The use of the term “siptari” by Serbian politicians has been a controversial issue and is considered offensive to Albanians. This term, a distortion of the word “shqiptar,” carries negative connotations in the Serbian context, portraying Albanians as primitive and uncivilized people. Even Serbian courts have deemed the term offensive, yet Ana Brnabic reintroduced it in Serbia’s highest legislative institution.

The first spring parliamentary session in Serbia, held on March 4, 2024, in Belgrade, was marked by high tensions, chaos, and physical altercations among MPs. What began as a routine debate quickly turned into a tense scene, with opposition MPs throwing smoke bombs, causing the session to be interrupted.

A noticeable element of this debate was the ruling party’s attempt to link Serbia’s political situation with Kosovo. The Speaker of the Parliament, Ana Brnabic, accused the opposition of acting in favor of Kosovo’s media, which, according to her, are close to Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“You’ve become stars, you’re his followers, well done (…),” Brnabic said. During her statement, she referred to Kosovo’s media using the derogatory and offensive term “siptari,” aiming to delegitimize their reporting while simultaneously discrediting the Serbian opposition by associating it with Kosovo.

“This is just a small part of how the ‘siptari’ media praises you (…),” she said while holding reports from two Kosovo-based media outlets, “Koha” and “Reporteri”, regarding the developments in the Serbian Parliament.

Pro-government Serbian media widely covered this statement. The portal “Informer” published an article titled: “Ana Brnabic unfurled the Serbian tricolor in Parliament: Our response to Kurti’s policies will be Serbia!”, portraying Brnabic as a figure defending Serbian national interests against what is suggested to be foreign influence.

The use of the term “siptar,” which is considered offensive, was widely criticized by representatives of the Albanian community in Serbia. The only Albanian MP in the Serbian Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, responded by calling it part of a political culture rooted in Serbian ultranationalism. He emphasized that the use of such language by high-ranking political figures is not accidental but reflects the official stance of the Serbian state toward Albanians in Kosovo and in the Presheva Valley, Medvegjë, and Bujanoc.

“Ana Brnabic, the current Speaker of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Serbia, in her statements during today’s session, where the opposition used tear gas and there was violence among MPs, used hate speech and displayed fascism against Albanians and Kosovo’s media,” Kamberi stated.

Reactions also came from the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK). The Chairman of AGK’s Board, Xhemajl Rexha, described Brnabic’s statement as racist and dangerous, emphasizing that such use of hate speech puts at risk media outlets reporting on developments in Serbia and Kosovo.

This is not the first time Serbian politicians have used this terminology. Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. and the U.K. for his ties to organized crime and Russian influence, has also used the term “siptari” in the past, attempting to create a narrative that portrays Albanians as a destabilizing element.

Insults from the highest levels of power have continued despite a ruling by a Serbian court, which deemed the term “siptari” politically incorrect and offensive.

At the end of 2018, the Court of Appeals in Belgrade upheld a decision by the High Court, sanctioning the use of the term “siptar” as hate speech. The case was brought forward by Anita Mitic, a former activist of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, against the tabloid “Informer”. The court ruled that the use of this term constitutes hate speech and is offensive to Albanians.

The Court has also indicated that use of terms such as “shqiptars”, “Soros shqiptar organization” and “special war” constitute hate speech and breach the duty journalists have to harness a culture of ethics and public speech. The use of the aforementioned terms was deemed as a breach of the ban on hate speech for political and other beliefs, the values and objectives the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Anita Mitic stand for.

The approach of Serbian politicians reflects a clear strategy of instrumentalizing Albanians and the relationship with Kosovo for domestic political purposes. Through such statements, the Serbian government seeks to divert attention from protests and its internal crises by exploiting nationalism. The use of pejorative language and insults against Albanians deepens ethnic divisions in the region and negatively impacts efforts for stability and constructive dialogue.

*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”