Who prevents Serbs in Kosovo from applying for government assistance?

So says the head of this ministry, Nenad Rassic, with the conviction that local politicians in Kosovo's inhabited Serb environments are making efforts to prevent their fellow citizens from taking advantage of the assistance the Kosovo government offers them.

In the Serb-run majority-run environments in Kosovo, power is held by the Serbian List, the largest party of Kosovo Serbs, and the only one enjoying official Belgrade's support for its activity.

By early November 2022, the Serbian List was headed by the Ministry for Communities and Kthim. But, after Goran Rakiq (head of the Serbian List) resigned, as part of the collective abandonment of Kosovo institutions in the country's north by Serbs, Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave that position to Nenad Rashi from the opposition Democratic Party of Progress.

At the time, the Serbian List reacted sharply with claims that such a decision was “illegal”, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq called Nenad Rashiqi “the worst Serbian scum”.

Fear of the Consequences of Freedom of Speech

Radio Free Europe (REL) contacted some people who submitted their requests for help and then withdrew them, but refused to speak publicly on this subject.

Likewise, some members of the Serb community from several different municipalities stated that they have neither dared to apply for help for fear they will suffer the consequences, whether they will, realise the employment they expect or that one of the family members will lose their jobs. Again, they do not want to express their fear publicly.

A large number of Serbs in Kosovo work in educational institutions, health and other institutions operating within the Serbian system, at the top of which are mostly people of the Serbian List, close to Aleksandar Vuciqi's ruling Serbian Progressive Party.

In early February, the Ministry of Communities and Kthim announced a competition for assistance in several categories of construction or home renovation, division of construction materials, furniture, white technique, food and sanitation. The total value of this assistance is twom euros.

According to Minister Rassic, 3,400 applications have so far been accepted, and the competition is open until 24 February.

Are municipalities sabotaging their citizens?

Those who took no note of the possible consequences and decided to apply for assistance from the Ministry of Communities and Kthim had to first obtain documents from their own municipality, such as the certificates of ownership or statements for joint households.

Locals have found it difficult to access these documents, meanwhile, Radio Free Europe (REL) has identified such cases in the municipality of Shrpca.

However, they have not wanted their names to be mentioned publicly, but their allegations of irregularities in producing documents have been denounced to the police. This is confirmed by Kosovo Police for REL.

“We, in consultation with the Prosecutor, have initiated the official document”, said Dragan Stevanovic, commander of the police station in Shtrpce, clarifying that the case is in the phase of investigations and that he cannot provide further details.

Danijel Vasilevich, adviser to Minister for Communities and Kthim, says residents of Shtrpce have turned to him for help and are afraid.

We are certain that the mayor of the municipality, through his people, directly affects some municipal officials to make the application difficult for citizens”, says Vasilevic, who is from Shrpca.

The REL has sent questions to the Shrpca municipality to get a response on Vasilevich's charges, but until the text release, there is no answer.

The chairman of the Shrpca municipality is Dalibor Yevtic from the Serbian List, who has previously served as Minister for Communities and Kthim for several mandates.

On 21 February, Minister for Communities and Kthim, Nenad Rassic, called on local authorities not to lock down and stop fellow citizens from applying for help”.

This is certainly a psychological, moral and sociologist precedent I've seen in my life. You, in fact, stop your fellow citizens, your relatives, your neighbors, your friends, from being winners of the means given to them”, Rassic told reporters after visiting a endangered social family on the territory of the Gracanica municipality.

Serbian <x0)

This is not the first time Serbs in Kosovo fear or become blackmailed, in various situations.

For example, some workers in the judiciary or local administration have earlier confirmed about The REL has been forced to resign, as on November 5th of last year it was decided that representatives of the Serb community would collectively abandon Kosovo institutions.

The workers of the Foundation Court in North Mitrovica after resigning on 7 November.

Also, there have been cases when employees of Serbian institutions in northern Kosovo are barred from taking advantage of annual holidays because of the political situation.

They were threatened with dismissal if they disobeyed the orders of their directors.

Serbian authorities forbid holidays in northern Kosovo, due to “political situation”

Workers in Serbian institutions often had a job duty to come up with protests because of the political situation or barricades, even in the Kosovo elections, in which they had to largely support the Serbian List, the main Serbian political party in Kosovo.

International and local organisations have for years noted that Serbs in Kosovo are threatening, and that is why most are afraid to speak publicly about their political views.

Research “Analysis of trends” of the nongovernmental organisation active by North Mitrovica for 2021 has shown that 70 percent of respondents in majority Serb municipalities in Kosovo “do not feel free to publicly express political views”.