A statement by Ivica Dacic about Prizren has triggered strong political reactions, with former German minister for Europe Michael Roth reading it as a territorial claim against Kosovo and a dangerous signal for the region.
Sharp reaction from Michael Roth
In a post on social media, Roth reacted to the statement by Serbia’s interior minister and at the same time deputy prime minister, Ivica Dacic, that the Serbian flag would one day fly in Prizren.
He described this position as a clear territorial claim against Kosovo and said such assertions are alarming for anyone following the continuing tensions between the two countries.
Warning of war and clash with the European course
Roth wrote that territorial claims against a neighbor are unacceptable and that this approach, in his view, does not bring Serbia closer to the European Union.
His message was direct: “This path leads to war. It does not lead to the European Union. No more EU money for Serbia!”
In the same reaction, he also addressed voters in Serbia, calling on them to reflect on the political direction they are supporting ahead of the October 25 elections.
Kosovo’s reaction to Dacic’s statement
Earlier, Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Glauk Konjufca, had also criticized Dacic’s statement.
In his reaction on the X platform, Konjufca also mentioned the public appearance of Milan Radoicic at Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s rally in Kragujevac, linking it to what he presented as a continuation of Serbia’s territorial ambitions toward Kosovo.
Banjskë, Radoicic and the lack of accountability
According to Konjufca, these developments raise serious questions about the lack of accountability after the armed attack in Banjskë in September 2023.
He mentioned Radoicic as the organizer of that attack, using this as an argument that political rhetoric and the public presence of such figures cannot be separated from the tense climate in Kosovo-Serbia relations.
The latest clash comes at a time when political language in the region is being watched with heightened sensitivity, especially when public statements touch on borders, sovereignty and relations with the EU.
The reactions of Roth and Konjufca once again put at the center the question of how far nationalist rhetoric can go without producing concrete political and diplomatic consequences.