Vucic: Election Debacle of Kurti, Quint as Serbs Show Unity

Aleksandar Vucic, Belgrade, March 19 2023 (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on April 24 that the April 23 vote in northern Kosovo was an "election debacle" for Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti and the Quint countries, and showed a degree of discipline and responsibility of the part of Serbs that has not been seen in recent history.

In an address to citizens about the local elections in four northern Kosovo municipalities, Vucic said Serbs had shown enormous unity and that of the 43,000 plus Serbs on the voting rolls, only 13 voted, which according to him constitutes 0.029 percent.

"This is an election debacle for Kurti and the Quint, for all who encouraged him and lied to themselves that the problem was Belgrade and some supposed criminal Serb structures in northern Kosovo and Metohija. There have been tectonic changes. Serbs have shown that they want a different approach from the international community -- and by that I mean the Western powers, that they want actual dialogue, not imposed solutions," the president said.

Vucic said a "peaceful political uprising" by Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija happened on April 23, adding that they had shown in a "referendum" what country they lived in and whom they do not want in northern Kosovo.

He said that after the April 23 election in northern Kosovo things would become "complicated further" and that he feared that this was an prelude "to a much deeper crisis in the months and years to come."

According to him, if there is one advantage in the current circumstances, it's that Serbia "can pick the time when the occupation will end" and "they don't decide that any more."