Gecaj: Belgrade’s statements about the Serbian flag in Prizren require vigilance and political unity

LDK member Bajram Gecaj has reacted to Ivica Dačić’s statement that the Serbian flag will “sooner or later” fly over Prizren.

According to Gecaj, such statements cannot be considered merely part of electoral rhetoric. He called on Kosovo’s institutions to treat them with care, vigilance, and determination.

Gecaj also underlined the necessity of a broad national agreement on issues related to state interest. He stressed that sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity must take priority over any party interest.

“Parties come and go, governments change, leaders pass, but Kosovo must remain above all of us!” Gecaj wrote.

In his reaction, he rejected claims of returning Kosovo under Serbia’s control, assessing that such statements are linked to the political legacy of old Belgrade.

Gecaj wrote that the wish expressed by Ivica Dačić for the Serbian flag to fly over Prizren “soon” may be part of electoral discourse, but it should not be dismissed. According to him, Serbia’s territorial ambitions in the past began as political declarations, were strengthened through nationalist propaganda, and, in certain circumstances, turned into state policies with tragic consequences for the peoples of the Balkans.

He called for increased attention and a measured but clear response to these positions. According to Gecaj, Dačić and other figures of old Serbian politics remain tied to the legacy of Slobodan Milošević and have not accepted the historical and political reality that Kosovo has been permanently separated from Serbia’s rule.

“History does not turn back just because someone refuses to accept it,” he stressed, adding that efforts to bring Kosovo back under Belgrade’s tutelage remain unrealized wishes.

Gecaj reiterated his conviction, expressed before, during, and after NATO’s intervention, as well as in meetings with international representatives, that Serbia needs a deep process of political denazification.

He described this process as confronting the past, uprooting the expansionist ideology, and completely breaking away from Milošević’s legacy. According to him, without a democratic and institutional transformation, acceptance of historical responsibility, and respect for the sovereignty of neighboring states, long-term peace and stability in the Balkans will continue to be fragile.

Gecaj called on the international community not to replace the demand for real change with tolerance and indulgence of Serbian nationalism.

He assessed that responsibility is linked not only to Serbia, but also to Kosovo itself. According to him, the country’s citizens and institutions have a historic, moral, and state obligation to prove that the propaganda of Milošević and his circle, according to which Albanians would not know how to govern a state, is untrue.

“Our most powerful answer to this propaganda is not only words, but building a democratic, functional, just, secure, and internationally respected state,” he wrote.

In this context, Gecaj stressed the need for national consensus on vital state issues. He acknowledged that political, ideological, and party differences are part of democracy, just like debates on governance, the economy, justice, and public policies.

However, according to him, on issues related to sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, Euro-Atlantic orientation, and strategic alliances, party competition must give way to responsibility toward the Republic.

“Kosovo is not the property of any government, any party, or any political leader. Kosovo is the shared responsibility of all of us!” Gecaj declared.

He called for national interest topics not to be used for election campaigns or temporary political gains. According to him, consensus on these issues should be reached before the elections, preserved during the electoral process, and implemented even after it ends.

Gecaj said that anyone who puts party interest above state interest must face the democratic assessment of the citizens. He added that Serbia should not find Kosovo divided when it comes to the country’s future.

“We are not required to think the same about everything, but we are required to stand together for what unites us: freedom, independence, democracy, sovereignty, and the future of our Republic,” he wrote.

In conclusion, Gecaj stressed that it is not enough for the state to be won; it must be preserved, built, and passed on to future generations stronger than it was inherited.

“Parties come and go, governments change, leaders pass, but Kosovo must remain above all of us!” he concluded.