It was a bitter pill for many Serbs to swallow, in particular the 50,000 who still live in Serb enclaves in Kosovo, where Mr Dacic himself originally hails from too. While he insists that a new system of devolved local government and policing will protect their rights as a minority, some Kosovan Serbs have branded him a “traitor” to the Serb cause. Yet while the criticism stings - Mr Dacic says he “understands their feelings”, and talks sadly of how his own home town in Kosovo now has hardly any Serbs left - it is not the first time he has had his patriotism questioned.