiday, the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and the National Flag. Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selaković has invited Serbs to display Serbian flags “wherever they live.”

Are we witnessing a new great national “awakening” of Serbia?

“The Serbian world”

The question makes sense: in the part of Europe with a chronic surplus of history and a deficit of geography, “national awakenings” often have the inconvenient trait of negatively affecting the lives and property of those who don’t fit into those identities. That is why Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandar Vulin created many worried and angry reactions throughout the region when he started promoting the newly coined idea of the “Serbian world,” which he sees as a united “political and state area.”

Reactions from throughout the region have identified in this idea the repurposing of notions of “Greater Serbia,” seeing “a euphemism for the old ethnic-ideological-conquest policy.” Public figures in Serbia who interpreted the term favorably have, unlike Vulin, mostly stuck to the framework of culture, religion, language and identity but others are inclined to label criticism of the term as chauvinistic or domestic treason.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3zCWOiJ