On 3 February, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa declared that the Minister for Communities and Return, Aleksandar Jablanović, was no longer part of the Government, on the eve of a new protest that was set to take place on 4 February. As a result, the protest has been suspended for the time being. Jablanović had come under heavy criticism from a large number of political parties, non-governmental organizations, media outlets and the general public after he referred to members of an organization of relatives of missing persons who had blocked the entrance to the Orthodox Church in Gjakovë/Đakovica while protesting the arrival of Serbs to attend the Christmas liturgy as “savages”. At the same time, Srpska lista’s ministers in the government have been under fire since the establishment of the new Kosovo government in December 2014 for statements which indicated that they either ignored or do not recognize the independence of Kosovo, in line with the official standpoint of the Serbian government. On 24 January, a large number of people took part in a protest called by Vetëvendosje, AAK, and “Nisma për Kosovën” demanding Jablanović’s resignation and the adoption of a new Law on Public Enterprises, which would nationalize the Trepça/Trepča mining complex. In a follow-up protest on 27 January, violent clashes broke out between protestors and Kosovo Police.

On January 24, an estimated 10,000 protesters took the street of Prishtinë/Priština, in one of the largest demonstrations organized in Kosovo in recent times, demanding that Prime Minister Isa Mustafa dismisses Minister Aleksandar Jablanović over his controversial statements and that the Government of Kosovo take over the ownership over Trepça, Kosovo’s large and economically central mining complex. The protests were called by Vetëvendosje and the NGO “Thirrjet e Nënave” (Mothers’ Calls).

The new Kosovo coalition government brings together the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the two biggest parties from the Albanian side, with Srpska lista, the absolute winner of the elections among the Serb electorate in Kosovo, and backed by the Serbian government. As such, this government has the required political weight to address many large and complex issues that lie ahead. However, a steady stream of statements from the representatives of Srpska lista in the Kosovo Government, which either question or directly ignore the existence of the Republic of Kosovo, has jeopardised the previously established modus vivendi between the Albanian majority and Serb ministers in Kosovo governments. Presently, this government lacks coherence and political consensus to overcome political divergences within its ranks.

On 10 January, a peaceful protest demanding that Prime Minister Mustafa relieve Minister Jablanović of his duties was held in Gjakovë/Đakovica. The protest, called by Vetëvendosje and the NGO Mothers’ Call and attended by a few hundred citizens, was held after controversial statements made by Kosovo Government Minister Aleksandar Jablanović, which led to a series of furious reactions by opposition parties and the Ombudsperson of Kosovo.

On 6 January, Vetëvendosje activists, together with the NGO “Thirrjet e Nënave” (Mothers’ Calls), staged a protest in front of the premises of the Serb Orthodox Church in Gjakovë/Đakovica, in order to prevent the worshipers to enter the Church. The sit in was generally calm and nonviolent in nature. The Kosovo Police intervened and dispersed the protesters, arresting two people in the process.

Over the course of the implementation of the project Empowering Civil Society to Participate Effectively in Policy and Decision-Making Processes through Dialogue with Government Institutions, funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo, ECMI Kosovo, and with its partners Communication with Social Development (CSD) and Network of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Womens’ Organisation of Kosovo (NRAEWOK), supported the establishment of the Serb Community Network. The Anamorava/Pomoravlje region stretches through south eastern Kosovo, and has generally been characterised with stable inter-ethnic relations. However, the Serb community living in this area faces similar problems to other Serb communities, especially the youth. The establishment of a network fosters a link between various CSOs from the region and better advocate for their respective local government structures. Since many of these municipalities are newly established through the decentralisation process, the network is essential to providing a secure channel to work together. Moreover, many Serb inhabitants from this area feel they are underrepresented in comparison to other regions in Kosovo, showing the necessity of the network in order to make their voices heard at the central level and one within the Serbian community, operating in the Anamorova/Pomoravlje.