Full Breakdown
Serbian Minister’s Call for “Ethnic Cleansing” of Kosovo Sparks Regional Outcry
7/15/2026, 12:40:51 AM
Core Event
On 11 July 2026, Snežana Paunovic, Serbia’s Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government, told the Kurir TV programme “Untold” that, “If I had been in Milosevic’s place in 1998, I would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo.” She added that the cleansing would not involve “liquidation” but would force Albanians to “go to their mother country.” The remark, repeated in a 14 July press briefing, ignited condemnation from Kosovo officials, European Union representatives, Serbian opposition parties and members of Paunovic’s own Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS).
Background & Context
The 1998-99 Kosovo war ended with NATO intervention and the 1999 Kumanovo Agreement, after which Kosovo declared independence in 2008. Slobodan Miloševic, Serbia’s then-president, was later convicted of war crimes and genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Serbia’s EU-facilitated dialogue on normalising relations with Kosovo obliges Belgrade to refrain from rhetoric that justifies ethnic displacement.
Official Statements & Responses
- European Union: Spokesperson Anitta Hipper said, “There is no place in Europe for rhetoric justifying and advocating for ethnic cleansing.” She warned that such statements “run counter to the values of human dignity, reconciliation, accountability and good neighbourly relations on which the EU is founded.”
- Kosovo Government: Andin Hoti, Kosovo’s Minister of Social Welfare, responded that Paunovic’s words “prove that Serbia has still not freed itself from Milosevic’s genocidal ideology and from the criminal policy that brought wars, massacres and historical shame.”
- Serbian Leadership: Deputy Prime Minister and SPS president Ivica Dacic defended Paunovic, stating, “And now Snežana Paunovic is guilty of ethnic cleansing? Shame on you! She said that everyone who does not feel Serbia should return to their home country, the country of Albania.”
- SPS Internal Dissent: Branko Ružic, vice-president of the SPS main board, asserted that “the policy of ethnic cleansing was never a policy of the Socialist Party of Serbia” and warned that such rhetoric “does not contribute to the normalisation of relations in the region, dialogue and a common European future.”
Criticism & Opposition
The liberal opposition party Free Citizens Movement called on Prime Minister Duro Macut to dismiss Paunovic, arguing that a minister “who justifies the expulsion of people solely because of their nationality cannot be a member of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.” The Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) cited Serbia’s criminal code, noting that Paunovic’s statements may constitute incitement of national, racial and religious hatred. Human-rights activist Natasa Kandic of the Humanitarian Law Centre warned that the remarks “turn Serbia back towards a dark past” and echo the ideology of the 1990s wars. European Parliament member Sandro Goci urged President Aleksandar Vucic to condemn the comments and ensure Paunovic’s immediate removal, labeling the statement “outrageous and completely unacceptable.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “I would ethnically cleanse Kosovo” — Snežana Paunovic, Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government
- “There is no place in Europe for rhetoric justifying and advocating for ethnic cleansing,” — Anitta Hipper, EU spokesperson
- “Your ideological father, Milosevic, tried the same thing in Kosovo, but ended up before international justice, while Serbia left Kosovo with its tail between its legs,” — Andin Hoti, Kosovo Minister of Social Welfare
- “When Serbian government minister Snezana Paunovic presents ethnic cleansing as a political solution, she is not speaking for a Serbia on the path to the European Union, but for the ideology of the wars of the 1990s,” — Natasa Kandic, Human Rights activist
- “And now Snežana Paunovic is guilty of ethnic cleansing? Shame on you! She said that everyone who does not feel Serbia should return to their home country, the country of Albania,” — Ivica Dacic, Deputy Prime Minister and SPS president
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Paunovic later claimed she would “never kill anyone” and that “ethnic cleansing” merely meant “returning Albanians to their mother country, Albania.” Critics argue this clarification does not mitigate the advocacy of forced displacement. No formal disciplinary action has been announced, and Serbian prosecutors have not yet indicated whether an investigation under Article 317 of the Criminal Code will proceed.
What’s Next
Opposition groups and the PSG have formally requested Prime Minister Macut to remove Paunovic and for SPS president Dacic to distance the party from her remarks. The EU has reiterated its expectation that all leaders “act responsibly and refrain from inflammatory rhetoric,” but no concrete timeline for any dismissal has been provided. The episode is likely to influence ongoing EU-Serbia dialogue talks and could affect Serbia’s EU accession prospects.
