Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Serb MPs and police resign en masse in Kosovo amid license plate spat

Serb MPs and police resign en masse in Kosovo amid license plate spat

Members of Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority resigned from their posts on Saturday in protest over the dismissal of a police officer who did not follow a government ruling on vehicle license plates.
The walkouts followed the dismissal of a senior Serb police officer in northern Kosovo after he refused to change his vehicle’s license plates to ones issued by Kosovo as required by a rule change.

Pristina’s decision has ignited contentious issues around Kosovo’s sovereignty, especially among its Serb minority, who mainly live in the north.

Many of Kosovo’s Serb minority wants the former Serb province to be part of Serbia, not independent. They do not recognize the authority of Pristina, the Kosovar capital and center of power.

Serbia itself has never recognized the independence of Kosovo. The number plate change came into effect on Tuesday. But Kosovo authorities said enforcement would be gradual.

Over the coming three weeks, ethnic Serbs will be warned if they keep their old Serbian license plates. This will be followed by fines in the next two months, and then until April 31 they can only drive with temporary local plates.

An ethnic Serb government minister, 10 MPs and officials in the police and judiciary all resigned in the four areas dominated by Serbs. Senior police officers symbolically took off their uniforms after a meeting Saturday.

The effect of the mass resignation was unclear.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti called on Serbs “not to fall prey [to] political manipulations and geo-political games”, urging them to stick with the state.

Kurti claimed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was lying to US and European envoys, who have tried to resolve their tensions, and “often meets with and coordinates with the Russian ambassador to Belgrade.”

“Not being a democratic country, Serbia is becoming a Kremlin tool,” Kurti posted on social media.

Vucic said that Serbia is determined to strongly defend its vital national interests. Tensions bubbled to the surface this summer after Serbia and Kosovo refused to recognize each other’s identity documents and vehicle license plates.

Kosovo Serbs in the north put up roadblocks, sounded air raid sirens and fired guns into the air.

In August, the EU and US helped negotiate a solution to the travel documents problem, giving temporary reprieve to the situation. The European Union has told Kosovo and Serbia they must normalize relations if they want to join the bloc.

Brussels and Washington recently stepped up efforts to mediate the tensions, worried that concerns over the Ukraine war and Serbia’s close ties with Russia could stir up conflict between Serbia and Kosovo.

Kosovo became independent in 2008. Its sovereignty was recognized by the US and 100 members of the UN. Serbia has appealed to Moscow and China in its attempt to retake the former province.

Belgrade lost control over Kosovo in 1999 after NATO bombed the country to stop its brutal crackdown against ethnic Albanian separatists.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×