The ‘Narodna Pravda (People’s Justice)’ party, which hopes to represent Kosovo Serbs in parliament after the February 9 elections, blamed Serbia’s President Alexandar Vucic for ongoing challenges faced by ethnic Serbs in Kosovo and pledged to integrate the Serbian community into Kosovo’s institutions and improve inter-ethnic relations.
The Narodna Pravda (People’s Justice) party, a party running in the February 9 elections that hopes to represent ethnic Serbs in Kosovo’s parliament, promised the reintegration of Serbs into Kosovo’s institutions and the improvement of relations between ethnic communities. Narodna Prava highlighted its platform during its participation in BIRN and Internews Kosova electoral debates, Debat Përnime.
Other parties representing Kosovo Serbs did not agree to participate in Debat Përnime.
Radojica Radomirovic, a Narodna Prava MP candidate, emphasised his party’s commitment to fostering better relations with all communities, particularly ethnic Albanians and Bosniaks, while criticizing politicians for fostering nationalism.“These relationships have been neglected,” he said, referring to interethnic relations.
Radojica Radomirovic, ‘Narodna Prava’ MP candidate at ‘Debat Pernime’ on Feb. 7, 2025. Photo: BIRN
According to Radomirovic, the goal is to integrate Serbs into Kosovo’s institutions and the Euro-Atlantic path.
“Our common goal should be Euro-Atlantic integration, so that our society, Serbs, can integrate into institutions, and not be manipulated with a phone call, pressured to leave those institutions,” he said.
Inclusion is the main aim of the Narodna Prava party, according to its candidates. Danijela Vucinic, also an MP candidate from this party, said she will work to increase the involvement of women in politics.
“I think this is really necessary and that we should be somewhat equal,” she claimed.
Radomirovic, who was once Deputy Minister of the Ministry for Returns and Communities, said that the Serbian community has been “under pressure from criminal gangs to leave their positions.”
“We believe that only by entering the institutions of Kosovo can we realise our rights, which are rightfully ours. Regarding the situation we Serbs are in today, our community cannot and will not blame Albanians, but I blame the Serbian community, which has been irresponsible,” he explained.
“Our first goal will be, by entering the parliament, that police officers, judges, and prosecutors, anyone who wishes to return, should come back so that the judicial system can function in northern Kosovo,” he added.
MP candidate Radomirovic also pointed out that the Serbian government has been uncooperative with banking services in Kosovo regarding a February 2023 Kosovo Central Bank regulation that enforced a euro-only policy. While this was happening, Kosovo Serbs primarily used the Serbian dinar as currency.
According to Radomirovic, Kosovo banks, including the Kosovo branch of the Nova Ljubljanska Banka, NLB, are willing to collaborate with banks in Serbia to allow pension payments to be processed smoothly. The Serbian government, however, has not facilitated this.
Danijela Vucinic, ‘Narodna Prava’ MP candidate, at ‘Debat Pernime’ on Feb. 7, 2025. Photo: BIRN
“For our citizens, it is a big problem that someone comes from Shtërpca/Sterpce and takes the pension, which may be in euros, 100-120 euros. However, I think, above all, this is an irresponsibility, mostly from the government of Serbia. There are banks in Kosovo that I am completely sure can and want to cooperate with the bank in Serbia for the money to be transferred. But citizens need to accept the fact that they will exclusively receive that money in euros,” he elaborated.
Regarding the formation of the Serb Majority Municipalities Association, he stated that it will not bring anything significant to the Serbian community, expressing fear that it will adopt a mentality similar to the Belgrade-backed party representing Kosovo Serbs, Srpska Lista.
“I fear that those who will lead that association may create a mentality similar to what we had with the Srpska Lista, where those who will be in that association and will have responsibilities there will put pressure on our citizens,” Radomirovic warned.
According to him, the majority of the Serbian population does not know anything about what the Association entails.
“What interests our citizens is how education and health will be integrated and in what way.”
Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities in 2013 and later in 2015 on the principles for its establishment. However, in 2015, the Kosovo Constitutional Court ruled that the agreement was not fully in line with the Constitution.