US Congressman Opposes Belgrade Bid, Analysts Call for Political Consequences for Serbia

The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Joan Pons Sampietro, announced in early July that Serbia had submitted a bid for Belgrade to host the OSCE Annual Assembly in 2027.

However, statements by Snezhana Paunoviq, a minister in Aleksandar Vuçiç’s government, have prompted a response from US Congressman Joe Wilson, who has spoken out against the possibility of the Serbian capital hosting the event.

According to Wilson, the Serbian minister’s comments are sufficient grounds for Belgrade’s bid not to be considered. He described them as disgusting and inflammatory, stressing that this language demonstrates precisely why the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should not consider the bid to host its 2027 annual meeting. The congressman recalled that the OSCE was founded to build consensus in Europe, not to revive ethnic tensions.

Analysts, meanwhile, view Paunoviq’s stance toward Kosovo as further evidence that Belgrade is continuing its nationalist rhetoric. For this reason, they are calling for a firmer response from the international community.

According to them, public reactions are not enough in such cases and should be followed by concrete political and diplomatic steps. They believe the international community should activate the mechanisms at its disposal, including measures against politicians who use nationalist language and obstruct normalization in the Western Balkans.

Haziri: Paunoviq Deserves Sanctions, but Serbia Is Not Expected to Be Punished

Political analyst Nexhat Haziri, speaking to “Bota sot,” supported Ambassador Wilson’s call for the Serbian minister Paunoviq’s statement against Kosovo not to go unanswered and for her to be sanctioned by the international community.

Haziri considers the call for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly not to hold its 2027 annual session in Belgrade to be justified, humane and deserved by official Belgrade. According to him, Paunoviq’s chauvinistic statement should not be met with silence but should prompt an international response and sanctions.

He recalled that the minister’s statement is not the only evidence of official Belgrade’s conduct toward Kosovo. In this context, Haziri cited the attack in Banjska, as well as actions taken even before that incident.

According to him, these actions have not only strained relations between the two countries but have also undermined political and security stability in the region. Haziri said the international community, particularly the EU, has limited itself to several general statements of condemnation without sanctioning Serbia for its destructive actions toward Kosovo.

Despite this, he does not expect punitive measures to be taken against Serbia following Paunoviq’s statement. Haziri predicted that the international community would once again content itself with verbally condemning the language used by the minister, without taking any concrete steps against Belgrade.

Concluding his remarks to “Bota sot,” Haziri also cited weak diplomacy and poor relations with allies, which, according to him, are contributing to Serbia not being sanctioned despite such actions.

Duhanaj: Minister’s Position Once Again Reflects Belgrade’s Irresponsible Policies

Political analyst Leon Duhanaj, also speaking to “Bota sot,” said the Serbian minister’s comments were another indication of the official Belgrade policy’s approach toward Albanians.

Duhanaj described Snezana Paunovic’s scandalous statement as another stone in the wall of shame that, according to him, Serbian state policy has built against Albanians over the centuries.

He said this response confirms that Serbia has still not broken away from the mindset of the past and nationalist rhetoric. Instead of fostering cooperation and reconciliation, he said, such an approach continues to create tensions in the region.

Duhanaj said there are very few voices in Serbian politics that represent a European and reasonable approach. On the contrary, he stressed that statements of this kind incite hatred and undermine efforts toward stability and the normalization of relations in the Western Balkans.

For this reason, the analyst called on the international community not to limit itself to statements alone. According to him, such conduct should have tangible political and diplomatic consequences.

As possible measures, Duhanaj cited the imposition of individual sanctions on politicians who use inflammatory and irresponsible language. He also called for a review of Serbia’s role and participation in international organizations founded on respect for human rights and democratic values.

Concluding his remarks to “Bota sot,” Duhanaj said Serbia has consistently shown a lack of a constructive approach toward its neighbors. If this policy continues, he said, the international community should use the diplomatic and political instruments at its disposal so that such rhetoric carries a real and tangible cost for official Belgrade’s policies.