Diplomatic clash after Belgrade’s bid for OSCE, concrete measures demanded against nationalist rhetoric

In early July, Joan Pons Sampietro, head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, announced that Serbia had applied to host the annual session of this institution in Belgrade in 2027.

However, this proposal has been strongly opposed by American Congressman Joe Wilson, following statements by Snezhana Paunović, a minister in the executive led by Aleksandar Vučić. Wilson considers it unacceptable for Belgrade to take on the role of host.

The American lawmaker argued that the words of the Serbian official constitute sufficient reason to reject the invitation. “These disgusting and inflammatory statements by a representative of the Serbian government are precisely why the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should not consider Belgrade’s offer for the 2027 annual meeting. The OSCE was founded to build consensus in Europe, not to revive ethnic tensions,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, observers stress that Minister Paunović’s statement regarding Kosovo confirms the continuation of Belgrade’s ultranationalist approach and call on international institutions to react more forcefully.

According to them, settling for simple public condemnations is not enough; concrete political and diplomatic actions are needed to accompany such inflammatory language. They propose that the international community activate the instruments at its disposal, including punitive measures for politicians who incite hatred and undermine the normalization process in the Western Balkans.

Haziri: Paunović’s words deserve condemnation, but I expect reactions to remain symbolic

Political analyst Nexhat Haziri, in a statement to “Bota sot”, stresses that Congressman Wilson’s demand to sanction the Serbian minister’s statement and not let it be forgotten is completely justified.

According to him, the idea that the OSCE Assembly should not convene in Belgrade in 2027 represents a deserved response to official Serbian policies. “I believe that Ambassador Wilson’s demand that the chauvinistic statement of Serbian Minister Paunović against Kosovo should not be silenced and should be sanctioned by the international community, by proposing that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly not hold the 2027 annual session in Belgrade, is a just, humane demand and a deserved reaction towards official Belgrade,” he stated.

Haziri recalls that this episode is not isolated, mentioning the attack in Banjska and other previous actions that demonstrate Belgrade’s attitude toward Kosovo. “But we are also witnesses to other behaviors of official Belgrade toward Kosovo, such as the Banjska case and earlier, actions that have not only strained relations between the two states but have also undermined political and security stability in the region, and the international community, especially the EU, has contented itself with some generalized condemnatory statements, but not with sanctioning Serbia for its destructive actions towards Kosovo,” he added.

However, the analyst does not foresee any concrete punitive steps even after this circumstance. “Therefore, I think that the international community will once again content itself with condemnatory statements about the language used by Minister Paunović, but we will not have any punitive action towards Serbia. And in this regard, we must also mention the weak diplomacy we have and the poor relations with our allies, which is also contributing to Serbia not being sanctioned despite these actions,” Haziri concluded for “Bota sot”.

Duhanaj: Belgrade’s irresponsible approach demands real costs

On the other hand, analyst Leon Duhanaj described the minister’s statement as further proof of Serbian state policy towards Albanians. “The scandalous statement of Serbian Minister Snezhana Paunović constitutes yet another stone in the wall of shame that Serbia’s state policy has built over the centuries against Albanians. This reaction is additional evidence that Serbia still has not managed to break away from the logic of the past and from nationalist rhetoric, which continues to produce tensions in the region instead of promoting reconciliation and cooperation. Unfortunately, in the Serbian political scene, there are few voices that promote a reasonable and European approach. On the contrary, such statements not only incite hatred but also damage efforts for stability and normalization of relations in the Western Balkans,” he stressed.

Duhanaj added that the international response must go beyond the limits of verbal reactions. “Precisely for this reason, the international community must not settle for declaratory reactions alone. Such behavior must be accompanied by concrete political and diplomatic consequences. These could include individual sanctions against politicians who promote irresponsible language, as well as a review of Serbia’s role and participation in international organizations where democratic values and human rights are respected,” he declared.

Finally, he warned that Serbia’s lack of a constructive attitude towards its neighbors calls for the activation of international mechanisms. “Serbia has repeatedly demonstrated that it is not showing a constructive approach towards its neighbors. If this policy continues, then the international community must use the political and diplomatic instruments at its disposal so that the cost of such rhetoric becomes real and tangible for official Belgrade’s policy,” Duhanaj concluded for “Bota sot”.