People in northern Kosovo are terrified and uncertain about what to expect as events unfold rapidly, says journalist Jelena Petkovic. Law professor Miodrag Jovanovic highlighted that Serbs in Kosovo are left to fend for themselves amidst a silent exodus happening without media coverage.

Jovanovic pointed out that the events in the north are too synchronized to be considered coincidental. He noted, „When Vucic pulls his supporters for a pointless rally, Kosovo authorities easily take over buildings.“ He added that when French President Emmanuel Macron left Serbia, Kosovo police entered Serbian institutions, sending a clear message to the people there.

Kosovo has often been a test case for processes that later occur in the rest of Serbia, Jovanovic added. He referred to the monopolization of political life, the reduction of national issues to party interests, and the suppression of dissent, leading the community toward certain disappearance and exodus.

The law professor believes that changing the current regime is essential to reversing these trends. He also stresses the need for the authentic voices of those living in Kosovo to be heard.

Petkovic asked why the Kosovo police’s incursion into Serbian-run institutions went without a response from top officials. Despite claims that Kosovo is integral to the Constitution and a key political issue, the feared actions are now taking place on the ground.

She argued that these events align with the ultimate political goals of the Ohrid Agreement noting that the document doesn’t address such brutal actions. Petkovic also warned that this violates Kosovo’s Stabilization and Association Agreement, which underscores the importance of relations with Serbian and other minority communities.

People on the streets see long rifles, black-clad agents, and provocations. Additionally, the privatization agency has sold shops and apartments that people had bought, after years of silence, only for them to find out they no longer own them, Petkovic explained.

This creates an atmosphere of fear and hopelessness, leaving people unable to believe that all this is happening in front of the international community without anyone saying, „Enough.“

Petkovic understands the desire of many to leave Kosovo, asking who would want to live in such tension. „People born in 1999, now with children, simply don’t want their kids to grow up in constant stress and uncertainty about the future,“ she concluded.