Image: from Arab News X @arabnews
By Open Chronicle News Desk with Agencies
Kosovo has declared Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Snežana Paunović persona non grata, imposing a permanent ban on her entry into or transit through the country after remarks in which she said she would have “ethnically cleansed Kosovo” had she been in the position of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević during the 1998 Kosovo conflict.
The decision was announced by Kosovo’s Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla, who described the minister’s comments as reflecting the continuation of a state policy that, for decades, produced violence, crimes and attempts to expel Albanians from their homeland.
“As Kosovo’s Interior Minister, I have declared Snežana Paunović persona non grata, with a permanent ban on entering or transiting through the Republic of Kosovo,” Sveçla said, adding that the era of oppression and ethnic cleansing against Kosovo Albanians had ended and that any attempt to revive such ideologies would face a firm institutional response.
A Serbian minister openly fantasises about “ethnically cleansing” Kosovo. And barely any pushback in politics or in society. How is a country meant to join the EU like this? Hate and nationalism build no partnership. This is just sad and frustrating. pic.twitter.com/YKUn2O8FVp
— Michael Roth 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇮🇱🇬🇪 (@MiRo_SPD) July 15, 2026
Controversial remarks spark outrage
The diplomatic dispute erupted after Paunović said during a television interview in Belgrade that, if she had been in Milošević’s position in 1998, she “would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo.”
She later argued that her comments had been taken out of context, claiming she had merely been offering an analysis of historical events while insisting that a campaign of propaganda had been launched against her.
Her original statement nevertheless provoked immediate condemnation in Kosovo and abroad.
European Union condemns rhetoric
The European Union also reacted strongly to the controversy.
European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said there is “no place in Europe for rhetoric justifying and advocating ethnic cleansing,” stressing that such language contradicts the principles of human dignity, reconciliation and good neighbourly relations on which the European Union is founded.
She also called on political leaders to refrain from inflammatory statements and to contribute to regional stability through responsible public discourse.
Tensions remain high
Relations between Kosovo and Serbia have remained tense since Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Serbia continues to reject.
Although both sides have participated in European Union-mediated normalization talks for years, periodic political disputes and security incidents continue to strain relations.
The latest diplomatic confrontation underscores the fragility of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, with officials in Kosovo describing Paunović’s remarks as incompatible with efforts to build trust and reconciliation in the Western Balkans.