Vučić and Serbian protesters are the same when it comes to Albanians

For a year now, Serbia has gone from mourning the lives lost in the roof collapse near the Novi Sad railway station to a nationwide protest demanding the resignation of President Aleksandar Vučić.

In fact, protesters across Serbia have gone beyond the reasons for starting the protest, escalating into anti-Albanian calls, writes IndeksOnline.

"Aco Šiptare" is the favorite expression of protesters who make ultranationalist appeals, increasingly inviting Serbs to join in conveying anti-Albanian political messages.

Among other things, the protesters do not forget to shout "shiptari", which is a derogatory term for Albanians, and especially their famous illusion: "Kosovo is Serbia".

Protests as a sign of dissatisfaction with the government

By siding with the protesters, the Serbian opposition has seized the opportunity to promote its anti-Vučić agenda in Serbia.

The Mayor of Presheva Municipality, Ardita Sinani, in a statement for IndeksOnline, has claimed that the escalation of mass protests and the growing anger towards this autocratic government in Serbia has reached its peak in recent months.

The well-known Albanian journalist in Serbia, Ardita Behluli, also makes the same assessment.

“The protests began and intensified in response to the November 1 tragedy and allegations of corruption and mismanagement related to public construction. From there, the student movement expanded to include demands for accountability, a full investigation, and early elections. On the anniversary of the event, there were massive rallies and memorial demonstrations, as well as protests with political demands. The movement remains active — protests continue to be concentrated in cities like Novi Sad, Belgrade, and Niš and are often led by students, professors, and civic groups. There is pressure on the government for transparency, but also fear and accusations from officials of “foreign interference” that politicize the discussion,” Behluli told IndeksOnline.

Anti-Albanian chants at protests and the safety of Albanians in the Valley

Both Sinani and Behluli emphasize the emergence of anti-Albanian slogans and assess them as a danger that increasingly threatens the Albanians of Presheva, Medvedja and Bujanovac.

"There are documented cases and videos showing insulting calls and phrases towards Albanians and Kosovo at various events, not only protests but also in stadiums and other gatherings. The insulting expressions include the use of the derogatory term "shiptari" and chants such as "Kosovo is Serbia" in provocative forms. The most obvious cases have also occurred in sports venues where organizers and federations have reacted. As an Albanian citizen in Serbia, it should be emphasized that these calls are nationalistic and constitute discriminatory rhetoric, are unacceptable and risk inciting hatred and violence. They often come from ultranationalist groups or radicalized crowds that use the conflict to strengthen political messages," Behluli declared.

On the other hand, the mayor of Presheva, Ardita Sinani, claims that the anti-Albanian agenda has been pushed forward for some time, not only by the protests, but also by state and public institutions in the Valley.

"In fact, since the SNS and Vučić came to power, first as prime minister and then as president of Serbia, discrimination and violation of rights, especially of the Albanian minority, has only increased, with particular emphasis on the Preševo ​​Valley. Violations that have consistently occurred in previous governments, even those that have aimed to appear democratic," Sinani declared for IndeksOnline.

She says that the recent protests have exposed more than ever the ingrained anti-Albanian climate in Serbia.

"In these circumstances, for the Albanians of the Valley, it is not that today's opposition is considered to be harsher than the ruling government structures. In fact, we have understood that topics such as this climate of hatred towards Albanians and the dream of the return of the Republic of Kosovo to Serbia do not distinguish the opposition from the government as much as an egg does," she added.

Journalist Behluli sees the alleged spirit that the government is favoring Albanians as a risk of inciting discrimination and incidents against Albanians.

"There have been episodes historically and in tense periods where rhetoric translates into harassment, violence or attacks against minorities. For example, the incidents and attacks recorded in the northern areas of Kosovo and the armed actions of the past, show how the situation can escalate. As an Albanian citizen in Serbia, we must be careful. In urban areas, where communities are relatively mixed, the daily risk may be lower, but individual incidents (harassment, insults, cases of discrimination at work or school) are real. When protests radicalize and become more aggressive, the risk for minority communities increases," Behluli declared.

Denial of discrimination against Albanians

Discrimination against Albanians in Serbia was also found in the 2025 Progress Report.

The acting Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, has also reacted to this issue, and has also raised this discrimination as an issue several times on the margins of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue discussions.

"The violation of the rights of Albanians in Serbia is also noted by the European Union. This year, the European Commission's Report on Serbia confirms that Belgrade continues to fail to respect the rights of national minorities, including Albanians in Preševo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. The report emphasizes that the institutional framework for the protection of minorities remains incomplete and that Albanians continue to face discrimination, underrepresentation and passivation of addresses. As we have denounced during our mandate, it is being proven that these practices constitute an articulation of policies aimed at ethnic cleansing of Albanians through administrative means. This passivation, which has been going on for years, is very important that the EU has finally agreed to reflect it and make it part of the final assessments of the official report of the European Commission, placing emphasis on controlling the passivation procedures", declared Bislimi, a few days ago.

Serbia has not yet declared about the passivation of Albanian addresses, which for Sinan is an arrogant policy of Vučić.

"The increase in unemployment, the non-inclusion of Albanians in state and public institutions in the municipalities of Presheva, Medveđa and Bujanovac, and especially in recent years, the selective passivation of addresses have characterized the governance of Vučić and the SNS in relation to the Albanians of this region," she stated.

Sinani even estimates that with the opposition siding with the protesters, it was understood that they were just as harsh with Albanians as the ruling structures.

"In these circumstances, for the Albanians of the Valley, it is not that today's opposition is considered to be harsher than the ruling government structures. In fact, we have understood that topics such as this climate of hatred towards Albanians and the dream of returning the Republic of Kosovo to Serbia do not distinguish the opposition from the government as much as an egg does," says Sinani.

On the other hand, journalist Behluli sees the politicization of the media as the main reason for not discussing this discrimination.

She says that media outlets close to the government or owners who support the narrative of national greatness – may minimize or relativize the issue.

“In an environment where nationalism is widespread, some offensive comments may be treated as “normal protests” and not be treated as constituting a threat to minority communities. Independent journalists may feel pressured or unsure about their safety when reporting incidents with hate content. The focus on “anti-government” issues – the media often focuses on accusations against the government such as corruption, accountability and ethnic insults, which appear as secondary details when in fact they have major implications for ethnic security. For this lack of debate – it is also criticized by international media and local organizations,” concluded Behluli./IndeksOnline/