Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
During a session of the Serbian parliament on Tuesday, March 4, opposition MPs caused an incident by throwing smoke bombs into the plenary hall and unfurling anti-government banners. The action came in response to the agenda, which the opposition strongly opposed, accusing the government of a lack of transparency and an attempt to suppress critical voices.
Following this incident, the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabić, as well as representatives of the Serbian List and the director of the so-called Office for Kosovo, Petar Petković, linked the Serbian opposition's actions to Kosovo's Prime Minister, Albin Kurti. They described the opposition MPs as his collaborators, implying that the protests and their destabilizing acts were inspired or supported by Pristina. (here)
Two Serbian tabloids, News and Inform, gave a special approach to reporting on the incident in the Serbian Parliament, linking it with the media in Kosovo and with Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
Gazeta News published an article with title "KURTI IS SATISFIED! In the Albanian media, the main news is the violence of the Serbian opposition", illustrating it with a photo of the report from the information portal Koha.net in Kosovo. The article suggests that the events in Belgrade were welcomed by Kurti and that the Kosovar media gave them great attention.
Along the same lines, the tabloid Inform published an article with the claim "Kurti is pleased! Opposition violence in the Serbian Parliament is the main news in the Pristina media!"The article was accompanied by an illustration from the Kosovar online newspaper's reporting. Express newspaper, reinforcing the narrative that the unrest in the Serbian parliament has been widely reflected in Kosovo's media and that Kurti has welcomed this situation.
These reports aim to create a connection between the Serbian opposition, the Kosovar media, and the Kosovo government, placing Tuesday's incident in a broader political and regional context.
In addition to reports linking the incident in the Serbian Parliament to the media in Kosovo and Prime Minister Kurti, other claims were promoted in some Serbian media outlets that aim to create a narrative about a direct connection between the Serbian opposition and the Kosovo government.
Tabloids Inform published an article with a pretended title: "Đilas (Gjilasi) ordered: Activate Kurti's script! Opposition extremists destroy!"In its content, Inform claims that Dragan Đilas (Gjilas), leader of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), has instructed the parliamentary opposition to implement a scenario inspired by Kurti, whom the tabloid calls an “Albanian criminal.” The article describes the opposition’s protest in parliament as a deliberate move to destabilize the situation in Serbia.
Along the same lines, the daily News published an article with the same claim and title. To support this narrative, News referred to a post from the account on the “X” platform named IllyrianSage, using it as a source to reinforce accusations against the Serbian opposition. Referring to this post, this article claims that “Albanian extremists who praise the so-called KLA celebrate the chaos that, according to Albin Kurti’s script, is being implemented by opposition deputies in the Serbian Parliament, led by Dragan Đilas (Gjilas).”
These reports in the Serbian media aim not only to discredit the opposition, but also to present it as a factor acting in the interests of the Kosovo government. Through a direct connection to Kurti, they create a narrative according to which the riots in the parliament are not just an act of protest against the Vučić government, but a scenario orchestrated with support from Pristina.