UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 28, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Krasniqi: Bedri Hamza is still PDK’s candidate for Prime Minister (media)
VV collecting signatures for another assembly session on new govt (media)
Serbs return to central and local institutions challenges logic of EU measures (AP)
Rasic: A different voice in the north was impossible four years ago (media)
Spiropali calls for integration of WB including Kosovo into the EU (media)
COMKFOR discusses Kosovo’s security situation with Montenegro Defense Minister (media)
“When the army returns to Kosovo” graffiti in Zvecan (media)
“How Albulena Haxhiu could become Acting Speaker and Acting President” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Elections in Junik and Klokot will not be repeated (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Baraliu: There are no elections without consultations, Kosovo wasting precious time due to political irresponsibility (Alternativna)
Shatri: Kosovo risks bankruptcy in early 2026 if a new government is not formed (Kosovo Online, RFE)
From newspapers to TikTok: How generations consume media differently (KoSSev)
PM Macut urges unity on November 1 (N1)

Opinion:

The fall of media freedom in Kosovo (European Western Balkans)
No silver bullet: Sanctions in Western Balkans risk becoming empty gestures (BIRN)

International:

Osmani: Kosovo eyeing new tech era in partnership with Saudi Arabia (Arab News)
Kosovo woman’s lifelong search for wartime missing persons (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Krasniqi: Bedri Hamza is still PDK’s candidate for Prime Minister (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi confirmed on Monday that Bedri Hamza will still be the party’s candidate for Prime Minister of Kosovo. After the new government proposed by caretaker Prime Minister and Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti failed to secure enough votes in the Assembly, there are bigger chances for Kosovo to go to early parliamentary elections. When asked about Hamza’s candidacy, Krasniqi said: “I believe so. As I have said from the first day I nominated him – and it has been over a year now – he (Bedri Hamza) is the right person for the phase that awaits us … The political program we presented in the elections and led by Hamza remains current even today, perhaps even more so than ever. The program includes increase of salaries and pensions, lower energy costs, the liberalization of the economy and better conditions for businesses and the private sector,” Krasniqi said.

VV collecting signatures for another assembly session on new government (media)

Citing sources, Indeksonline and RTV21 reported that the Vetevendosje Movement has started collecting signatures for another extraordinary session of the Assembly for the formation of a new government.

Serbs return to central and local institutions challenges logic of EU measures (AP)

The news website reports that when the EU imposed its measures on Kosovo in the summer of 2023, the situation in the north of Kosovo was extremely tense and the non-participation of the Serb community in the institutions was often used as an excuse for the restrictive measures. But the reality now is completely different. This year the Serb community took part in the parliamentary and local elections, and the logic that once supported the measures is now broken.

“The measures against Kosovo should have been lifted a long time ago. They were never justified. The refusal of the Serb community to take part in the elections and the violence that followed in 2023 was not a responsibility of the Kosovo government at all,” deputy chairman of the European Stability Initiative, Kristof Bender, said in an interview with the Albanian Post, and also referred to the terrorist attack in Banjska of Zvecan in September 2023. Bender said that the measures were not justifiable from the beginning, especially taking into account that Serbia was never sanctioned regardless of grounded doubts that it was involved in the armed attack that resulted in the death of a Kosovo police officer. “Imposing measures against Kosovo, in my opinion, was unreasonable, especially having in mind the attack in Banjska, which was carried out with support from Serbia and which brought absolutely no consequence for the Serbian government”.

Bender also recalled the political dynamic of the time, after the reaching of the Franko-German agreement, which Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was willing to sign, whereas Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he would not do that, thus questioning the seriousness of the European Union. “If one party does not sign it and says that it does not intend to do that, this means only one thing: there is no agreement – and you can ask any foreign jurist. The EU’s insistence that there is a binding agreement allowed Vucic ‘to save and eat the cake’: he could – with the support of the EU and the United States – call for the implementation of the agreement by Kosovo, and at the same time insist that Serbia had no obligations towards Kosovo, because it has not signed the agreement,” he argued.

Rasic: A different voice in the north was impossible four years ago (media)

Kosovo Assembly Deputy Speaker and leader of the Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, Nenad Rasic, in an interview with the news website, said that in the October 12 local elections his party competed in all Serb-inhabited areas including the north of Kosovo, which he said was an important achievement for political pluralism. “We ran in six municipalities and in those municipalities, we had candidates for mayors. Three in the north and three in the south – as a balance of opportunities and representation. This is the first time that we are appearing like this in the north,” he said.

Rasic said their campaign was mainly conducted through personal contacts and social networks. “It is difficult to organize rallies, because our main opponent, the Serbian List, uses that information to identify our supporters and to intimidate them with threats, blackmails and removal from work,” he said.

Rasic also said that his party received positive reactions from the people. “They are tired from the fear and from the control of a single party. We have managed for the first time to have representatives in the municipal assemblies in the north and this is a great achievement for political pluralism,” he said.

Commenting on the overall political situation in the north, Rasic said that “three or four years ago and even longer, it was not possible to have a different voice. Now we are seeing progress in terms of the representation of communities, especially in the north. But we still need much more work for people who think differently not to be afraid”.

Spiropali calls for integration of WB including Kosovo into the EU (media)

Several news websites report that Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Elisa Spiropali, has called for the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, including Kosovo, “as a strategic investment in our common future”. “A great pleasure to meet today with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice President of the EU Commission Kaja Kallas, to discuss Albania’s continued engagement as a real contributor of regional security, a reliable and proactive partner of the EU - fully aligned with EU CSFP, including our ongoing and unconditional support for Ukraine. I thanked the European Chief Diplomat for the financial support that the Union continues to provide to Albania, including in the areas of security and defense. I emphasized my full conviction that the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, including Kosovo, is a strategic investment in our common future,” Spiropali wrote in a post on X.

COMKFOR discusses Kosovo’s security situation with Montenegro Defense Minister (media)

The Commander of KFOR, Major General Ozkan Ulutas, met with Montenegro Minister of Defense Dragan Krapovic, and the Chief of Defense, Brigadier General Miodrag Vuksanovic, at the Ministry of Defense in Podgorica. According to a KFOR statement, they exchanged views on the security situation in Kosovo and on KFOR’s continued contribution to regional stability. General Ulutas expressed his appreciation for Montenegro’s unwavering support of the KFOR mission and commended professionalism of the Montenegrin personnel serving KFOR.

“When the army returns to Kosovo” graffiti in Zvecan (media)

Pristina-based TeVe1 TV station reported that graffiti calling for the return of the Serbian army to Kosovo has been seen in the north of Kosovo. “New provocation in the north: graffiti ‘when the army returns to Kosovo’ reappears in the village of Zhitkovc in Zvecan,” the TV station said in a video posted on Facebook.

“How Albulena Haxhiu could become Acting Speaker and Acting President” (media)

The proposal for Dimal Basha to take charge of the Ministry of Infrastructure in the Kurti 3 government, is according to Albert Krasniqi of Democracy Plus, part of a broader political strategy that could pave the way for Albulena Haxhiu to rise not only to the post of the Speaker of the Assembly but also to that of Acting President.

Speaking on Klan Kosova, Krasniqi explained that this scenario could unfold if Kosovo avoids early elections and if Basha relinquishes his current position as Speaker of the Assembly. In such a case, Haxhiu, as First Deputy Speaker, would automatically assume the leadership of the Assembly. This position would also make her Acting President of Kosovo for up to six months, should MPs fail to elect the new President within the constitutional timeframe. “There are still many uncertainties surrounding the process of establishing institutions and the possibility of early elections,” Krasniqi said, noting that a case is still pending before the Constitutional Court. “The entire process could return to point zero if the Court determines that the Assembly has not yet been properly constituted and that only the Serbian List may propose a member of the Assembly Presidency,” he added.

“In the event that Speaker Basha resigns, there is no defined time limit for how long a Deputy Speaker may serve in an acting capacity,” Krasniqi explained. “However, the Constitution does impose a six-month limit on anyone serving as Acting President.”

He clarified that the Acting Speaker exercises all the powers of the speaker, including the authority to serve as Acting President until a new Speaker is formally elected. “This mechanism exists to avoid institutional vacuum,” he said, “because the Constitution of Kosovo does not clearly specify what happens if the Assembly functions without an elected Speaker”.

Serbian Language Media

Elections in Junik and Klokot will not be repeated (Radio Mitrovica sever)

The Election Complaints and Appeals Panel announced that a second round of elections in the municipalities of Junik and Klokot will not be held because the complainants did not present evidence to support their claims. Both decisions were contested before the Supreme Court, reported Radio Mitrovica sever.

Neither Junik nor Klokot will seek re-election if the decisions of the Complaints and Appeals Election Panel are upheld. Radio Mitrovica sever portal recalled that initially this institution did not consider appeals but dealt with them after being ordered to do so by the Supreme Court.

AAK disputed the result in Junik, where the DSK candidate won. However, the Appeals Commission assessed that there was no evidence to prove AAK's claims.

In Klokot, an Albanian candidate for mayor complained about what he described as illegal voting with the help of a fake medical certificate. The selection panel assessed that the burden of proof falls on the complainant, who, it was emphasized, did not present sufficient evidence.

Baraliu: There are no elections without consultations, Kosovo wasting precious time due to political irresponsibility (Alternativna)

At the extraordinary session of Kosovo Assembly, no new government was elected. Albin Kurti, the leader of the Self-Determination Movement, received 56 votes in favor, 52 against and 4 abstentions, thus he did not become Kosovo PM for the third time. 61 votes are necessary for that, recalled Alternativna portal.

After the failure to elect a new government headed by Kurti, the representatives of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo (LDK) declared that they would not nominate a candidate because, as they said, they did not have enough votes. They announced early elections and the possibility of a post-election alliance - without the participation of Self-Determination.

Professor of constitutional law at the University of Pristina, Mazllum Baraliu, assessed for Alternativna that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, according to the Constitution, must once again invite the political parties for consultations before calling for special elections. He pointed out that Osmani has the possibility to once again offer the Self-Determination Movement to propose a new candidate for prime minister, and if that fails, to offer the mandate to another party. Only then if the government is not formed, the president can call for elections, which must be held within 40 days. Baraliu warned that Kosovo is wasting precious time due to the months-long institutional blockade and said that ''political parties must take responsibility and act in the interests of citizens, not party calculations''.

Professor Mazllum Baraliu explained to Alternativna that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has the possibility, according to the Constitution, to invite Self-Determination and the coalition once again if they have another candidate who could take on the possibility of forming a new government.

"In case of failure, the other party with the majority in the elections can be invited, which is the PDK. They have publicly said that they will not offer that possibility for a new mandate holder. If that does not happen, then the president of the country should announce new elections as soon as possible and within 40 days we would have extraordinary new elections", stressed Baraliu, adding that Osmani cannot again propose Kurti as a candidate.

"The opposition parties do not want him. Therefore, we are in a situation where we have to go to new elections instead of some alternative", Alternativna interlocutor pointed out.

The Constitution of Kosovo, Article 95 stipulates that if "the composition of the proposed Government does not obtain the necessary majority, the President of the Republic of Kosovo, within 10 days, appoints another candidate, based on the same procedure. If the government is not elected a second time, then the President of Kosovo calls for elections, which must be held within 40 days from the date of their announcement". Can Osmani immediately call for elections without consultation? Baraliu said that she cannot.

"She has to invite the parties and make an offer to them, because that's what the Constitution says. According to Article 84 of the Constitution, she is obliged to take care of the proper functioning of the institutions. Therefore, she should do it and will do it. Without that, she would not be able to go for snap elections", says Baraliu.

He went on saying that the time is "golden" because Kosovo has lost a lot during these eight months of institutional blockade.

"There are a lot of obligations in the country, decisions, international agreements and obligations, the growth plan is also about 900 million and so on - that's why we need to hurry, because this political class turned out to be very irresponsible towards society, towards citizens. It seems that they all like to 'pick' each other for political interests or formal and informal party interests and so on, for power that they can't get, because they can't agree", emphasized Baraliu. He concluded that the parties have taken on the obligation from the voters to work for ''the interests of citizens and institutions, and not for their own personal and party interests''.

"Nevertheless, Osmani should take care to invite the parties, regardless of the fact that they have publicly said that they will not propose a candidate. That is not an act, it is a public statement, and she should invite them", he added.

Shatri: Kosovo risks bankruptcy in early 2026 if a new government is not formed (Kosovo Online, RFE)

The failure to form a new government increased the fear that Kosovo will enter 2026 without a budget, says financial expert Haki Shatri, adding that Kosovo risks bankruptcy, because at the beginning of next year it may not have money for salaries, pensions and child benefits, reported Kosovo Online, citing RFE. In an interview with RFE, Shatri said that only a government with full powers can take initiatives to amend the budget law or to continue budget allocations for the first months of 2026.

The former Minister of Economy and Finance explained that if there is no government with a full mandate, which can work on documents such as the budget, then there is no one to send the draft law on the budget to the Parliament, even if it was prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Finance or competent bodies for its preparation.

"In this situation, there is no one to propose an amendment to the current budget law. A possible variant is one twelfth of this year's budget for the months of January and February next year. Procedurally, it is a proposal to amend this year's budget law, so it follows the same procedure as the adoption of the budget law itself. If there is no new government by January 1, there will be no one to propose this continuation of budget spending and public money," he said.

He adds that the Budget Law states that all budget allocations for the fiscal year 2025 expire on December 31, which means that the empowered government makes a decision that the Budget Law for 2025 continues with implementation in January and February 2026, which also falls under the amendment of the law and means the same procedure as the adoption of the law.

"The current Kosovo government has no right to this, unless the MPs turn a blind eye because their salary or some personal interests have been damaged and they say, 'come on, even though it is not in accordance with the law, we swallow this variant'. But this is illegal. I say this with full responsibility: it is illegal", he said.

He believes that during this year there will be extraordinary elections, but that there will not be a new government.

"According to the experience I had in the Assembly, the Assembly can 'go into the red' a bit, if the deputies agree with a majority of votes, to ask the Government to make a decision regarding the budget. Otherwise, there is no other way. I am simply sad about how far things have come, that it has come to this situation, 25 years since the liberation, that the state is bankrupt, that the state is closed, that it is not functioning. If on January 1 we do not have a final decision to continue with one twelfth of this year's budget, there will be no salaries, pensions, child allowances, there will be no more money for any type of expenditure, not even for fuel in official vehicles," Shatri said.

From newspapers to TikTok: How generations consume media differently (KoSSev)

In an era when the flow of information shifts by the day, generational differences have never been more visible than in the ways people consume media. While older generations continue to trust newspapers, television, and radio, younger audiences increasingly turn to smartphone screens, social media, and short video formats. The generational gap is not only about the choice of platform—it also shapes how information is perceived, verified, and shared.

Speaking to KoSSev, journalism student Marina Milentijević observes that for those who grew up with daily papers, evening news, and morning radio shows, traditional media remain synonymous with credibility. “Television still holds a dominant place in their daily information routine,” she says. However, since older audiences are less accustomed to the speed and algorithms of digital media, they tend to have a longer attention span.

Milentijević also points out a particular strength of these generations: their habit of preserving physical or digital copies of entertainment content—films, music, or video games—unlike younger people who rely almost entirely on streaming subscriptions.