In the Serbian language media outlet "Politika" it was published an article on Tuesday (May 5) titled “Kurti Srbe provocira džamijom za početak kampanje” (“Kurti provokes Serbs with the mosque to start the campaign”). The text constructs a political narrative where the actions of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, are interpreted as directly related to the election campaign and interethnic tensions in northern Kosovo, especially in North Mitrovica.
Main narrative of the article
The article focuses on the issue of the reconstruction of a mosque near the Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica. This project is presented not as an infrastructural or cultural intervention, but as a political action with an impact on the Serb community. The Mayor of the Municipality of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojević, is quoted as saying: “The issue of the reconstruction of the mosque near the Main Bridge over the Ibar is particularly sensitive for the citizens of North Mitrovica, especially for the Serb community, so the attitude towards other projects in the city is being questioned.”
Radojevic also describes this decision as "a campaign based on the destruction and expulsion of Serbs."
The article also builds a narrative of institutional discrimination against Serb representatives, referring to the statements of the Serbian List on limiting their participation in electoral and institutional processes. In this context, it is alleged that their role in electoral commissions and election monitoring has been limited, which is presented as a “continuous practice of denial of rights.”
Finally, the text reinforces the narrative of the conflict through examples of interventions in property and public spaces in northern Kosovo, such as the demolition of buildings (garages) or decisions to use spaces previously used by the Serbian community. These actions are interpreted as part of a broader policy against the Serbian presence in that area.
The context of the mosque and other events
The decision to rebuild the mosque was made public by acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti through a Facebook post on May 2, where he announced that the Ibar Mosque, built in 1777 and burned down on May 2, 1999, will be rebuilt. According to him, the Government of Kosovo supports “the reconstruction of this monument of historical and cultural importance.”
In this way, a decision by the Government of Kosovo to reconstruct a historical and religious object is transformed in the article's discourse into a political and ethnic issue. While Kurti's official statement places the project within the framework of cultural heritage and institutional cooperation, the article Politics-that reinterprets it through narratives of conflict, provocation, and political campaigning.
In the context of the recent elections and allegations of irregularities In the wake of major irregularities in the counting process, the new changes by the Central Election Commission (CEC) aim to address the loopholes that have enabled previous manipulations. In this context, the Serbian List issue and its participation in the process is not related to political exclusion, but to the application of the same legal standards to all political entities, aiming to ensure that the monitoring and counting of votes does not repeat the practices of manipulation evidenced in past elections.
In the broader context of narratives about institutional control, ownership and security in northern Kosovo, demolition of over 20 garages and facilities on the property of the public enterprise “Trepça” has become a case that illustrates the clash between local and central institutions, as well as different legal and political interpretations. On the one hand, “Trepça” justifies the action as a due legal process for the release of the usurped property and the restoration of institutional management, emphasizing that the parties were given the opportunity for a contractual solution, but there was no concrete interest. On the other hand, the Municipality of North Mitrovica strongly opposes this action, framing it as an illegal interference in local competencies and a lack of institutional consultation, also raising the question of the role of the Kosovo Police in supporting the action. This narrative clash between “law enforcement and property restitution” on the one hand and “violation of municipal competencies and unilateral action” on the other hand, reflects the ongoing tension in the public discourse on northern Kosovo, where every administrative action is often interpreted in a political and ethnic dimension.