The Serb List has announced the successful completion of a petition against the construction of two new bridges over the Ibar River in Mitrovica, collecting 3,628 signatures in just 11 hours over the course of three days.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Kosovo Serb political party described the project, initiated by the Kosovo government, as a “symbol of imposition, division, and provocation.”
The strong response to the petition, they claim, sends a clear message: the local Serb population rejects “politics of force” and decisions made without their consultation.
“The citizens have clearly said NO to Kurti’s bridges of division,” the statement reads.
The Serb List expressed gratitude to citizens who participated in the petition drive, emphasizing the importance of civic unity and resistance to unilateral decision-making.
The petition will be submitted in the coming days to representatives of the Quint countries, KFOR, EULEX, the European Union, the OSCE, and UNMIK.
Alongside it, the Serb List will present three key demands:
1. An immediate and clear response to the actions of Kosovo institutions;
2. A halt to the construction of the bridges without prior consultation with the Serb community;
3. Respect for basic democratic and international legal principles.
“The Serb people are not against development and infrastructure,” the statement continues, “but they are against decisions made without them and policies aimed at erasing their presence in these areas.”
The initiative followed Prime Minister Kurti’s laying of the foundation stone for two new bridges connecting North and South Mitrovica. While the official announcement came nearly a month ago, the Serb List began collecting signatures on Monday, emphasizing that the petition was not intended for the authorities building the bridges, but for the international actors observing and mediating the situation.
On the first day of the petition drive, hundreds gathered on the main pedestrian promenade in front of the Serb List offices to sign the petition.
Serb List Vice President Igor Simić described the planned bridges as “politically motivated structures” aimed at pressuring the Serb community, which he said wants to live in peace on its ancestral land.
Party leader Zlatan Elek echoed this sentiment in statements to pro-government media, asserting that the Serb population has taken a “clear and unified stance” against unilaterally imposed projects.
He warned that the construction would not be allowed and that failure by the international community to intervene would make it “complicit in the persecution and exodus of Serbs from Kosovo.”
Background: EU and Local Government Involvement
In June, the municipalities of North and South Mitrovica formed a joint committee, following a visit by Prime Minister Kurti. Shortly thereafter, they signed an inter-municipal memorandum on the construction of two new bridges.
In late June, the European Union conducted load-bearing tests on the main Ibar Bridge — a long-standing flashpoint between the communities — as part of the 2016 Brussels Agreement’s revitalization plan.
The EU has since urged Kosovo authorities to abandon the new construction initiative and resume dialogue with local communities.
Despite this, Kosovo’s government has continued with the project, reportedly working on the bridges even over weekends. Critics have accused the government of using the new bridges as political theater and a distraction from ongoing institutional instability.
Currently, five bridges span the Ibar River in Mitrovica. The planned new bridges — one near the North Mitrovica municipal building and another pedestrian bridge near the “Three Towers” apartment blocks — are intended to further link the two sides of the city.
Last summer, NATO reportedly blocked attempts to open the main bridge for vehicle traffic.
Srpska Lista Launches Petition Opposing New Bridges in Mitrovica
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
