BRUSSELS – The European Union has expressed regret after the recent calls of the Serbian List to boycott the conduct of the voting for the dismissal of the elected Albanian mayors in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo, inhabited by a majority of Serbs.

This action by Lista Serbe comes as a reaction to recent efforts to strengthen local representation and governance in the north of Kosovo.

In a statement sent to the media, the EU also expressed regret for the call for Serbs to withdraw from the population census process in Kosovo.

“We take note of the concerns expressed by Kosovo Serbs regarding the process for the new elections. Despite this, we call on the Serbian List to reconsider the decision not to participate, as democracy means participation and the realization of the right for Kosovo Serbs to express their views in the ballot boxes”, the EU was quoted as saying.

The EU emphasized that the development of local elections in these municipalities is important for ensuring representative governance and reducing tensions.

“The holding of new elections for mayors should ensure full representative governance in the north and help reduce tensions. The vote for dismissal is a step in this direction”, the EU added.