Serbia’s claims over Kosovo continue to feature in the country’s political discourse, despite changes in political figures and efforts by some groups to present themselves as new forces. This was also evident during a visit to Kosovo by representatives of Serbia’s Student List, who repeated the traditional position that Kosovo is part of Serbia.
Fegja Dimoviq, a candidate on the list, said Kosovo holds an important place in their political program, describing it as an “integral part of Serbia” and a “pillar of our spiritual and cultural identity.”
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After the visit, Dimoviq wrote on Facebook that the group had returned determined to fight organized crime in Serbia. He also sent a message of solidarity to Serbs in Kosovo: “We send our compatriots in Kosovo a message of love and solidarity, with a clear promise that we will never forget them.”
His words revived the debate over whether new generations and political groups in Serbia can bring a different approach to Kosovo, or whether only the representatives change while the policy remains the same.
Security experts Fidair Berisha and Bedri Elezi say a change in government or politicians does not automatically mean Serbia will change its stance on Kosovo. In their view, a group claiming to be a new alternative must demonstrate through concrete actions and positions that it is willing to recognize Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state.
Berisha: The first visit after an election victory in Serbia carries particular weight
Fidair Berisha described the Student List representatives’ visit as an act carrying a political message. Speaking to “Bota sot,” he said the visit reflected continuity in Serbia’s position on Kosovo’s statehood.
According to Berisha, political legitimacy is earned not through statements and visits alone, but through concrete positions and steps.
“Above all, I see the visit by Student List representatives to Kosovo as a political message. The fact that this is their first visit after their election victory in Serbia makes it even more significant. Through it, they want to show that Kosovo remains part of their political agenda and that, despite the change in political actors in Serbia, there is no visible change in their approach to Kosovo’s statehood.
“The way this visit was organized reinforces that assessment. Meetings with institutions of the Serbian Orthodox Church, without meetings with political representatives of Kosovo Serbs, show that the focus was more on identity symbolism and a political message than on concrete engagement with issues that directly affect this community.
“I believe the political class in Serbia, including the Student List, must understand that Kosovo is an independent state, declared on February 17, 2008. This is the political reality on which relations between the two countries must be built. Changing the names and political groups in Serbia does not necessarily amount to political change if the same position of denying Kosovo’s independence continues.
“In this sense, I also see the visit as an attempt by the Student List to gain political ground and legitimacy within the Serb community in Kosovo, and to position itself as an alternative to the existing Serbian political structures. However, legitimacy is not earned through visits and statements alone, but through concrete positions and actions,” he said.
Berisha added that the Student List would be tested by its ability to defend the interests of Serbs in Kosovo while respecting the country’s sovereignty and institutions, and distancing itself from previous approaches in Serbian politics.
“For me, the real test of this list will be whether it can help protect the interests of Kosovo’s Serb citizens while respecting the institutions, sovereignty and constitutional order of the country in which they live.
“Kosovo does not need new statements of territorial claims, but good-neighborly relations, mutual respect and cooperation. If the Student List aims to represent a change in Serbian politics, it must demonstrate this by breaking with old approaches and accepting that future relations between Kosovo and Serbia can be built only on recognition of political realities, respect for sovereignty and dialogue,” he told “Bota sot.”
Elezi: Kosovo cannot be treated as an internal issue or a tool for electoral mobilization in Serbia
Bedri Elezi said the Student List’s statements show that a change in government in Serbia does not necessarily bring a change in policy toward Kosovo. He stressed that Serbia must recognize Kosovo’s independence and sovereignty.
“The Student List’s statements about Kosovo show that a change in government in Serbia does not necessarily mean a change in policy toward Kosovo.
“The visit by Student List representatives to Kosovo and the statements by Fegja Dimoviq, who describes Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia and a pillar of Serbian spiritual and cultural identity, indicate that the Kosovo issue remains central to political discourse in Serbia.
“The message conveyed by this visit cannot be regarded simply as a cultural activity or an expression of solidarity with the Serb community. When a political movement that aims to take on responsibility for governing comes to Kosovo and repeats Serbia’s territorial claims, that is a clear political position that must be analyzed seriously.
“It is unacceptable for Serbia to seek to build a new political future while continuing to make the same claims over an independent and sovereign state. Kosovo is not an internal Serbian issue, nor is it a tool for politically mobilizing the Serbian electorate. Kosovo’s independence is a political and legal reality that Serbia must accept and treat as the basis for building good-neighborly relations,” he said.
Elezi called on Serbia to show through concrete steps that it is changing its policy toward Kosovo, recognize its independence and ensure equal rights for Albanians in Serbia, in line with European standards on democracy and human rights.
“In this context, if the Student List aims to represent a new political generation and open a new chapter in Serbia, it must demonstrate this through a concrete change in policy toward Kosovo, not by repeating old nationalist narratives. One cannot speak of democracy, reform and the fight against organized crime while simultaneously denying a people’s right to decide its own future.
“Serbia needs a genuine political and strategic transformation. If the new government takes responsibility for leading the country, it must develop an entirely new approach to Kosovo. That change must begin with recognition of Kosovo’s independence, respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a commitment to a comprehensive, legally binding agreement.
“But Serbia must also demonstrate that its change is democratic within its own borders. Albanians living in the Preševo Valley and other parts of Serbia must enjoy equal rights, institutional representation, education in their mother tongue, use of the Albanian language, economic development and equal treatment by state institutions. Standards cannot be demanded for the Serb community in Kosovo while those same standards are not applied to Albanians in Serbia.
“A state seeking European integration must apply human and minority rights standards without discrimination or double standards.
“Serbia must also reconsider its strategic orientation and build stable relations with the European Union and NATO, placing regional cooperation, collective security and democracy above confrontation and destabilizing influences,” he told “Bota sot.”
In closing, Elezi said Serbia’s European future is linked to recognizing Kosovo, guaranteeing the rights of Albanians and building relations based on equality between the two countries.
“Ultimately, Serbia must choose between the politics of the past and a European future. A democratic Serbia cannot be built by denying Kosovo, discriminating against Albanians and holding the region’s stability hostage.
“Kosovo does not need new symbolic statements from Serbian politicians. It needs recognition, respect and relations between states based on equality.
“Real change in Serbia will be measured not by who replaces the previous government, but by whether the new political leadership is ready to accept reality, respect the rights of Albanians and contribute to a Balkans integrated into the European Union and NATO,” he concluded in his remarks to “Bota sot.”
