The only remaining Serbian institutions on Kosovo health and education. From start of the election campaign in Kosovo (September 13), the issue of theirs is heating up integration into the Kosovo system.
On Saturday, September 13, Nenad Rašić, the minister for communities and return in the technical mandate of the Government of Kosovo, said that the process of transition of the health and education system to the Kosovo system would have already been discussed if there had not been a halt in the formation of institutions in Pristina. Not even seven months after the parliamentary elections in Kosovo, the Government was not formed, nor was the Assembly constituted.
The situation was further heated when on September 18, shortly after 22 p.m., the Kosovo Police searched the security houses of the Health Center and Clinical Hospital Center in Kosovska Mitrovica. It happened because of an alleged tip about weapons in the health center's security house. Nothing was found.
This was the reason for the employees to organize a protest in front of the Mitrovica KBC the next morning. Behind the podium was the acting director and president of the Serbian List, Dr. Zlatan Elek, who called on KFOR and EULEX to deploy their forces at the entrances of Serbian health and educational institutions.
Elek then said that no signed agreement implies the integration of the health and education system into the Kosovo system. "Neither Ahtisaari's plan, nor the Brussels Agreement, nor the Ohrid Agreement provide for that," claimed Elek.
He was denied by the former German ambassador to Kosovo, Jern Rode, who wrote on the "Bluesky" platform that it was "simply not true".
According to him, integration was foreseen by the Agreement on the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian majority (Community of Serbian Municipalities - ZSO) and the Ohrid Agreement.
To our request to comment on Rodea Elek's statement, he did not respond until the publication of this text. But neither did the Office for Kosovo and Metohija when asked: which agreement envisages the integration of the health and education system into the Kosovo system.
Announcement as per template
After the protest by Serbs employed in healthcare, there was also a statement by the rector's collegium of the University of Pristina with its temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica. In that announcement, a request was also sent to EULEX and KFOR to deploy their forces at the entrances to the faculties, with the remark that no signed agreement implies integration.
"All agreements reached guarantee the independence of educational and health institutions in relation to the system of temporary institutions," they wrote.
Students from this university, who months ago in Kosovska Mitrovica organized 16 minutes of silence for the victims of the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad, demand the authorities in Belgrade to transparently present the content of the signed agreements, which concern education and health.
"We demand that they say clearly and precisely how they intend to solve the newly created problem", emphasized the students.
What do the agreements provide for?
Marko Milenković from the New Social Initiative for "Vreme" reminds that within the framework of the Brussels Agreement, first from 2013, and then elaborated in more detail in the agreement from 2015, the Union of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) was foreseen, which was supposed to be a platform and mechanism for self-governance.
"When some political representatives say that healthcare and education were not the subject of any agreement, that is basically true, because they were not specifically mentioned," explains Milenkovic.
However, he says: "Within the ZSO, it should be ensured that health and education function in the Kosovo system, but connected to the Serbian system."
He adds that the only way to an acceptable integration, without the Serbian community not being left without these two key systems, is to return to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and to agree on the principles of how that integration will happen.
How do Serbs from Kosovo view this?
The students of the University of Pristina believe that integration, as well as the eventual relocation of the university, is not a solution and demand that a third way be found for its survival, as well as for the overall education and health system, and therefore for the students, pupils, educators, health workers, and the entire Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija.
Milenković says that Serbs are afraid of that integration and changes in that system in general because they are used to functioning within the system of the Republic of Serbia.
"Many issues are regulated by those systems - the issue of insurance, connection with other health centers in Serbia, with educational centers, the issue of educational programs, financing, etc. All these issues can be problematic in the case of integration", explains our interlocutor.
He further emphasizes that the community is in a kind of fear and anticipation of what may happen, given that the integration in the police and judiciary, which happened in the previous period, did not end in a good spirit.
"There are many unilateral moves without the participation of Serbs both in institutions and in political decision-making and representation. With the absence of dialogue, the whole process is somewhat too politicized and one-sided, so that Serbs always lose some rights and are left without opportunities after such actions," points out Milenkovic.
He explains that, considering that the ZSO should be a platform where the Serbs would have some level of self-government, and within that they would organize their education, health, economic development and other departments, without such a mechanism, a problem that has existed for several years will be created, namely that the Serbs cannot function within the existing Kosovo institutions.
"Or, they can function, but with the absence of many rights and generally equal treatment", says the interlocutor of "Vremen".
He gives an example of financial benefits - "salaries in the Serbian system are much higher than in the Kosovo system, so integration would mean that those people who are employed in education and health would lose a good part of their salaries."
What can Belgrade and the international community do?
Belgrade reacted to almost all unilateral actions of the Pristina authorities during the closing of Serbian institutions with announcements, and the international community with condemnations. It does not help the local population on the ground.
"Belgrade should focus on the fact that negotiations are necessary, that we need to return to dialogue because these things can only be resolved through dialogue," Milenkovic points out.
He warns that by politicizing and using this situation for the election campaign, the Serbian community is put in an even more difficult position.
"The key thing is that we have a more concrete approach from the international community if some unilateral actions happen in the matter of education and health, because these are key sectors for the Serbian community. If some actions take place, not only will fear be created again, but there will be general chaos in the Serbian community, which would lead the community into a big problem. A more concrete reaction of the international community can prevent something like that," concludes Milenković.
