A noticeable element of this debate was the ruling party\u2019s attempt to link Serbia\u2019s political situation with Kosovo. The Speaker of the Parliament, Ana Brnabic, accused the opposition of acting in favor of Kosovo\u2019s media, which, according to her, are close to Prime Minister Albin Kurti.<\/p>\n
\"You've become stars, you're his followers, well done (...),\" Brnabic said<\/a>. During her statement, she referred to Kosovo\u2019s media using the derogatory and offensive term \u201csiptari,\u201d aiming to delegitimize their reporting while simultaneously discrediting the Serbian opposition by associating it with Kosovo.<\/p>\n \"This is just a small part of how the 'siptari' media praises you (...),\" she said while holding reports from two Kosovo-based media outlets, \u201cKoha<\/a>\u201d and \u201cReporteri<\/a>\u201d, regarding the developments in the Serbian Parliament.<\/p>\n Pro-government Serbian media widely covered this statement. The portal \u201cInformer\u201d published<\/a> an article titled: \"Ana Brnabic unfurled the Serbian tricolor in Parliament: Our response to Kurti\u2019s policies will be Serbia!\", portraying Brnabic as a figure defending Serbian national interests against what is suggested to be foreign influence.<\/p>\n The use of the term \u201csiptar,\u201d which is considered offensive, was widely criticized by representatives of the Albanian community in Serbia. The only Albanian MP in the Serbian Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, responded<\/a> by calling it part of a political culture rooted in Serbian ultranationalism. He emphasized that the use of such language by high-ranking political figures is not accidental but reflects the official stance of the Serbian state toward Albanians in Kosovo and in the Presheva Valley, Medvegj\u00eb, and Bujanoc.<\/p>\n \u201cAna Brnabic, the current Speaker of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Serbia, in her statements during today\u2019s session, where the opposition used tear gas and there was violence among MPs, used hate speech and displayed fascism against Albanians and Kosovo\u2019s media,\u201d Kamberi stated.<\/p>\n Reactions also came from the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK). The Chairman of AGK\u2019s Board, Xhemajl Rexha<\/a>, described Brnabic\u2019s statement as racist and dangerous, emphasizing that such use of hate speech puts at risk media outlets reporting on developments in Serbia and Kosovo.<\/p>\n This is not the first time Serbian politicians have used this terminology. Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin<\/a>, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. and the U.K. for his ties to organized crime and Russian influence, has also used the term \u201csiptari\u201d in the past, attempting to create a narrative that portrays Albanians as a destabilizing element.<\/p>\n Insults from the highest levels of power have continued despite a ruling by a Serbian court, which deemed<\/a> the term \"siptari\" politically incorrect and offensive.<\/p>\n At the end of 2018, the Court of Appeals in Belgrade upheld a decision by the High Court, sanctioning the use of the term \"siptar\" as hate speech. The case was brought forward by Anita Mitic, a former activist of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights<\/a>, against the tabloid \u201cInformer\u201d. The court ruled that the use of this term constitutes hate speech and is offensive to Albanians.<\/p>\n The Court has also indicated that use of terms such as \"shqiptars\u201d, \u201cSoros shqiptar organization\u201d and \u201cspecial war\u201d constitute hate speech and breach the duty journalists have to harness a culture of ethics and public speech. The use of the aforementioned terms was deemed as a breach of the ban on hate speech for political and other beliefs, the values and objectives the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Anita Mitic stand for.<\/p>\n The approach of Serbian politicians reflects a clear strategy of instrumentalizing Albanians and the relationship with Kosovo for domestic political purposes. Through such statements, the Serbian government seeks to divert attention from protests and its internal crises by exploiting nationalism. The use of pejorative language and insults against Albanians deepens ethnic divisions in the region and negatively impacts efforts for stability and constructive dialogue.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/123555555555-300x278.png\")
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