Kosovo part of nationalist rhetoric ahead of elections in Serbia

On the eve of the parliamentary elections in Serbia, Kosovo is being mentioned in the campaign, but mainly for political accusations and nationalist messages.

The government and its opponents repeat policies, without offering concrete solutions for continuing the dialogue with Pristina and implementing the Brussels and Ohrid agreements.

According to analysts, the government is using the Kosovo issue to weaken support for the Student List, the main rival in these elections.

"What we have noticed while following the campaign is that Kosovo is most often used by the government in a negative campaign against students, claiming that they will recognize Kosovo's independence. In this way, it is trying to remove a part of the voters with a more national orientation from the Student List," said Sofija Popovbić from European Western Balkans.

The positions remain familiar. The Government and the Student List refer to the Constitution of Serbia. Some nationalist parties demand withdrawal from the Brussels agreements. Another approach is presented by the opposition coalition "European Serbia", which calls for Serbia's membership in the European Union and the normalization of relations with Kosovo.

"We have documents approved in the Assembly and we must act in accordance with them. We must liberalize trade, travel, education, sports and so on. For me this is a human issue, not a state issue," said Goran Jesic, from the "European Serbia" Coalition.

Kosovo remains part of the political conflict in Serbia. But the votes of Kosovo Serbs are also important. On October 25, they will vote in Raška, Vranje, Kuršumli and Tutin.

The next government in Belgrade faces obligations from the dialogue. For Kosovo and the region, the question remains: will only the political rhetoric change after the elections, or will Belgrade's approach towards Kosovo also change?