A day after Orthodox Christmas, Kosovo authorities carried out an operation in the northern part of the country, shutting down a branch of Serbia's Tax Administration and an unlicensed insurance company. This action sparked reactions from Serbian officials, who claimed it was deliberately conducted during Serbian Christmas celebrations with the approval of Western states.
On January 8, 2025, the Serbian media outlet “Novosti” published an article titled: “ENTRY INTO THE TAX ADMINISTRATION WAS KURTI’S IDEA, BUT IT DOESN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT QUINT’S APPROVAL”: Vulini Announced.
In the article, the outlet included a statement from Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vulin, who alleged that the raid on the Tax Administration premises in Mitrovica on the second day of Orthodox Christmas was an attack on the Serbian state and Serbs in Kosovo. He also blamed QUINT, claiming the operation was carried out with their consent. Vulin’s statement, who is a politician sanctioned by the U.S., was later shared by other Serbian media outlets such as "Kurir.rs" and "Telegrafi.rs".
"Just as they bombed Serbia during Orthodox Easter in 1999, in 2025 they attack the Serbian state and Serbs in Kosovo during Christmas. The raid on the Tax Administration premises in Mitrovica on the second day of Orthodox Christmas was Kurti's idea, but it wasn’t carried out without QUINT’s approval," said Vulin.
His attempt to involve and blame the West for this decision does not stand. QUINT, which consists of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, has consistently criticized the Government for its decisions regarding the north, labeling them as "uncoordinated" and "unilateral." The issue of Serbia's parallel institutions has been urged to be addressed within the framework of EU-mediated dialogue. For Kosovo's Government, decisions related to the north fall under the framework of extending legality and sovereignty in that region.
On January 8, the Kosovo Police shut down the Tax Administration office in North Mitrovica, which operated under Serbia’s system, citing "illegal activities." The Serbian insurance company Dunav Osiguranje was also closed due to suspicions of operating without a license.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, reacted to the closure of the Tax Administration office in North Mitrovica, stating that the illegal activities of Serbia's Tax Administration Agency would be investigated by all institutional mechanisms. "This institution has been illegally collecting financial resources from citizens and entities residing and operating in the Republic of Kosovo. Extortion is punishable and strictly prohibited for anyone engaging in it. In this case, it was carried out by criminal groups loyal to the aggressor Serbia and figures such as Vladimir Putin," Sveçla wrote.
This is not the first time that Serbian media and officials have labeled the Kosovo Government’s decisions regarding the north as an attack on Serbs. Recently, the construction of a police substation in Zvecan was also described by Serbian officials as an "occupation" of the north.
Such statements by Serbian officials, unsupported by facts, alleging a tendency to expel Serbs with international backing, risk escalating tensions within the Serbian community in Kosovo, further fueling divisions between ethnic groups.
*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”
