Harsh reaction from US congressman: Serbian minister’s statements “disgusting,” a risk to Belgrade’s OSCE bid

American Republican lawmaker Joe Wilson has expressed deep indignation over the words of Snežana Paunović, Serbia’s Minister of Public Administration, branding them as “disgusting.” He said that precisely these kinds of attitudes represent the main reason why the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should not even consider the possibility of Belgrade hosting its annual session in 2027.

In a post on X, Wilson stressed that these inflammatory statements from a representative of the Serbian Government are concrete proof that Belgrade’s candidacy for that event must be dismissed. He recalled that the OSCE’s mission is to strengthen consensus in Europe, not to revive clashes between ethnic groups.

The controversy erupted after Paunović declared publicly that, if she had been in Slobodan Milošević’s role in 1998, she would have carried out “ethnic cleansing” in Kosovo. The phrase was immediately met with condemnation from the European Union, which described it as totally incompatible with European standards and the spirit of neighborly cooperation.

As a consequence of these expressions, Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs decided to declare Paunović persona non grata, permanently banning her entry and transit through the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.