In the four municipalities in northern Kosovo – North Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zvečan and Zubin Potok – on December 5, constitutive sessions were held, in which the new mayors from the Serbian List – the largest Serb party in Kosovo – officially took power, taking the oath.
Their swearing-in ceremony was held in the presence of Kosovo's state symbols, and on occasion, Serbian state flags were also seen.
Acting Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, said on Facebook that "everything was carried out in an orderly manner and in accordance with the provisions stemming from the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo" in the constitutive sessions in municipal assemblies across the country.
"I wish the new mayors a successful mandate and good work," Krasniqi wrote.
The European Union Office welcomed the "smooth" handover of municipal governance, including in the four municipalities in the north.
"This is an important step towards constructive engagement in the future," it said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The Serb-majority municipalities in the north have been led by Albanian mayors since May 2023, after those from the Serb List resigned in November 2022 as part of the collective departure of Serbs from institutions, in protest against the decisions of the Kosovo Government.
The Serbian List – a party that enjoys the support of Belgrade – during the pre-election campaign for the local elections, had admitted that it had made a mistake when it left the institutions and had emphasized that this decision was made to draw the attention of the international community to the “difficult situation” of the Serbs.
The leader of the Serbian List, Zlatan Ellek, and other exponents of this party during the press conference in North Mitrovica after the first round of local elections in Kosovo.
The leader of the Serbian List, Zlatan Ellek, said on December 3 that the new mayors of the municipalities – Milan Radojevic in North Mitrovica, Zoran Todic in Leposavic, Dragisa Milovic in Zvecan and Milos Perovic in Zubin Potok – will demand access to the full documentation upon taking office.
The Serbian List had also previously announced that it would annul the "illegitimate" decisions made by the Albanian mayors of municipalities in the north.
After the October local elections, the European Union had stated to Radio Free Europe that it expects that the new local government in northern Kosovo, in cooperation with central institutions, in the coming period will "remain constructive in resolving the needs and demands of the population through institutions and in accordance with the laws."/rel
