The European Commission has raised serious concerns over the treatment of national minorities in Serbia, highlighting ongoing discrimination, hate speech, institutional underrepresentation and unresolved issues affecting the Albanian community in the Preševo Valley.
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One of the concerns highlighted in the report is the presence of hate speech targeting national minorities in the media and political discourse.
“Cases of hate speech against national minorities in the media and by some politicians have been reported,” the Commission stated.
The report also addresses specific issues affecting ethnic Albanians in southern Serbia, particularly their representation in public institutions.
Regarding efforts to improve Albanian representation, the European Commission noted that the action plan adopted for this purpose has yet to produce measurable results.
“The action plan for improvements in the representation of Albanians in institutions has not yet delivered measurable outcomes,” the report states.
This assessment highlights the continuing gap between Serbia's commitments and the actual participation of Albanians in the country's institutional structures.
Another particularly sensitive issue concerns the so-called address deregistration or passivisation of addresses, a practice that has raised serious concerns among Albanians living in the Preševo Valley, including in the municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa.
The European Commission calls on Serbian authorities to address the concerns raised by the Council of Europe, improve communication with affected citizens and ensure clearer and more effective mechanisms through which individuals can challenge decisions concerning the passive registration of their addresses.
The report further points to the broader problem of national minorities remaining underrepresented in public administration and the judiciary. It also highlights the insufficient availability of public media services in minority languages, limiting access to information in their respective mother tongues.
These findings are particularly significant because they are not political accusations or statements made by individual representatives of the Albanian community. They are assessments contained in an official European Commission document evaluating Serbia's progress towards European Union membership.
For Albanians in Serbia, particularly those living in the Preševo Valley, the issues identified in the report concern fundamental rights: equality before the law, institutional representation, protection against discrimination, access to public services and the right to preserve their linguistic and national identity.
The findings also raise a broader question about Serbia's commitment to European integration. A country seeking membership in the European Union cannot treat minority rights as a secondary issue while continuing to face unresolved problems in their practical implementation.
European integration is not measured solely by political declarations, diplomatic commitments or legislative reforms. It must also be reflected in the everyday lives of citizens, including members of national minorities who expect equal treatment, effective protection of their rights and meaningful participation in public life.
The European Commission's message is clear: Serbia must translate its commitments on minority protection into measurable results, including for the Albanian community.