UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 10, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Kosovo Assembly constituted; Rasic elected deputy speaker (media)
Krasniqi: Hope there is no new case in court; let’s move to elections (Express)
Abdixhiku: Rules are clear, either new govt or new elections (Indeksonline)
Haxhiu: Vetevendosje open to a coalition, except with PDK and SL (Koha)
Svecla on Sheholli: Long story, plenty of evidence and not only on him (Lajmi)
Audio recording; Sheholli speaks of ties with SL and Milan Radoicic (media)
Press Council of Kosovo calls for accreditation of media (media)
AJK: CEC failed to accredit a small number of Albanian media too (media)
Krasniqi’s message on 26th anniversary of PDK’s formation (media)
UK Embassy congratulates KSF for winning silver at Cambrian Patrol (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian List announced filling complaint after Nenad Rasic was elected Deputy Speaker of Assembly citing Constitutional violations (media)
Rasic thanks colleagues in Serbian and Albanian for his election (media)
Petkovic: CEC's scandalous decision on Serbian media, vote for Serbian List response to Pristina (Tanjug, RTS)
ANEM: Institutions in Kosovo must allow media in Serbian language to report on local elections (Beta, NMagazin, Radio Mitrovica sever, N1)
Media in Serbian language seek an urgent reaction of Ombudsman over CEC's decision (Kosovo Online, Kontakt plus radio)
CSOs: Unprecedented CEC decision, request for immediate annulment (KiM radio)
Mijacic: CEC decision yet another clear example of institutional discrimination against Serbs (media, social media)
RTK publishes alleged audio of political analyst Fatmir Sheholli discussing ties with Serbia and Serbian List (KoSSev)
Zarko Zaric family writes letter to international organizations seeking his release (Kosovo Online)
Russian Ambassador: Sanctions on NIS a political decision, we will continue to support Belgrade (N1, FoNet)
Tass: Russia grateful to Serbia for humanitarian aid to Kursk region (N1)

Opinion:

Serbs need new faces free from old power centers (KoSSev)
Turkey’s drone sales to Kosovo test its friendship with Serbia (Balkan Insight)

International:

Kallxo election debates tackle Kosovo municipalities’ construction boom (PI)
Cooper affirms UK's commitment to stability in Western Balkans at summit (BBC)

Albanian Language Media

Kosovo Assembly constituted; Rasic elected deputy speaker (media)

The leading story in all news websites is the election of Nenad Rasic as deputy speaker of the Kosovo Assembly from the Serb community. Assembly Speaker Dimal Basha said that following Rasic’s election the new legislative has been constituted. 71 MPs voted in favor of Rasic, nine voted against, and 24 MPs abstained. Vetevendosje MPs, LDK MPs and MPs from non-majority communities voted for Rasic. Before the vote for Rasic’s nomination, the Serbian List had nine nominations but none of them got the required number of votes.

Rasic thanked MPs that supported him and expressed hope for a new start in forming the new institutions. “I am very thankful to my colleagues who voted for me today and I hope that this will be a new beginning in the building of institutions as soon as possible,” he told reporters after the session.

Assembly Speaker Dimal Basha, in a statement to the media after the session, rejected criticism about the manner of the constitution, saying that Rasic’s election was “completely in order”. He said that after all nine candidates of the Serbian List were voted for three times each and failed, there was only one candidate left, Nenad Rasic from the other Serb party, “and I had to offer an equal opportunity”. “As you know, the Constitution of Kosovo does not determine which Serb party must have the post of Serb deputy speaker, and it only says that it needs to be from the Serb community. Because of the refusal [by Igor Simic to nominate Rasic] I had to use paragraph 7, article 12, of the Regulation,” he said.

LDK MP Hykmete Bajrami told reporters after the session that the reason why LDK MPs voted for Rasic was the last decision of the Constitutional Court. “We voted for Nenad Rasic because the last decision of the Constitutional Court gave an interpretation which we had not foreseen, and based on what we understood, he is entitled to be elected deputy speaker from the Serb community,” Bajrami said. She also said that if a new government is not formed, the LDK will vote for the dissolution of the assembly.

Krasniqi: Hope there is no new case in court; let’s move to elections (Express)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Memli Krasniqi said after today’s assembly session that it needs to be seen what will happen next and that he hopes there will be no new case at the Constitutional Court. “There was room for a legal and constitutional formation [of the new Assembly]. I saw that the Speaker was consulting with those giving him instructions. Today it was concluded that the constitution took place and that Rasic was elected deputy speaker. I hope there will be no new case at the Constitutional Court and that we can move to early elections,” he argued.

Abdixhiku: Rules are clear, either new govt or new elections (Indeksonline)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Lumir Abdixhiku said after today’s assembly session that the LDK decided that the Assembly and institutions of Kosovo should not be blocked over the fifth deputy speaker. “As this was the decision of the Constitutional Court, we considered that over a completely irrelevant parliamentary post such as the fifth deputy speaker, the Assembly of Kosovo and the institutions of Kosovo should not remain blocked. We are entering constitutional timelines now. The constitutional rules are clear, we will either have a new government, or we will go to new elections … The leading party has said for several months now that they have the votes [for a new government] so let us see if they do,” he said.

Haxhiu: Vetevendosje open to a coalition, except with PDK and SL (Koha)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Albulena Haxhiu, said this party would continue with the formation of a new government now that the Assembly has been constituted. She said the Vetevendosje Movement is open for a coalition with other parties, except with the Serbian List and the Democratic Party.

“The Constitutional Court has taken four months. Despite the fact that the Constitutional Court’s decision said that we have 13 days for the constitution [of the Assembly] and the PDK was aware of this, they tried again today to obstruct the constitution. We will start proceeding with the name of our candidate, Prime Minister Kurti. Prime Minister Kurti is the most voted person ever. We will continue communicating with other MPs too to see if they are willing to be part of the government. There can be MPs from the parliamentary groups or other political parties. We have made efforts with the LDK. We were willing for a coalition with NISMA but they were not ready,” she told reporters.

Haxhiu also said that “if the objective of parties was to constitute the Assembly and then dissolve it, then what sense was there to keep us like this. If their objective was to go to elections because they cannot accept the election results [from the February parliamentary elections] they should have said so on time. We believe we need to proceed with the formation of the new government, but of course we don’t rule out the possibility of early elections”.

Svecla on Sheholli: Long story, plenty of evidence and not only on him (Lajmi)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, was asked today about the arrest of Fatmir Sheholli on Thursday on espionage charges. “It is a very long story. There is absolutely sufficient evidence and not only for him,” Svecla said.

Audio recording; Sheholli speaks of ties with SL List and Milan Radoicic (media)

Most news websites report that the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) published an audio recording today in which Fatmir Sheholli, who was arrested on Thursday on espionage charges, is heard saying that he has great support in Serbia and from the Serbian List. “I have exceptional support from the Serbian List for everything,” Sheholli is heard saying in the recording. During the conversation with two persons, Sheholli also says that he is “a very good friend of Milan Radoicic”.

Press Council of Kosovo calls for accreditation of media (media)

The Press Council of Kosovo (KPC), in a statement today, expressed concern today over the decision of the Central Election Commission not to accredit the teams of several media that are part of the Press Council for the October 12 municipal elections. “The CEC has not accredited several media in Albanian and Serbian. The KPC considers this decision unacceptable and damaging to the freedom of the media and to fair and transparent information on election day. Media that are members of the Press Council of Kosovo meet all the required criteria for media activities. The Office for Registration, Certification and Financial Control of Political Parties too has assessed that the documentation required is in order. The KPC calls on the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel to make a merited decision on the matter, so that all media can have equal treatment,” the statement notes.

AJK: CEC failed to accredit a small number of Albanian media too (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) said in a statement today that at its meeting on Thursday, the Central Election Commission, failed to accredit a small number of Albanian media too, including Pristina-based Reporteri and Mitrovica-based Mitropol. “The AJK opposes the non-accreditation of these media, without basis and without any explanation, and it calls on ECAP to overrule the decision of the CEC. The CEC’s decision not to accredit any media in Serbian, and several media in Albanian and international media, is illegal, unacceptable and very dangerous for the freedom of the media in the country. The AJK calls on the CEC to urgently make new decisions and allow the unobstructed work of media teams on election day,” the statement notes.

Krasniqi’s message on 26th anniversary of PDK’s formation (media)

Most news websites cover a video message by Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Memli Krasniqi on the 26th anniversary of the formation of this party. He said that the PDK is a party that “was born from the highest ideals of freedom and became the main pillar of Kosovo’s state-building process”.

Krasniqi mentioned the founders of the PDK who are currently in the Hague, expressing his belief that they will very soon return to Kosovo. “This time too, our celebration is not complete, because our founders, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, are still not among us. But we stand strong and firmly believe that this will be the last celebration without them because we are only a few months away from the victory of justice”.

Krasniqi said that two days before the October 12 local elections, “this is the moment to come together for the victory of the Democratic Party of Kosovo in the majority of municipalities throughout the country".

Krasniqi also said that after the local elections, the PDK will be ready to assume responsibility at the national level to give Kosovo a new direction.

UK Embassy congratulates KSF for winning silver at Cambrian Patrol (media)

The UK Embassy in Kosovo congratulated the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) team for winning the silver medal at the Cambrian Patrol competition in Wales. “We’re proud to have supported 14 members of the Kosovo Security Force in attending the prestigious Cambrian Patrol, one of the world’s toughest military exercises. We look forward to seeing them bring back valuable experience and continue strengthening Kosovo’s defence capabilities. This international event challenges participants on endurance, leadership, and tactical skills in extreme conditions. The KSF team’s participation reflects their growing professionalism and commitment to excellence, and we’re thrilled to see them represent Kosovo on such a demanding global stage,” the embassy said in a Facebook post.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian List announced filling complaint after Nenad Rasic was elected Deputy Speaker of Assembly citing Constitutional violations (media)

Following the election of Nenad Rasic, Minister for Communities and Returns in technical mandate as Deputy Speaker of Kosovo Assembly today, Serbian List in an address to the media said they will file a complaint against Rasic’s election, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“Today, they are violating the rights of the Serbian people, tomorrow they will violate the rights of the Albanian people if they do not think the same like (Albin) Kurti. You have to know this is done contrary to the Constitution and Constitutional Court verdict and by supporting Rasic they have violated the Constitution and have no right to speak about rule of law”, Igor Simic from Serbian List said.

Kosovo Assembly MP and minister in technical mandate, Nenad Rasic was elected today Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly from the Serbian community, after none of the Serbian List MPs received sufficient number of votes for the post.

Simic said there has been an ‘absurd situation’ as they have elected a man who had not previously resigned from the post of vice president. “So you have an absurd situation. Rasic can be (at the same time) an MP, a minister and deputy speaker of the Assembly. You need not be a legal professional to understand this is illegal. The Serbian List taught them some time ago when we said the Assembly was not constituted and yet they celebrated its constitution. People deserve functional institutions, that they work for citizens and respect the rights of the Serbian people, that is what we demand (…)”, Simic said.

He cited parts of the Constitutional Court verdict saying that the winner of elections in the Serbian community has the exclusive right to propose a deputy speaker candidate from the Serbian community. He accused Rasic of not being a representative of the Serbian people and that he “is only one more Self-determination member”. “He should rather go to the prosecution and give a statement related to affairs appearing in the media, both Albanian and Serbian, and not have such an important position as the one of deputy speaker”, Simic said.

Rasic thanks colleagues in Serbian and Albanian for his election (media)

Newly elected Deputy Speaker of Kosovo Assembly and minister in technical mandate Nenad Rasic expressed gratitude to his colleagues, who, as he said, demonstrated a serious and professional approach and voted for his election, Kosovo Online portal reported.

In the hall of the Assembly Rasic addressed the media in Serbian and Albanian languages. “I thank colleagues and MPs who voted for me today and showed seriousness and professionalism. I am deeply grateful for that”, Rasic said in both languages.

Petkovic: CEC's scandalous decision on Serbian media, vote for Serbian List response to Pristina (Tanjug)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic told RTS today Pristina's decision to ban Serbian media from covering the local elections on October 12 shows that there is no freedom of speech and reporting in Kosovo, and pointed out Serbs should show unity on Sunday and vote for Serbian List (SL) to respond to Albin Kurti's terror against Serbs in the last four years.

Petkovic said decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) in Pristina not to accredit any Serbian-language media for monitoring local elections is scandalous and added that it has long been no surprise what Albin Kurti and Pristina are doing to the Serbian people in Kosovo and everything that is Serbian.

He said Kurti first tried to ban the participation of the Serbian List in the elections, then followed the ban of the video of the SL, and reduced the number of members of the election committees where the SL representatives are.

ANEM: Institutions in Kosovo must allow media in Serbian language to report on local elections (Beta, NMagazin, Danas, Radio Mitrovica sever, N1)

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) sent a "sharp protest" today due to the decision of the competent institutions of Kosovo, "which implies a priori censorship and selectively controlled access to information of public importance to media based in Belgrade and those reporting in the Serbian language in Kosovo".

"Given that a large number of voters in these elections are of Serbian nationality and that there is a language barrier, in this way, part of the citizens are denied the basic human right to be informed in the language they speak about the election process and voting results," the announcement states.

ANEM also called on the competent institutions in Kosovo to "reconsider their decision and allow Serbian-language media to report unhindered and objectively on local elections in Kosovo, that is, to perform their work professionally."

Media in Serbian language seek urgent reaction of Ombudsman over CEC's decision (Kosovo Online, Kontakt plus radio)

A group of media reporting in the Serbian language sent a letter today to Kosovo Ombudsman Naim Qelaj, demanding his immediate reaction regarding the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to deny accreditation to most Serbian newsrooms to cover the local elections scheduled for October 12.

The letter said this decision seriously threatens the right of journalists to work, but also the right of citizens of the Serbian community to timely and accurate information in their own language.

"Such behavior is a gross violation of human rights, discrimination on the basis of language and ethnicity and is contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of Kosovo that guarantee equality and prohibit discrimination, the Law on Freedom of the Media and the Law on the Use of Languages, as well as international standards of freedom of expression and the right to information, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights", the joint address stated.

The media warn that by denying accreditation, the transparency of the election process and citizens' trust in democratic institutions are impaired, as they are being prevented from reporting on voting and vote counting. "Refusal of accreditation prevents the media from informing the public and disrupts the transparency of the election process, which directly affects the rights of non-majority communities and citizens' trust in democratic institutions", it was stated.

The signatories of the letter asked the Ombudsman to examine the legality of the CEC's decision and recommend that all media that properly submitted requests be granted accreditation in accordance with the Constitution, laws of Kosovo and international standards. The following media signed the letter: Alternativna, Danas, Gracanica online, Kontakt Plus, Kosovo online, Kurir TV, Nova, Prva TV, Radio Kim, Radio KM, RTS, RTV Puls, TV Gracanica and TV Most.

CSOs: Unprecedented CEC decision, request for immediate annulment (KiM radio)

A group of non-governmental organizations and individuals strongly condemned the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kosovo to deny accreditation to journalists and media from the Serbian community for monitoring the local elections scheduled on Sunday, October 12, 2025, reported KiM radio.

All of them demand that the CEC, within 24 hours, cancel the controversial decision and issue accreditations to all media that meet the conditions, without discrimination based on language or ethnicity. They also asked for provision of a transparent insight into the reasons for decision-making and voting by members of the CEC, but also that domestic and international institutions, including observation missions, monitor the actions of the CEC and react to any violation of media freedom and the public's right to be informed.

They say that the CEC's decision deepens social divisions at a time when the return of trust and full participation of all communities are crucial. "Such practice represents a form of systemic, institutional discrimination against journalists who report in the Serbian language and directly violates basic democratic principles. In addition, there are only two days left until the opening of polling stations, which makes the damage difficult to repair", the statement said.

The NGO group states that at yesterday's session, members of the CEC raised unfounded doubts about the authenticity and legitimacy of the documentation.

"Such scandalous behavior ignores standards prescribed by law, opens up space for arbitrary decisions and undermines confidence in the integrity of the electoral process, which, we remind you, was already called into question during the last parliamentary elections in February 2025".

Finally, they added that limiting media freedom represents the erosion of democracy: "without free journalists, there are no free and fair elections".

Mijacic: CEC decision yet another clear example of institutional discrimination against Serbs (media, social media)

Coordinator of the National Convention Working Group for the EU Chapter 35 Dragisa Mijacic, termed the CEC decision not to accredit any Serbian media to cover elections on October 12, as yet another discriminatory decision targeting the Serbs.

“Not a single Serbian-language media outlet was accredited by Kosovo’s Central Election Commission for the upcoming elections. Yet another clear case of institutional discrimination against the Serb community. #Kosovo @coe @OSCE @EUCouncil @UNHumanRights @StateEUR @EUSR_Dialogue”, Mijacic wrote in a post on X social platform.

RTK publishes alleged audio of political analyst Fatmir Sheholli discussing ties with Serbia and Serbian List (KoSSev)

Radio Television Kosovo (RTK) has released an audio recording allegedly featuring political analyst Fatmir Sheholli speaking about his ties with Serbia and the Kosovo Serb political party Serbian List. On the recording, a man identified by RTK and other Albanian-language media as Sheholli can be heard claiming he enjoys “strong support from Serbia and Serbian List,” and describing Milan Radoicic - a former deputy leader of the party and an indicted suspect in the Banjska attack - as his “close friend”.

The release of the recording came one day after Sheholli’s arrest in Pristina on suspicion of espionage, in an operation carried out by the Kosovo police under the direction of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, and with the assistance of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA).

Reporting further on Kosovo Albanian media covering the case, the KoSSev portal said according to Koha Ditore, the arrest followed months of investigation carried out in cooperation with the Kosovo Intelligence Agency. The newspaper claims that between 2017 and 2020, KIA paid Sheholli €639,000, citing internal documents suggesting possible misuse of funds allocated to informants.

In March last year, Koha reported that a KIA inspector submitted a report to the Special Prosecutor’s Office stating that around €2 million from the informant fund was spent without proper recordkeeping - and that Sheholli was among the recipients.

Read the full article at: https://shorturl.at/0eNtb

Zarko Zaric family writes letter to international organizations seeking his release (Kosovo Online)

The family of Zarko Zaric (71) from Ljubozda village, Istok municipality, accused by Kosovo special prosecution of allegedly committing war crimes during the conflict in this municipality, sent an open letter to international representatives in Kosovo requesting he be released pending trial. The letter was sent to OSCE, UNMIK, EULEX and all Quint ambassadors, Kosovo Online portal reported.

The family argued he is unjustly detained and the stay in prison while the trial is ongoing impacts Zarko’s life, his rights and dignity. They added his case points out to the serious violation of the human rights guaranteed under international conventions related to freedom of movement and right to chose residence, as well as right to dignified and safe return of refugees and displaced persons and the right to property.

The letter recalled that Zaric, now a retired Serbian police official, has been in displacement since 1999. In 2017 he decided to return to his home village of Ljubozda in Istok municipality along with other Serb returnees. It was also said that he never had any problems with neighbors or other members of the Albanian community. The adviser to Istok mayor, as the letter said, made a statement that all returnees passed security verification carried out by institutions from Kosovo and those from Belgrade.

Zaric was arrested on August 5, 2023 in Ljubozda and has remained in detention ever since. The family argued in a letter that no convincing evidence was presented against him, that the indictment is based on false and contradictory statements, without material evidence. “It was particularly important to underline that the indictment against Zarko Zaric is linked with indictment against Momir Pantic (former Serbian police station commander in Istok) and that Zarko was forced to take part in hearings and listen to witnesses who have nothing to do with his case. Zarko is accused of commanding responsibility, which is not true. At that time, he worked in an office of a police substation in Istok and was not present on the field. All this information can easily be verified”, the family said. As they added, Kosovo prosecution does not accept documents from Serbia that will prove their claims. The family also claimed that his Albanian neighbors told them the witnesses were forced or paid to falsely testify against Zaric to make him guilty. The family also warned of his poor health condition.

In a letter they demanded Zaric be released from prison, pending trial and that international organizations monitor and ensure impartial proceedings, as well as that his case be separated from the case of Momir Pantic. They also argued that his arrest was meant to serve as a warning to other Serbs who were considering returning back to Kosovo, not to do so.

Russian Ambassador: Sanctions on NIS a political decision, we will continue to support Belgrade (N1, FoNet)

Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said the imposition of sanctions by the United States against the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) is all politics, and that Russia will continue to support Belgrade, reported N1 in English.

“Gazprom and the Russian side remain reliable partners, and, of course, we are not going to kick Serbia to the curb just because of this. Within the framework of our bilateral cooperation, Serbia will maintain its energy security, as before”, the Russian Tass quoted the Ambassador as saying.

Botsan-Kharchenko said now that the sanctions have been imposed, the most important thing is to keep a cool head and not get overly emotional. “The US made this decision a long time ago, but it was delayed, and in the end, they chose to go forward with it based purely on politics. There is nothing here related to the economy, energy, or anything else, it is a political decision”, he emphasized.

He added that, regarding NIS, the Russian Embassy is in constant contact with the company’s leadership. He said they are well-prepared, because they understood that this decision was coming sooner or later, adding that the company has reserves and will be able to adapt.

Botsan-Kharchenko expressed confidence that the situation in the Serbian market will remain stable in the near future. “There is no need to expect shortages, disruptions, panic in the market, or threats to Serbia’s energy security”, the Russian Ambassador said.

Tass: Russia grateful to Serbia for humanitarian aid to Kursk region (N1)

Russia expresses its gratitude to Serbia for providing humanitarian aid worth 472 million rubles (approx. 5 million euro) to the Kursk region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, N1 reported.

On October 8, the Serbian Government sent financial humanitarian aid worth 472 million rubles to the Kursk region. Russia expresses gratitude to friendly Serbia for its attention and concern for the fate of Russian citizens. This gesture carries special symbolism reflecting the centuries-old brotherhood and close ties between our countries and peoples, the Ministry said, Tass reported.

It added that the funds have been transferred to the Kursk Region Development Fund, which implements projects to support the most vulnerable groups of the region’s population “affected by the criminal actions of the Kyiv regime”.

Opinion

Serbs need new faces free from old power centers (KoSSev)

By: Savo Manojlovic

Let’s be clear: there are no real elections when the winner is preordained. Especially not when those who surrendered the municipalities are now demanding to be entrusted with power again. Why? So those who once shouted “No surrender!” can sell out once more. That’s not an idea - it’s betrayal disguised as politics, a method for holding on to power.

The problem isn’t defeat. Defeats can be overcome. The problem is that when we withdrew from institutions, we gave up our right to manage our own lives. And when you stop believing that you can lead your own village, municipality, or city, you cease to be a community. You become a group of frightened individuals waiting for someone else to tell you what to do. And the one giving orders—he’s gone. A commander who abandoned his fallen comrades.

It doesn’t matter whether he betrayed the dead, or whether the one in whose name he fought betrayed him.

A community that has no right to choose cannot defend itself. And that is precisely the goal—to exhaust the Serbs in Kosovo, to make them stop asking questions, to make them accept that others will decide for them

Everything that’s happened in recent years has been a staged performance designed to convince people they are powerless.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/733yjj9a

Turkey’s drone sales to Kosovo test its friendship with Serbia (Balkan Insight)

By Laszlo Szerencses

A shipment of Turkish-made military drones to Kosovo reignited old tensions between Ankara and Belgrade. But after initially accusing Turkey of imperial ambitions, Serbia’s president backtracked, highlighting how economic relations and political convenience keep his uneasy friendship with Turkey’s leader going.

For over a decade, Ankara and Belgrade have built a relationship of convenience marked by booming trade, growing defence ties and Belgrade’s willingness to accommodate Turkey’s crackdown on its political opposition abroad.

But Kosovo remains Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s political red line, a card he knows how to play. Facing unprecedented domestic opposition, he may use the Kosovo question to rally support around the flag, but despite the fuss Vucic made about this week’s shipment of military drones to Pristina, the issue will not cause a lasting rift in relations with Ankara.

Uneasiness in their political balancing act is not new. There was a significant backlash in bilateral relations in 2013 following Erdogan’s “Kosovo is Turkey, Turkey is Kosovo” remark in Prizren.

His references to the Ottoman Empire alienated Serbs, but his personal diplomacy after 2014 helped overcome these tensions. In 2017, the two countries established the High-Level Cooperation Council, and in 2024, they announced a defence industry cooperation. What happened in the meantime?