Milan Radojciqi, who claimed responsibility for organising the armed group that carried out the attack in Banjska on 24 September 2023, continues to stay in Serbia, while Kosovo has requested his extradition to face justice.
The potential change of power in Serbia has opened the question of whether Belgrade will change its approach.
The Serbian newspaper’s journalist, Mladen Ilic, has estimated that the Student List, which according to the results of the October 25th early parliamentary elections has proved victorious, could take steps to prosecute Radojciqi. However, he has said it is still not known whether this would be done through the Serbian judicial system or through his extradition to Kosovo.
In a conversation to Dukagjini, Ilic has declared he does not expect the Student List to have reservations for taking action against him.
I don’t think the Student List will have any backup for Radojchi. In other words, I believe they will work towards his prosecution, Ilic has declared.
According to journalist Radojciqi and Zvonko Veselinovici are widely seen as figures that have caused considerable problems to Serbs in Kosovo, but also as businessmen who have generated wealth through co-operation with the government of the Serbian Progressive Party ( SNS).
Radici and Zvonko Veselinovic are widely seen as figures that have caused considerable problems to Serbs in Kosovo and, at the same time, as businessmen who, despite their harmful role in this context, have managed to build wealth by working together with the SNS government, he said.
However, Ilic has stressed that it is still early to determine how a government led by the Student List would operate, as it has not yet officially assumed power.
It is still early to say whether the Student List — if given the opportunity — would prosecute Radojciqi within the Serbian judicial system or extradite it to Kosovo, given that it has not yet officially taken power, he has declared.
Radojciqi’s extradition has also spoken of Ilija Srdanovic, one of the members of the Student List, in an interview for Radio Free Europe ( REL).
Asked who would decide on Kosovo’s request for Radojciqi’s extradition, and whether the issue will be left to the judiciary, Srdanovic has not given a final stance, stressing that the Student List has not yet formed Government.
At this moment I can’t give you a decision, not even a personal position on the matter, because I’m just one of the list members that haven’t formed Government yet, he has declared.
Srdanovic has added that decisions on such issues will be taken in line with the legal procedures that apply in Serbia.
But, of course, we will try to make decisions on all such issues later, in line with the legal procedures that apply in the Republic of Serbia, he has said.
Vuciqi’s SNS influence
According to Ilqi, one of the main factors that can determine whether there will be actions on Radojciqi is the impact of previous powers on Serbia’s security institutions, including Gendarmerie and the Security Information Agency ( BIA).
It is difficult to say, since institutions such as Gendarmeria and BIA have been deeply influenced by the previous government, which has effectively protected Radojcicin, Ilic has said.
He has estimated that Radojciki’s influence within these institutions is directly linked to the power of the SNS, which he describes as the political structure that has defended it.
The level of its influence is directly proportional to the influence of the SNS, as the political structure protecting it within these institutions, has declared journalism.
According to him, the possibility that the Student List will distance itself from Radojciqi and take action against him will depend on its success in removing the SNS government’s influence from state institutions.
The Student List will be able to distance itself from him and his group, as well as take action against them, to the extent that it manages to clear these institutions of the influence of the SNS government after officially taking power, Ilic said.
Smuggling from Vuciqi politics
Speaking of the possibility that the Student List will bring about real political change in Serbia, Ilic has said the movement has been built on the goal of structural and systemic changes and for breaking away from Vuciqi’s way of governing.
He has cited corruption, party-based employment, lack of transparency and problems with media freedom as some of the main issues the Student List intends to deal with.
Looks like this victory represents a real break. Of course, that depends on the policy areas we are talking about, but the whole movement was built on the idea that Serbian politics needs structural and systemic changes, and that this, at least formally, implies the split from Vucikqi’s policies, Ilic has said.
According to him, the use of police to protect crime-related persons, including Radojcic, is another issue that has sparked criticism of previous powers.
The candidates of the Student List, some of whom will soon become deputies, have expressly declared that they will not impose sanctions on Russia, but that they will open a broad public debate on the issue. This may be interpreted as a form of continuation of Vuciqi’s policy, but the main difference lies in commitment to open public debate and enable citizens to decide.
However, the movement has focused much more on domestic issues, such as corruption, seen as the main cause of the collapse of the tent in Novi Sad and the beginning of protests; the use of police to protect criminals, from drug bosses to Milan Radojciqi; as well as more common issues, such as employment on party bases, transparency in different sectors and media freedom, Ilic has declared.
Attitude towards Kosovo
Speaking of the Student List’s possible attitude towards Kosovo, Ilic has said her criticism of Vuciqi focuses mainly on the situation of Serbs living in Kosovo, not just Belgrade’s relations with Pristina.
When we talk about the status of the Student List towards Kosovo, the focus is more on the situation of Serbs in Kosovo than on relations with authorities in Pristina. Vuciki’s policy has been catastrophic for Kosovo Serbs, and this is the main line of criticism coming from the Student List, he has declared.
Furthermore, the journalist has explained that different positions on Kosovo’s status exist within the student movement and Student List. He has stressed that these two structures should be identified: the student movement consists of students organised in the Plenum, which have chosen candidates for MPs, while the Student List is the electoral list.
According to him, some continue to consider Kosovo part of Serbia and believe Belgrade will one day restore effective control over it. Others acknowledge reality on the ground and are aware that the Serbian state has no role in Kosovo’s main administrative and security structures.
To repeat, the Student List is a political force that will try to reform society and state to the extent that citizens can make decisions on important issues. That includes Serbia’s stance on Kosovo.
However, some candidates from the Student List for MPs have stated they will continue the dialogue with Pristina, but also that they will closely review all agreements signed by the Vuciqi regime to assess whether they are in line with Serbia’s Constitution. Other measures warned have more to do with the situation of Serbs in Kosovo than with the issue of Kosovo independence or relations with Pristina
Expectation for lowering tensions in region
Asked how political change could affect Serbia’s relations with Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, Ilq has estimated that the impact is expected to be largely positive.
He has said he expects less rhetorical, similar to what has characterised Vuciqi’s communication for Kosovo and other countries in the region.
Again, there is often a degree of uncertainty in how these issues are handled. However, from the point of view of a Serbian citizen, I think this uncertainty may be necessary to mobilise the public and encourage people to start dealing with important internal and regional issues, which after years of SNS governance have not only remained unresolved, but often have not even been openly and meaningfully discussed.
This is partly a consequence of the fact that the Student List is a comprehensive political force designed to end the Vuciki regime, while its members have diametrically opposed views on almost all major political issues.
To conclude, I don’t think the Student List will solve all major outstanding issues, especially those related to foreign policy and regional relations. However, I believe it will be cut off from the political practices of the Vucik regime and will bring about the changes needed for the most effective treatment of these issues in the future, Ilic stressed.
Source Layer: Dukeagini