The statement by Serbian Minister for Public Administration Snezana Paunovic that, had she been in Slobodan Milosevic’s place, she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo of Albanians, is even more serious than the policies of the former Serbian leader.
This was said by Dusan Janjic, founder and executive director of the Forum for Ethnic Relations, who has been one of the most prominent experts on policies and developments in the Balkans for several decades.
According to him, Paunovic is not alone in holding this position, but is an instrument of a broader campaign involving President Aleksandar Vucic and Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, both experienced politicians from the 1990s.
“In the end, I can say that this statement is even more drastic than Milosevic’s policies. It implies that Milosevic did not finish what he had started and calls for it to be completed. Paunovic is not alone in thinking this way. Many people think the same, especially those Serbs from Kosovo who came to Serbia immediately after the withdrawal, took up positions and are now part of a broader campaign led by Aleksandar Vucic. As for Paunovic, I believe she personally thinks this way and should bear personal responsibility for her statements, because she must be held accountable for them. At the very least, she cannot and should not hold public office. However, in this case, she is merely an instrument of a broader campaign involving Dacic, Vucic and others.”
Janjic says that political thinking in Belgrade regarding Kosovo has not changed much since the time of Milosevic.
The historian and expert on Balkan politics says that the European Commission is also partly responsible for the current situation, as it failed to properly manage the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.
Janjic says that, in fact, there are currently no moderate politicians on the Serbian political scene, adding that it would nevertheless be untrue to say that the majority of citizens in Serbia, particularly those who are dissatisfied, including the student movement and protesters, do not think differently.
