Hidden among the numerous headlines about reality shows and celebrity scandals on the February 21st cover of Srpski Telegraf, under the inscription DRAMA, was a headline about the situation in Kosovo resulting from the lack of Serbian dinars due to the regulation of the Central Bank of Kosovo.
„There has been no social benefits payments in Kosovo,“ the headline of this Belgrade tabloid further states.
This is the third week in a row since the issue of the Serbian dinar in Kosovo started gaining attention among Serbian tabloids.
The tabloids are reporting extensively about this topic, using dramatic and often sensationalist headlines.
The dinar situation in Kosovo is highlighted as a great catastrophe for Serbs, and its consequences are underscored when it comes to the payout of various benefits from Serbia, especially those intended for the most vulnerable groups and the elderly.
In their headlines, tabloids often employ expressions such as „agony“, „attack on soup kitchens“ and „Serbs are victims of democratic cleansing“ – all in order to capture the reader’s attention. The news items in these tabloids also cite statements from officials and comments condemning the decisions of the Kosovo authorities.
Such reporting peaked on February 21, when social benefits, child and parental allowances, and other benefits were disbursed.
Belgrade-based Informer also wrote that the Serbs were left without their income and benefits because of Pristina.
„Because of Kurti, the Serbs were also left without social assistance. Consequences of the Kosovo Prime Minister’s decision to ban the dinar“ – read the headline of this Belgrade tabloid, with the following text:
„Citizens’ money is deposited into their accounts, but there is no cash in the banks. They can withdraw only 10,000 dinars each.“
This is the situation on the ground, ongoing on for more than a month in the Kosovo Serb areas. Around February 20th, queues in front of banks became even longer, and citizens could withdraw a limited amount of money.
Belgrade tabloids further informed their readers about the difficult situation the Kosovo Serbs found themselves in through the headlines:
„‘Serbs are being robbed of social welfare’, ‘Kurti is also going for parental allowance’, ‘They are attacking soup kitchens, Kurti doesn’t even allow them to have a plate’, ‘Agony of Serbs in Kosovo’, ‘Our compatriots waited in lines to receive welfare and parental allowance without success’…”.
On February 23, Novosti daily focused on interlocutors from Kosovo, who shared their complaints:
„We won’t be able to survive. How will we buy milk?“
Pečat also wrote about this topic, with its February 24th headline: „Protest of Serbs in KM – victims of democratic ethnic cleansing.“
The next day, February 25, Politika shared a similar news piece:
„The dinar ban closes the cycle of repression in Kosovo and Metohija“.
Vesti newspaper highlighted Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski’s statement on the issue of the dinar, who condemned the West for keeping quiet about the Serbian Golgotha.
A meeting was scheduled in Brussels, about which only Novosti reported on February 27, which also announced the participation of Serbian bankers. The next day, only Politika reported on that meeting with the headline:
„Petković pointed out the perniciousness of Kurti’s policy in Brussels“.
For the next week, instead of highlighting the dinar problem in Kosovo, these tabloids wrote about the „successes“ and „blackmail“ of Serbia.
The successes came from Tirana, where the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, as he said himself, managed to remove the sanctions against Russia from the declaration for Ukraine, but also that line that „Kosovo is a state“.
„Great victory of Serbia in Tirana, sanctions against Russia and the ‘state’ of Kosovo“ read the headline on the front page of Novosti.
„A great victory. From the declaration of the summit in Tirana, the line that Kosovo is a state has been removed“ – read the headline in Kurir.
Accordingly, Alo conveyed the Serbian president’s statement that „Kosovo will never be a state for us.“
From a great victory in front of the international community, they then turned to never-stronger blackmail from the West.
Over the weekend, these tabloids transmitted the statements of the Serbian president in his last extraordinary address from the Presidency on their front pages.
A strike in 3 acts, Kurir wrote, conveying a part of the address in which Vučić drew on a blackboard what was expected of Serbia:
„Recognize Kosovo, but forget Serbia and become puppets“ – reported Novosti.
„Three blackmails, never stronger pressure from the West on Serbia. Their goal is to bring puppets to power“ – Alo and Srpski Telegraf reported on the front page.
Finally, Kurir conveyed Vučić’s message that he „loves his country too much to support them“ on its cover.
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