Serbia’s government official for Kosovo, Petar Petković, accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti of systematically intimidating and pressuring Serbs in Kosovo, escalating rhetoric ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.
Petković, who heads the Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo, called on Kosovo Serbs to support the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party in the upcoming vote and dismissed criticism from political opponents and media outlets aligned with Kosovo authorities.
“Kurti has for years harassed, arrested, beaten and blackmailed Serbs,” Petković wrote on social media, responding to accusations from Kosovo Serb politician Nenad Rašić.
Rašić earlier accused Srpska Lista and political structures linked to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić of exerting systematic pressure on Kosovo Serbs ahead of the election.
Petković rejected the accusations and accused Rašić of supporting policies harmful to Serbs in Kosovo.
“Rašić voted for Serbian land to be confiscated and for Serbs to be declared a genocidal people,” Petković said. “That is why no honorable Serb wants to vote for him and why they trust Vučić and Srpska Lista.”
The exchange reflects deepening tensions within Kosovo’s Serb political scene as campaigning intensifies before the snap elections scheduled for June 7.
Srpska Lista, which has the backing of Belgrade, remains the dominant political force among Kosovo Serbs, while Kurti’s government has repeatedly accused the party of acting as an extension of Serbian state interests in Kosovo.
Relations between Belgrade and Pristina remain strained following a series of crises in northern Kosovo, including violent clashes, arrests and disputes over local institutions.
Kurti has taken a hard line toward Serbian parallel structures in Kosovo, moves welcomed by parts of the Albanian majority but criticized by Belgrade and many Kosovo Serbs as discriminatory and destabilizing.
The June elections are being closely watched by the European Union and the United States amid concerns over political polarization and security in the region.