Minister's 'ethnic cleansing' remark shocks analyst, who questions Serbian government's silence

Iljir Deda, a senior fellow at KIPRED, voiced astonishment that Snežana Paunović continues to serve as a minister in the Serbian government following her controversial statement about ethnically cleansing Kosovo. Paunović had said she would have carried out an ethnic cleansing of Kosovo in 1998 if she had been in Slobodan Milošević's position.

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She said three times that she would ethnically cleanse Kosovo, and that takes us back to the dark nineties and the hell of conflict and war in Kosovo. I am astonished that this person is still a minister in the Government of Serbia, that she has not been dismissed. This means that this type of rhetoric is supported by the current authorities in Serbia.

"She said three times that she would ethnically cleanse Kosovo, and that takes us back to the dark nineties and the hell of conflict and war in Kosovo," Deda stated in an interview with N1. He expressed deep concern that Paunović's continued ministerial role suggests the current Serbian authorities endorse such rhetoric. Deda believes that statements like these significantly impede any progress toward normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

"As long as we legitimize the desire for ethnic cleansing, which happened in 1998 and 1999, I don't see how any degree of normality can be achieved between Kosovo and Serbia," he asserted. Deda pointed out that the issue is not solely Paunović's statement but also the Serbian government's failure to respond. He noted that while past reactions might have been stronger, the government's silence now indicates a problematic stance.

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As long as we legitimize the desire for ethnic cleansing, which happened in 1998 and 1999, I don't see how any degree of normality can be achieved between Kosovo and Serbia.

This lack of official reaction, Deda suggested, reinforces the view that reaching any agreement with a Serbia led by figures from the 1990s, let alone envisioning a Western Balkans region based on mutual respect, is exceedingly difficult. Minister Paunović later apologized not to the public, but to President Aleksandar Vučić, the Prime Minister, and the government for causing them to be "unnecessarily blamed." She also claimed that seven seconds of her interview were maliciously extracted to accuse her of ethnic cleansing.

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It is easy to take all of us who live here back to that time. There were stronger reactions, but we watched what the Government of Serbia would do. It did nothing, it did not react. Then we know where we stand. This only strengthens the political and social stance that it is difficult to reach any agreement with a Serbia led by people from the nineties, let alone a vision for the Western Balkans in which we respect each other.