Resignation of the Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj would have major consequences on Serbia as it would postpone continuation of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue for at least 90 days, or perhaps even longer given that extraordinary parliamentary elections might take place in Kosovo, Belgrade-based daily Danas writes today. The daily added regular elections are to take place in Serbia at the beginning of next year.

It continued the tariffs on Serbian goods would not be revoked, as the technical Kosovo government has no authority to do so, and it is highly unlikely somebody would resort to such a step and risk a drastic decline in the rating on the eve of possible elections.

President of the Serb European Movement from Kosovo Rada Trajkovic said Haradinaj’s resignation postponed pressure that Kosovo institutions were exposed to regarding the tariffs, respectively he made the tariffs last longer.

“This is his last and the strongest blow in rejection to revoke the tariffs, and I see no one who could at this moment decide to suspend them, without risking a decline in the popularity. By his strategy against the tariffs’ revocation Haradinaj at the moment has raised the expectations of the constituency and his own popularity,” Trajkovic opined, adding extraordinary elections are more likely to follow rather than the reconstruction of the Kosovo government.

Asked if Haradinaj’s resignation would affect the position of Serbs in Kosovo, Trajkovic responded there are information that Albanians would work to establish a wider coalition in order to push out the Serbian List. However, she is doubtful such wider collation would be possible given antagonisms among the Albanian politicians.

Marko Jaksic, former Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) official told Danas all cards are open following the resignation of Ramush Haradinaj, however, no one knows who plays with what card and what the combination is. He is also convinced negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina would be prolonged, not because the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would remain consistent and not negotiate before the tariffs are revoked, but because a political crisis would evolve in Kosovo, resulting in the elections.

“It seems to me, our president (Vucic) is in a hurry, and it seems that he is in a crisis now because of what he has promised to the foreigners and cannot deliver. I would not be surprised if he accepts to continue the dialogue, even without revoked tariffs (…),” Jaksic said.

Commenting on the position of Serbs in Kosovo, Jaksic noted it is better for us if negotiations do not continue, because everything that was done over the last seven years was done to the detriment of the Serbs living here.

Tatjana Lazarevic, KoSSev portal editor recalled that the dialogue was in the ‘blind alley’ already, however unpopularity of the decision to impose the tariffs was the ground on which Haradinaj has built upon and strengthened his political position. She added, it would be fair to note he was seen as a main obstacle for what Belgrade has proposed – delineation respectively ethnic division of Kosovo, Danas daily concluded.