At the request of the newly elected Mayor of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojević, the Municipal Assembly voted to withdraw the municipality from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKM) during the first regular session of its new mandate.
The proposal was adopted with 11 votes in favour, while two councillors from the Self-Determination Movement (Vetëvendosje) voted against. There were no abstentions.
The session marked the first meeting of the new Assembly convocation after councillors—mostly from the Serb List—officially assumed their mandates on December 5. All four items on the agenda were adopted, with the final item relating to North Mitrovica’s exit from the AKM.
From accession to withdrawal: a change in leadership, a change in policy
One of the first decisions of the previous municipal leadership, led by Vetëvendosje, was to initiate North Mitrovica’s accession to the Association of Kosovo Municipalities. The request, submitted by then-mayor Erden Atić, was approved at an extraordinary session in August 2023 and later endorsed by the relevant ministry.
At the time, former Assembly Chairperson Nedžad Ugljanin stated that joining the AKM would “protect North Mitrovica from the Association of Serb Municipalities (ASM).”
Out of Kosovo’s 38 municipalities, 34 are members of the AKM. The association has also been cited by acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti as an argument against forming the ASM, repeatedly stating that “Kosovo already has an association of municipalities and does not need another.”
Following the withdrawal of Serbs from Kosovo institutions, the new leadership in all four northern municipalities moved swiftly to join the AKM.
In contrast, one of the first initiatives of the newly formed municipal leadership in North Mitrovica was to reverse that decision.
Radojević: No public debate, no tangible benefits
Explaining the proposal, Mayor Milan Radojević said that the decision to join the AKM on June 30, 2023, had been adopted without public debate or consultations with citizens.
“There were no public discussions to inform citizens about what the association entails, what options exist, or what services could potentially be provided through it. During this period, we have also seen no concrete benefits from that association,” Radojević said.
He added that the mandate given to the current leadership by voters was clear.
“The demand of the citizens who gave us this mandate is more than clear. I believe this Assembly should vote to withdraw the Municipality of North Mitrovica from the AKM. Any future accession to other associations should be decided directly by the citizens,” Radojević told councillors, urging them to support the proposal.
Opposition reaction and Assembly response
Assembly member Emir Azemi opposed the move, saying that, as translated, it was necessary to “return to reality” and focus on “real problems faced by citizens, rather than high politics.”
Newly elected Assembly Chairperson Nemanja Biševac thanked Azemi for his remarks, stressing that all councillors have the right to express their views.
“I am glad to hear you say ‘let us return to reality,’ because that is yet another indication that the previous Assembly and mayor did not act in the interests of communities—particularly not the majority community,” Biševac said ahead of the vote.
The proposal was subsequently adopted, formally initiating North Mitrovica’s withdrawal from the Association of Kosovo Municipalities.
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