UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 8, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani: KFOR a key partner in preventing Serbia’s destabilizing tactics (media)
Kurti: As soon as the Assembly starts work, we’ll elect the new government (KSP)
Orav: Every vote matters and counts in strengthening Kosovo (media)
Kurti asked about Vucic’s interference in the Kosovo elections (media)
Kurti, Ulutas discuss the importance of coordination and cooperation (media)
Limaj: Basha must resign or be dismissed from Assembly Speaker post (media)
Qalaj: If we go to new elections, VV will suffer a major decline (Indeksonline)
Rasic: SL using blackmail, threats, jobs to influence voters in north (media)
Serbian List announces election rally with “pro-Russian singer” (Telegrafi/EO)
Kurti and Rizvanolli visit Kosova B, promise stability in energy supply (RTK)
Govt allocates €8.9 million for 198 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (AP)
TALIS 2024: 60 percent of teachers in Kosovo are women (Express)
Kosovo Police special units part of international competition in Jordan (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Protest of Students in Blockade in “support to their colleagues and compatriots from KiM” (Zubin Potok Info, Alternativna, Beta, NMagazin)
Ombudsman and deputies to perform their duty until election of new managers of that institution (Kosovo Online)
Unknown persons painted over stands in Serbian flag colors at sports pitch in Brdjane (KoSSev)
Serbian Democracy: Rasic files two complaints against SD and Vladimir Radosavljevic (KiM radio)
Serbian Democracy vice president claims about 40 percent of businesses were closed in north (social media)
Grozdan Bisevac: Villages in Zubin Potok municipality without electricity for the seventh night (Kontakt plus radio)
Miftaraj: Government in technical mandate has no legitimacy for decisions such as giving 100 euros to students (Kosovo Online, social media)
More than 210,000 people left Kosovo in last four years (Kosovo Online, Radio kontakt plus)
New wave of domestic violence in Kosovo – five new cases reported over last 24 hours (KoSSev)
Protest in Novi Sad over Serbia’s 13th femicide of 2025 (N1)
Croatian JANAF gets license to continue supplying NIS (N1)
S&P Global Ratings confirms Serbia’s rating at BBB- (RTS, N1)

International:

World Bank affirms Kosovo’s 2025 GDP growth projection at 3.8% (SeeNews)
Local elections in Kosovo 2025: the role of Russia, the US and the EU in reshaping the political landscape (IFIMES)
‘No one’s above the law’: Albania’s anti-graft prosecutor leaves formidable legacy (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani: KFOR a key partner in preventing Serbia’s destabilizing tactics (media)

Most news websites report that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Tuesday with newly appointed commander of KFOR, Major General Ozkan Ulutas, congratulating him on the post and for his return to Kosovo and expressing full belief for close cooperation in achieving the joint objectives for peace and security in Kosovo and the region. “Discussing developments in the security area and threats coming from Serbia, including threats with special focus on using drones, the President highlighted the importance of coordination and cooperation between KFOR and our security institutions with the aim of preventing Serbia’s destabilizing tactics,” a press release issued by Osmani’s office notes.

Kurti: As soon as the Assembly starts work, we’ll elect the new government (KSP)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti told the news agency today that as soon as the Kosovo Assembly starts its work, the new government will be elected. “We are the caretaker government. As soon as the Assembly starts its work, we will elect the new government,” he said when asked about the possibility of a provisional government, an idea proposed by Alternativa leader Mimoza Kusari-Lila.

Orav: Every vote matters and counts in strengthening Kosovo (media)

Most news websites cover a Facebook post by the EU Office in Kosovo saying that “reflecting on the upcoming local elections, the EU Ambassador in Kosovo Aivo Orav, said today that every electoral vote counts & matters in strengthening Kosovo as a vibrant & multi-ethnic democratic country”. “With local elections coming up this Sunday, I call on all eligible voters, regardless of ethnicity or party preference, to cast their ballot & choose their representatives. It is imperative that voting be carried out in a free, fair and inclusive manner, the will of the voters respected, and results implemented. These local elections are a test of Kosovo’s democracy. Passing it successfully opens up Kosovo to new opportunities,” Orav said.

Kurti asked about Vucic’s interference in the Kosovo elections (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti was asked by Ekonomia Online today about Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s interference in the upcoming October 12 local elections in Kosovo. “I spoke at the government meeting. You have the full paragraph there – what I said there is very accurate,” Kurti responded.

At the meeting of the caretaker government on Tuesday, Kurti accused Serbia today of interfering in elections by promising new jobs and financial benefits for Serbs in Kosovo. “They cannot be qualified any differently than interference in the October municipal election in the Republic of Kosovo. Promises for jobs, financial support, conditioning and blackmailing with social benefits, and statements by Serbian state officials that only the Serbian List defends Serbia in Kosovo, as was the case with former Serbian Prime Minister and current advisor to the President there, and same as President Vucic himself, these are repeated methods of Serbia’s interference in the election process in Kosovo,” he said. Kurti also recalled a report by the EU election monitoring mission in the February 9 parliamentary elections in Kosovo which had concluded that Serbia had interfered in the process. He criticized the lack of a reaction at the time by the European Union and said that this is encouraging Serbia to continue with the same practices.

Kurti, Ulutas discuss the importance of coordination and cooperation (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti hosted today the newly appointed commander of NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, Major General Ozkan Ulutas, and highlighted the importance of coordination and cooperation between Kosovo’s security institutions and KFOR. Kurti also expressed his and the government’s readiness and engagement to closely cooperate with KFOR in maintaining peace and security throughout Kosovo.

Limaj: Basha must resign or be dismissed from Assembly Speaker post (media)

NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj, in a debate on Klan Kosova on Tuesday, argued that Kosovo Assembly Speaker Dimal Basha must resign his post because of his participation in a research that attacked the values of the former Kosovo Liberation Army. “The situation needs to be restored to normality, either through a resignation or dismissal, because whenever the Security Council meets, this person will be used on the table,” he argued. “The Assembly Speaker drafted a scientific paper. It is a document by an intellectual that Kosovo agreed to have at the helm of the Assembly. This is the hypocrisy I am talking about. That man should resign and live with the mistake he made”.

Limaj also said that he is ready for talks and meetings with Vetevendosje leader and caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti on national topics. “For some time, we were under heavy criticism and often without any reason, because they did not understand what we were discussing. Within 24 hours, when the Prime Minister of my country invites me for national topics, I will be there, because I don’t have another Kosovo,” he said.

Qalaj: If we go to new elections, VV will suffer a major decline (Indeksonline)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP Rashit Qalaj, in an interview with the news website, criticized the Vetevendosje Movement and caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti for intentionally creating the political deadlock. “I think the deadlock is intentional, always bearing in mind the appetite of MP Kurti stay as long as possible in the Prime Minister’s Office … and also the lack of readiness by the party that has won the biggest number of seats in the Assembly to cooperate with the Albanian parties represented in the Assembly and to make preparations for new elections as soon as possible,” he said.

According to Qalaj, new parliamentary elections will create a completely new reality where the Vetevendosje Movement will suffer a major decline and there will be a change in the number of seats in the Kosovo, “so I believe that the other parties will form a new government which will work for the future of Kosovo”.

Rasic: Serbian List using blackmail, threats, jobs to influence voters in north (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rasic, in an interview with Ekonomia Online, said that the election campaign in the north of Kosovo is being held under pressure, brutal methods and blackmails by representatives of the Serbian List and the institutions of Serbia, which according to him, are directly influencing the people and candidates of other parties. He said that the situation in the north remains fragile and that Serbian List representatives are exerting pressure on people and going to every single home to secure political support.

Rasic said that his party has good candidates in three northern municipalities but that this is overshadowed by what he called brutal methods used by mechanisms of the Serbian List. “The President of Serbia again used insults against the opponents of the Serbian List. They [Belgrade] never hesitate to say that the only list supported by the government and authorities of Serbia is the Serbian List. Serbian List representatives are blackmailing and threatening everyone that has a different opinion. Activists of other political parties are being removed from salary lists, from social assistance lists. They also manipulate with the aid of 20,000 Dinars for unemployed people. So, all these mechanisms are being used brutally against people as if they are the biggest enemies,” he said.

According to Rasic, Serbian List representatives are also exerting influence through direct offers for employment in the healthcare sector and other institutions, by asking people to vote for them in return. “These structures of the Serbian List are going to every household, where they know that there is a medical nurse, a doctor or someone that can work in the healthcare sector, they offer them jobs in exchange for votes from the whole family and even ask them to take pictures of their votes. So nothing is changing for the better. Ever since the Serbian List was formed in 2013, after the Brussels agreement, that document created room for a consent between the parties, in this case Belgrade and Pristina, for the Serbian List as a mechanism of Belgrade to take over all institutions within Kosovo. Since that time, they started this brutal methodology against their people and the brutality increased after every election process”.

Rasic said that the same practices are being applied in other regions of Kosovo too, including Anamorava, where people that benefit from aid or subsidies [from the Kosovo government] have been removed from Serbia’s social aid lists. “My associates have been stopped at the border [between Kosovo and Serbia] and were interrogated by members of the Serbian intelligence agency, there were threats against my family, through our cousins living in Serbia. There is an abnormal campaign every time there are elections, be they central or local,” he argued.

Rasic said that mechanisms have been activated to mobilize Serbs with Kosovo documents living in Serbia to come to Kosovo and vote for the Serbian List. “They will also get lists of who to vote for and normally all of them have been instructed to vote for the Serbian List. There are so many mechanisms that sometimes exhaust me as an individual and a politician to fight against such a big and brutal machinery,” he concluded.

In another article titled “Serbia takes revenge on Rasic, removes from work his candidate for Shterpce mayor”, the news website learns that the decision to fire Sladan Nikolcevic was taken following Serbia’s directives and without prior notice. “This is related to the methods that Serbia is using,” an unnamed source told Ekonomia Online.

Telegrafi quotes Rasic as saying that those that express opposition to the Serbian List are being fired from work. “An hour ago, I was informed that our candidate for Shterpce mayor has been fired from work. The candidate has been fired, and I have the notification. Not only in the north, but throughout the territory of Kosovo, we are faced with brutal and systematic violence against all those on lists for the local elections and their families too. Everyone is being treated brutally, removals from salary lists, social schemes, and any benefit they can have. This is happening in all elections,” he argued.

Rasic also expressed concern with the lack of reaction from Kosovo’s institutions. “I am disappointed with Kosovo’s institutions which do not have the power to stop these phenomena that have been repeated since 2012. In every election, those that are against the Serbian List are being treated as the biggest enemies and the consequences are that this is creating great instability among all those that are against the Serbian List. I am disappointed by the softness of Kosovo’s institutions which are incapable of protecting their own people,” he said.

Serbian List announces election rally with “pro-Russian singer” (Telegrafi/EO)

Telegrafi and Ekonomia Online report that the Serbian List has planned to organize a concert in Mitrovica North square today as an election rally, with “a Serbian singer with pro-Russian affiliation”. Telegrafi notes that the artist is known for interpreting “a nationalistic song” which contains messages “about the return of Serbia to Kosovo”. The news website contacted Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the north of Kosovo, Veton Elshani, who confirmed the holding of a rally by the Serbian List but did not comment on the concert. “It is an election rally of the Serbian List,” he said briefly. Ekonomia Online covers the story under the headline “Serbian List provokes during the campaign, organizes an event with pro-Russian singer that promotes narrative of Serbian genocide”.

Kurti and Rizvanolli visit Kosova B, promise stability in energy supply (RTK)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti together with Minister for Economy Artane Rizvanolli visited today the Kosova B power plant after the completion of works on the rehabilitation and modernization of the B2 unit, the news website reports. “Today we are marking the successful completion of one of the most important projects of Kosovo’s power corporation, the modernization of the B2 production unit, which guarantees long-term stability in supply of electricity for the whole country. We commend the workers and KEK for this major achievement for our country,” Kurti said.

Govt allocates €8.9 million for 198 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (AP)

The news website reports that in a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry for signing agreements with beneficiary enterprises, caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that through these agreements the government is providing financial support for 198 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The enterprises, he said, were selected as financial beneficiaries of a total of €8.9 million by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. “Creating a favorable environment for doing business and increasing the competitiveness of our enterprises remain unchanging priorities,” he said.

TALIS 2024: 60 percent of teachers in Kosovo are women (Express)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Education said in a statement today that the initial results of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) for 2024 have been published. Gazeta Express notes in its coverage that according to the survey, 60 percent of teachers in Kosovo are women and the average of teachers is 44 years old.

The Ministry said that this is the first time that Kosovo has taken part in the international survey which includes 55 educational systems from the whole world and aims to collect data on teaching, learning and working conditions of teachers and school directors.

See the survey at: https://shorturl.at/88jfl

Kosovo Police special units part of international competition in Jordan (media)

All news websites report that members of Kosovo Police special units are taking part in an international competition of elite police and military units from 38 world countries in Jordan. Kosovo Police said in a Facebook post that “in the competition, elite police and military units are competing in several disciplines of high degree difficulty and tactics, such as shooting of various types of weapons, marches with heavy weights, and other parts of exercises of this area of police/military operation. Kosovo Police with its elite unit is showing professionalism and positive results in various fields among police officers from different countries. The PK team has managed to enter the final part of the 'King Challenge' race, where the 15 most successful teams of this organization/race will be participating in this stage”.

Serbian Language Media

Protest of Students in Blockade in “support to their colleagues and compatriots from KiM” (Zubin Potok Info, Alternativna, Beta, NMagazin )

Students in the blockade announced a protest on Saturday, October 11, in Belgrade as ''a support of their colleagues from Kosovo and Metohija'', reported Zubin Potok Info today.

"Aware that the people of Kosovo and Metohija are left without support and help by the current government, except when their suffering is used for the purposes of media and election propaganda, obviously ignoring the fact that helping its citizens is their moral and legal obligation, we, the students in the blockade, who stand for a just state and respect for the Constitution, are obliged to remind the public that the University of Pristina is part of our university system and to be in solidarity with our colleagues, and together end the media darkness," read the post, cited Zubin Potok Info.

The post added that they must raise awareness about the repression and problems that are happening in Kosovo every day and resolutely refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice.

"We invite everyone to join us on October 11 and together show solidarity with our people in Kosovo and Metohija," they stated.

A map of the protest scheduled for 2 p.m. was also published, and as the starting point is the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, and the final point is the Faculty of Law in Belgrade.

Ombudsman and deputies to perform their duty until election of new managers of that institution (Kosovo Online)

The Ombudsman institution in Kosovo announced that Ombudsman Naim Qelaj, as well as his deputies, whose mandate has expired, will continue to perform their functions with full powers until the election of new managers, reported Kosovo Online last night, citing Gazeta Express.

The institution explained in the statement that according to the Constitution, the ombudsman is elected by the Assembly of Kosovo for a five-year term, without the right to re-election.

The statement read that, according to the Law on the Ombudsman, the managers of this institution will perform their functions even after the end of their mandate, until the election of new managers.

"Furthermore, the ombudsman points out Law No. 05/L-019 on the ombudsman, i.e., Article 14, paragraph 3, according to which it is determined that: ``In the event of the termination of the mandate, the ombudsman or his/her deputy shall perform his/her function until the election of a new ombudsman, i.e. a new deputy,'" it added.

The announcement stated that the ombudsman's mandate expired at the end of September, while the deputy's mandate expired in June this year.

Unknown persons painted over stands in Serbian flag colors at sports pitch in Brdjane (KoSSev)

During the last night unknown persons painted over the stands in a football stadium which were in colors of the Serbian flag, at Brdjane settlement in Mitrovica North, KoSSev portal reported. Serbian List mayoral candidate in this city Milan Radojevic informed the public of this incident. Paint had been splashed over the stands that were painted in colors of the Serbian flag.

Radojevic said that “the sports field on the hill, jointly renovated by residents of this settlement, benefactors and people of good will was desecrated”, adding that recently a magnificent football tournament was held there.

Perpetrators remain unknown. Radojevic termed the incident as yet another provocation by outgoing Kurti’s regime, adding this is something that Serbian List will fight against. At the end of his video address, Radojevic called on his fellow-residents to vote for the Serbian List on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Kosovo police deputy commander for the region North Veton Elshani upon being asked by the portal if Kosovo police is aware of this incident, said that they do not have information about it, and that the case has not been reported so far.

Serbian Democracy: Rasic files two complaints against SD and Vladimir Radosavljevic (KiM radio)

Serbian Democracy (SD) announced that Nenad Rasic, acting Minister for Communities and Return in Kosovo Government and the president of the party "For Freedom, Justice and Survival", filed two complaints against this party and their candidate for mayor of Leposavic, Vladimir Radosavljevic, reported KiM radio.

According to this party, the first application dates from December last year, that is, from a period that did not include any pre-election campaign, therefore according to the SD party, the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel has no authority to act on that complaint.

The SD party said that the second complaint was submitted during the current election campaign. The reason for this complaint, they added, was that their candidate for mayor of Leposavic, Vladimir Radosavljevic, "discovered the involvement of the German organization GIZ in the pre-election campaign of Nenad Rasic - through the Ministry of Communities and Return".

Serbian Democracy saw this as ''pressure by Rasic'', but also "withdrawal of funds from their pre-election campaign".

"Rasic is trying to intimidate political opponents and stifle the truth through lawsuits and administrative abuses."

At the same time, this party expressed concern that the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel, even after several months, did not decide on the case initiated on February 3 (during parliamentary pre-election campaing), in which, according to them, convincing evidence of "buying of votes in Leposavic by Rasic's party" was presented.

Serbian Democracy vice president claims about 40 percent of businesses were closed in north (social media)

Serbian Democracy published a pre-election, promotional video on social media featuring vice-president of this party Stefan Veljković, who claims that since the Albanian mayors assumed offices in northern Kosovo, about 40 percent of Serbian businesses in the north were closed.

“Candidate for councilor in the Assembly of North Mitrovica Stefan Veljković: Personally, as your councilor, I will be committed to ensuring that the inspection performs its work impartially - regardless of the ethnicity of the business owner”, Veljkovic said.

“Did you know that in the north, ever since illegitimate mayors came, about 40 percent of Serbian businesses were closed? Well, when Serbian Democracy would govern North Mitrovica, I can promise you that the inspections would do their job impartially”, he added.

Grozdan Bisevac: Villages in Zubin Potok municipality without electricity for the seventh night (Kontakt plus radio)

Residents of several villages in the municipality of Zubin Potok have been without electricity for the seventh night, reported Kontakt plus radio. In a statement, Grozdan Bisevac from CI "New Face - People's Justice", warned of damages and demanded an immediate response from the authorities.

"Until this day, we have not received any official explanation from the competent institutions - when the problem will be solved, nor who will compensate the damage suffered by the citizens," read the statement of Bisevac, representative of the Citizens' Initiative "New face - People's justice".

"The institutions do not provide electricity, and they print bills properly," he said among other things.

The specific question was asked in the statement: "When will the electric distribution network be functional again in all the affected villages and who will compensate the damage to the citizens who do not benefit from electricity, but bear the consequences, while they have to pay the bills?"

Bisevac announced that a letter will be sent to the municipality with a request to ask Elektrosever and KEDS to build a new transmission line from Zubin Potok to Prevlaka, six kilometers long, to permanently solve the perennial problem.

"It can't be like this anymore. It's time for the authorities to act transparently, responsibly and in the interest of the citizens," concluded Bisevac.

The "Elektrosever" company was contacted by Kontakt Plus radio regarding these allegations, but by the time this news was published, no response was received.

Miftaraj: Government in technical mandate has no legitimacy for decisions such as giving 100 euros to students (Kosovo Online, social media)

Kosovo Judicial Institute Director, Ehat Miftaraj said the decision of Kosovo Government in technical mandate to allocate 100 euros to all students is not legal, adding it bears a clear pre-election markings, given that local elections are held on Sunday, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Pristina-based Ekonomia online. He also described this decision as an attempt to secure votes ahead of elections.

“First this decision is disputable for several reasons, being it in a sense of legitimacy or in a sense of legality. We have a government whose mandate to carry out their authorities and responsibilities has expired, according to the Supreme Court verdict, because the MPs mandate had been confirmed to the majority of ministers”, Miftaraj said.

He recalled earlier statements from the Self-determination Movement criticizing previous governments for making similar decisions during the pre-election campaign. “They perceived it as a sort of corruption by which vote-buying from citizens was attempted. Therefore, we can conclude this is about a populist decision with election markings”, Miftaraj said.

He also opined this decision was not based on real analysis of the students’ needs. “If there were serious analysis and the government with full legality, the funds would be allocated to those students in difficult economic situations and not equally to all. There are students who are well off, even millioners, who do not need this money ... .For those in difficult situations, this can be a temporary relief, but will not solve the problem (…)”, Mifrataj said. As he added, if those funds were invested in students’ dormitories, education programs or other areas that impact quality of education directly, there could be a long-term effect.

More than 210,000 people left Kosovo in last four years (Kosovo Online, Radio kontakt plus)

According to the latest statistics of the European Statistics Agency (Eurostat) more than 360,000 people left Kosovo in the period from 2015 to 2024 and obtained residence permits in European countries. However, the largest percentage of them left during the period of outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s rule, from 2020 – 2024, when 210,442 left Kosovo and became residents of some other European countries, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Pristina-based Demokracia.

This statistic does not include people from Kosovo who emigrated to Great Britain, US or Canada or are staying illegally in some of the European states.

The number of people from Kosovo who obtained permits for longer stay in Europe, in the 2020-2024 period is as follows: 2024 – 38,770, 2023 – 48,937, 2022 – 46,965, 2021 - 43,636, 2020 - 32,134.

New wave of domestic violence in Kosovo – five new cases reported over last 24 hours (KoSSev)

The wave of domestic violence in Kosovo continues, KoSSev portal writes today, adding that five more cases were reported yesterday. Two cases were reported in Pristina, and one each in Klina, Pec and Djakovica.

Citing Kosovo police reports the portal said a woman in Pristina suffered physical violence from her son. In the second case in Pristina a man exerted violence against his wife. He was detained but released following the interview.

In Klina, a woman reported continuing problems with her husband, who physically assaulted her. She received medical treatment. Both parties were interviewed, the man was released and the woman with a child sent to shelter. In Pec a man was arrested upon insulting and physically assaulting his mother. She received medical treatment, and told police that her son has psychological problems. He was subsequently sent to Psychiatrist Ward. In Djakovica a man was arrested because while intoxicated he physically assaulted his wife and son. During the search of his house, the police found two explosive devices, later removed by the Kosovo demining unit. He was detained.

Protest in Novi Sad over Serbia’s 13th femicide of 2025 (N1)

The activist group Women for Change held a protest in Novi Sad on Tuesday evening in response to the 13th femicide in Serbia this year, N1 reported. Women for Change emphasized that state institutions have, for years, ignored warnings and proposals from women’s organizations calling for effective measures to protect women from violence. They argue that the state bears responsibility for every preventable femicide.

The protest began with a speech by Maja Vasic, a representative of Women for Change, who read out the names of the 13 women killed in femicides since the start of 2025. She stressed that these names must be remembered and never be reduced to mere statistics.

In her speech, Vasic highlighted the unprecedented level of violence in society today, recalling recent cases that have shocked the public. “When young women and students have their jaws broken, are attacked with cars, and police officers humiliate and sexually insult them, strip them naked, and threaten them with rape, our legal system is busy tinkering with language”, she said. “Femicide is not inevitable. It is the result of inaction. A state that fails to protect its women becomes complicit in their murder”, Vasic stressed.

She told N1 that one of the biggest issues in Serbia’s legal framework is the failure to recognize femicide as a distinct criminal offense. She also noted that women seeking help from institutions often encounter “insensitive and inadequate” officials, which frequently leads to further stigmatization of victims who report domestic violence.

Croatian JANAF gets license to continue supplying NIS (N1)

Croatia’s JANAF oil pipeline company said it has been granted a license to continue supplying the Serbian national oil company NIS for another 7 days. NIS, a majority Russian-owned company, has been included in the US Treasury sanctions against the Russian energy sector. The sanctions were due to be imposed on October 1 but JANAF’s US lawyers managed to get a postponement, N1 reported.

“JANAF d.d. has obtained a license authorizing participation in activities that are customary and necessary for the transportation of oil, for the purpose of completing all activities undertaken under the valid crude oil transportation contract, by October 15, 2025”, a company statement said.

JANAF has a contract to supply oil to NIS by the end of 2026.

S&P Global Ratings confirms Serbia’s rating at BBB- (RTS, N1)

The S&P Global Ratings agency confirmed Serbia’s rating at BBB- with a stable outlook, the Serbian public broadcaster said. The RTS quoted a Finance Ministry press release which said that the S&P Global Ratings report said that Serbia continues to display macroeconomic stability with a credible fiscal policy framework and adequate hard currency reserves despite the increased political uncertainty and energy sector challenges.

It added that the report warned of possible risks in terms of a drop in foreign direct investments and the possible introduction of US sanctions against the national oil company NIS but that Serbia and its US and Russian partners are expected to find a lasting solution to guarantee energy supply security.

“Stable outlook reflects the agency’s assessment that the risks stemming from the domestic and international environment will be balanced by strong domestic demand, support from foreign investments and a further strengthening of fiscal and external buffers”, the Finance Ministry press release said.

The S&P Global Ratings report was released on October 4. The Moody’s agency set Serbia’s rating at Ba2 positive on August 30.

International

World Bank affirms Kosovo’s 2025 GDP growth projection at 3.8% (SeeNews)

The World Bank said on Tuesday it expects Kosovo's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to grow by 3.8% this year, following a 4.4% increase last year, keeping unchanged its earlier forecast for 2025 made in June.

The World Bank also maintained Kosovo's 2026 GDP growth forecast at 3.8%, it said in its latest Western Balkans Regular Economic Report.

"Prudent fiscal management and a rule-based fiscal framework have supported macroeconomic stability. However, despite recent progress, per capita income remains just 15 percent of the EU average, and growth has failed to generate sufficient jobs," the World Bank said.

In the Western Balkans region where Kosovo belongs, the World Bank anticipates a slowdown of economic growth in 2025, to 3% from 3.6% in 2024, due to a continued weak external environment combined with higher domestic pressures.

Local elections in Kosovo 2025: the role of Russia, the US and the EU in reshaping the political landscape (IFIMES)

The fifth local elections in Kosovo since its declaration of independence in 2008 are scheduled for 12 October, with the second round to follow on 2 November. Voters across 38 municipalities will elect mayors and members of municipal assemblies.

The International Institute IFIMES has previously published an analysis entitled “Local elections in Kosovo 2025: between institutional deadlock and a test of democracy” (29 September 2025), available at: https://www.ifimes.org/en/researches/local-elections-in-kosovo-2025-between-institutional-deadlock-and-a-test-of-democracy/5618

The outcome of these elections will have a decisive impact on Kosovo’s political stability, the integration of minority communities and the country’s international position. Should the Self-Determination Movement (LVV) retain or expand its control over the majority of municipalities, this would reinforce Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s standing in negotiations with international stakeholders. However, it could further deepen internal polarisation, especially if the opposition and the Serb community perceive the elections as neither fair nor transparent.

On the other hand, a strong performance by the opposition parties - the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) - could act as a catalyst for the creation of a broader political coalition capable of taking the initiative in stabilising the political scene and reviving dialogue with Belgrade under the EU’s auspices.