As of today, motorists traveling from Zvečan toward North Mitrovica will be greeted by a new road sign, courtesy of Kosovo’s Ministry of Infrastructure, wishing them a safe journey in Serbian (“Srećan put”)—or, as the sign reads with a visible mistake, „SreČan put.“
The installation of these signs on the Mitrovica–Zvečan main road marks the replacement of old Cyrillic signs with new ones, written in Latin script.
This process began in March this year, when Kosovo’s institutions, specifically the Ministry of Infrastructure, started systematically removing Cyrillic signs and replacing them with Latin-script versions.
The signs typically display information in three languages: Albanian first, followed by Serbian (in Latin script), and then English.
The latest sign in Zvečan stands out not only for a glaring typographical error in Serbian but also for the Albanian inscription being written in a larger font than the inscriptions in Serbian and English.
The sign reads “Opština Zvečan. Dobrodošli” (Municipality of Zvečan. Welcome) for those entering the town, but the farewell message to those leaving includes a misplaced capital „C,“ turning the phrase „Srečan put“ (Safe journey) into “SreČan put.”
Promoting Official Languages, Despite Errors
Despite the error, Ilir Peci, the current mayor of Zvečan, posed proudly beside the new sign and praised the authorities’ commitment to promoting Kosovo’s official languages.
Peci took to Facebook, stating, „Welcome to Zvečan! After 25 years, we have placed informative signs in Albanian and other languages in our municipality. These signs are essential for our residents and all communities living here. They will also assist visitors from across Kosovo and beyond, showing that this is an area of diversity and coexistence—precious values.“
He added, „Our cooperation in achieving this step also expresses our ongoing commitment to promoting official languages in public spaces.“
A Growing Trend of Language Errors
Language errors on public signage and official documents have become more common in northern Kosovo, as the central authorities in Pristina extend their institutional control over the predominantly Serb region.
Such mistakes, particularly in the Serbian language, have been frequently noticed on public signs, within government buildings, and in documents issued by Kosovo’s institutions.
This issue goes beyond typographical errors. A broader pattern has emerged: as local ethnic demographics shift in both local governments and central institutions, there is an increasing tendency to replace Cyrillic with Latin script on public signage.
Additionally, the use of Albanian language on signs is often highlighted with a larger and bolder font, whereas the Serbian and English translations are printed in smaller and less prominent typefaces. Also, the Albanian inscription is typically placed first, followed by Serbian and English.
Both Serbian and Albanian are official languages of Kosovo, with equal status guaranteed by Kosovo’s constitution. Article 5 of the Constitution stipulates that these languages should be used equally in all public spaces.
In addition to the expectation that local signs should reflect the ethnic composition of the population and their languages in a positive spirit, the Law on the Use of Languages mandates that letters and fonts must be of the same size in accordance with the principle of equality.
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