Serbia opens new jobs in its health institutions in Kosovo, three days before the elections

2025-12-24 17:32:21, Kosova & Bota CNA

Serbia opens new jobs in its health institutions in Kosovo, three days before

The Ministry of Health of the Government of Serbia has announced a vacancy for 300 new jobs in its health institutions in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo.

This is the second time she has promised new jobs on the eve of elections in the neighboring country this year, for which she has been criticized by Kosovo.

These competitions have been reopened at the height of the pre-election campaign for the early parliamentary elections in Kosovo, which are being held on December 28, in which the Serbian List, the main Serb party in Kosovo that enjoys the support of Belgrade, is also participating.

Meanwhile, senior officials from the Serbian List are in charge of many health institutions. For example, the leader of the Serbian List, Zlatan Ellek, is the director of the Clinical-Hospital Center in North Mitrovica, while parliamentary candidate Mirjana Dimitrijevi? is in charge of the Family Medicine Center in Gra?anica, near Pristina.

As can be seen on the website of the Serbian Ministry of Health, the new vacancies relate to employment in health institutions in Gracanica, Štrpce, North Mitrovica, Gjilan, Obiliq, Fushë Kosovë and Zubin Potok, for a fixed period of six months.

The Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia has announced that competitions for 50 other job positions in health institutions in Kosovo are also underway, which were announced on December 22.

"With the new employment, the level of health protection in Serbian environments in Kosovo and Metohija will be further improved, which shows the clear care of the state of Serbia and President Aleksandar Vu?i? for its people in Kosovo and Metohija," the announcement states.

At the end of November, the Serbian Ministry of Health extended the deadline for selecting new employees in its institutions operating in Serbian settings until January 15, 2026.

This is a competition for 400 jobs, which, first of all, and on the eve of the local elections in Kosovo on October 12, was announced by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, emphasizing that the state of Serbia "cares for the Serbian community in Kosovo."

The extension of the deadline for selecting new employees was justified by the large number of candidates submitted.

Several Serbian political parties in Kosovo have criticized this decision by the Ministry of Health before the new elections, assessing that this is not the first time that citizens have been "manipulated to support the leaders of the Serbian List."

Before the parliamentary elections in February this year, Serbia also had a competition open for healthcare institutions in Kosovo, but it was canceled after protests over "lack of transparency" and "party-based hiring of suitable people."

Kosovo's acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, in October accused Serbia of interfering in local elections in Kosovo by promising jobs and financial benefits.

In the upcoming elections on Sunday, the Serbian political entities participating in the electoral race are the Serbian List, Nenad Raši?'s Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, and Goran Marinkovi?'s Kosovo Alliance.

Meanwhile, the Serbian List has accused Raši? and his party of "misusing Kosovo institutions and buying votes."/REL