Albanian Language Media: 

• Osmani receives NATO PA Women, Peace and Security Award (media)
• Kurti: We are going to win in Pristina and Mitrovica too (AP)
• PDK: First in Kosovo with over 175,000 votes for municipal assemblies (media)
• EU calls for prompt certification of first-round election results (RTK)
• Orav welcomes peaceful, competitive and inclusive 1st round of elections (media)
• Council of Europe Congress statement on Kosovo local elections (media)
• AJK: Kurti's call for investigations into exit polls, dangerous (media)
• Osmani: People of Kosovo deeply grateful for Slovenia’s support (media)
• Osmani welcomes signing of 'Peace Plan' for Gaza (media)
• KLA War Veterans published a video for the October 17 protest in Tirana (media)
• Rama calls for participation in protest supporting former KLA leaders (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Council of Europe Congress: Kosovo local elections pluralistic, inclusive, and competitive, despite politicization (KoSSev)
• Marko Jaksic: Despite limited resources we achieved major success (Radio KIM)
• Milenković: Self-determination experienced a kind of defeat, failed to achieve a dominant influence at local level (N1)
• AGK criticizes Kurti’s call to investigate exit polls (KoSSev)
• German Embassy: We called for equal treatment of all media (Kosovo Online)
• UNS and DNKiM: Threats to Jovan Zafirovic unacceptable (Radio KIM, media)
• Vucic: Constructive discussion about NIS with Russian delegation, there will be no shortages (Tanjug)
• Von der Leyen: Western Balkans firmly on path to EU (N1)

International Media: 

• AI ‘candidate’ proposed for Albania mayoral election (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani receives NATO PA Women, Peace and Security Award (media)

Most news websites reported that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani received on Monday the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Women, Peace and Security Award. Osmani said it was a special honor to get the award and that she dedicated the outstanding assessment to the people of Kosovo, “and especially to the women of Kosovo, who with courage, dignity and commitment helped achieve freedom and build peace”. “This award goes to all the women who never gave up, to all those that led the protests, the war and the building of institutions, the champions of human rights, to the mothers that still wait for their most loved ones who were forcibly disappeared during the war, to the survivors who never stopped working for justice, and to the young girls that lead in every field with faith and vision today. Our peace is built upon their sacrifice and courage, while our democracy has grown stronger thanks to the unprecedented engagement of women that stood unwavering in every step of our journey towards freedom and equality,” Osmani said in a Facebook post.

Osmani said in a post on X “thank you on behalf of the people of the Republic of Kosovo, and especially on behalf of our extraordinary women and girls!” See her acceptance speech at: https://igit.me/pyFje

Kurti: We are going to win in Pristina and Mitrovica too (AP)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister and leader of the Vetevendosje Movement Albin Kurti said he is certain that this party will win the runoff elections in Pristina and Mitrovica. “We are going to win in Pristina, in Mitrovica, and not only there. Wherever we will race, we will aim to win, and we are absolutely certain that the runoff elections will bring another increase at the local level,” he said.

The news website notes that after the counting of votes for the mayoral candidates in all municipalities, the Vetevendosje Movement leads with around 27 percent at the Kosovo level.

PDK: First in Kosovo with over 175,000 votes for municipal assemblies (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said in a statement on Monday that it is the leading party in Kosovo in terms of votes for municipal assemblies with over 175,000 votes from the municipal elections on Sunday, leaving behind the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 168,000 votes and the Vetevendosje Movement with 156,000 votes.

“The PDK won in the first round in three municipalities: Ferizaj, Skenderaj and Hani i Elezit. Meanwhile, based on the preliminary results, the Democratic Party of Kosovo will go to runoff elections in six municipalities, in four of which it came first [after the first round]. The municipalities where the PDK will go to runoff elections as the leading party are: Prizren, Mitrovica, Vushtrri and Kacanik. While in the municipalities of Klina and Dragash, the PDK goes to runoff elections as the second party. The PDK has managed to turn into the main political force in the capital too. In terms of votes for the Municipal Assembly of Pristina, the PDK has scored the best result ever, ranking as second with over 21,000 votes, without the counting of all ballot boxes. Our candidate for mayor, Uran Ismaili, has ranked third with 28,588 votes, or over 10,000 votes more than the 2021 local elections. In total, in the race for mayors at the country level, the PDK is second with 200,000 votes,” the statement notes.

EU calls for prompt certification of first-round election results (RTK)

The European Union welcomed the peaceful, competitive, and inclusive conduct of the first round of local elections. An EU spokesperson emphasized that the Brussels-based institutions welcome the participation of all communities in the vote, as well as free, fair, and inclusive media coverage, which, as stated, contributes to a transparent electoral process. “For those municipalities where mayors were elected in the first round, we call for the prompt certification and implementation of the election results through an orderly transition of local governance. For the other municipalities where runoff elections for mayors will be held, we call for an equally peaceful, competitive, and inclusive process on November 9th,” said the EU spokesperson.

Orav welcomes peaceful, competitive and inclusive 1st round of elections (media)

EU Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, in a post on X on Monday, said he welcomed “the peaceful, competitive & inclusive conduct of the 1st round of Kosovo’s local elections with participation of all communities, as well as a free, fair and inclusive media coverage contributing to a transparent electoral process, expected also in the 2nd round”.

Council of Europe Congress statement on Kosovo local elections (media)

Several news websites covered on Monday a statement by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, following the Kosovo municipal elections.

“Following an invitation by the Central Election Commission of Kosovo*, a nine-member  election observation delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, led by Dominique Lévêque (France, SOC/G/PD), concluded yesterday its mission to observe the first round of the local elections in Kosovo* which were held on Sunday 12 October 2025. This was the first time that the Congress has observed elections in Kosovo*.

On election day, four Congress teams composed of members from France, Italy, Norway, Poland, Switzerland and Türkiye, were present at 55 randomly selected polling stations from opening to closing and vote counting in various municipalities. This on-site mission was preceded by meetings on 10-11 October with election management and complaints and appeals bodies, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, the media and NGOs. The delegation also held discussions with political parties and candidates standing in the 2025 elections.

Overall, Congress observers witnessed a calm and well-managed election day, with only minor irregularities such as voters unaware of recent changes in assigned polling stations, the inconsistent sealing of ballot boxes, especially in rural areas, and the under-representation of non-majority communities among polling station commissioners. Additionally, the observers pointed out the inaccessibility of most polling centres for voters with mobility impairments. At the same time, the delegation commended the professional and collegial conduct of the polling station commissioners, assessing that they acted in line with legal provisions and appeared to be well-trained. Information was also available in several languages.

Commenting on the overall mission, Head of delegation Dominique Lévêque stated:

“The revised electoral legal framework, applied for the first time to local elections, provided for a democratic electoral process. The tone of the campaign was largely moderate and respectful, with fewer instances of hate speech and derogatory language between candidates online and in the traditional media, despite an increasingly polarised political landscape at central level”.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/CYBe6

AJK: Kurti's call for investigations into exit polls, dangerous (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) views with concern the public statement made by the leader of Vetevendosje and caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, calling for investigations by the "justice and security bodies" following the publication of exit polls by three television stations regarding the local elections. AJK emphasized that the media in Kosovo have respected the Election Law and the regulations of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), and did not publish any exit polls before 7:00 PM, which is the official closing time of polling stations. Consequently, according to AJK, there was no interference in the electoral process by the media. AJK considers Kurti's calls for investigations after the publication of these exit polls to be very dangerous, as they constitute a direct attack on media freedom.

"Exit polls have a history of inaccuracies in many other democratic countries, including the United States in 2016," the statement says.

AJK called on Kurti and his party not to interfere or exert pressure on the media in the course of their election coverage work.

Osmani: People of Kosovo deeply grateful for Slovenia’s support (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X that during her stay in Ljubljana she had a warm and friendly discussion with her Slovenian counterpart Natasa Pirc Musar. “The people of Kosovo are deeply grateful for Slovenia’s steadfast support for our country’s Euro-Atlantic future,” Osmani said.

Osmani welcomes signing of 'Peace Plan' for Gaza (media)

Kosovo’s President, Vjosa Osmani, has welcomed the signing of the ‘Peace Plan’ for Gaza, describing it as the beginning of an important new chapter for peace in the Middle East.

“Through the decisive and courageous leadership of President Donald Trump, and the dedication of all leaders who worked tirelessly toward this goal, this long-awaited moment of hope has become a reality. This agreement offers a path to ending years of suffering and insecurity, giving countless families the chance to live in safety, dignity, and freedom,” Osmani wrote on social platform X. She also called on all parties to seize this opportunity and fully implement the peace plan.

KLA War Veterans published a video for the October 17 protest in Tirana (media)

The Organization of KLA War Veterans published a video message on social media today calling on all Albanians to join the protest in Tirana, Albania, on October 17, asking for justice for former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army who are standing trial in the Hague. “Let us all come together without any differences to demand justice for the liberators and respect for the sacrifices of those that gave everything for our freedom,” the video message notes.

Rama calls for participation in protest supporting former KLA leaders (media)

The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has called for participation in the protest to be held in Tirana in support of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who are being tried in The Hague. He published the invitation-call for this protest, which will take place this Friday at 17:00. “With pleasure and honored to comply with the organizers’ request to post this invitation-call FREEDOM HAS A NAME. From Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania, the diaspora, and every corner of Albanian lands, thousands of hearts will unite this Friday, October 17 at 17:00, to demand with one voice JUSTICE FOR THE LIBERATORS,” Rama wrote.

Serbian Language Media

Council of Europe Congress: Kosovo local elections pluralistic, inclusive, and competitive, despite politicization (KoSSev)

The Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has described Kosovo October 12th local elections as “pluralistic, inclusive, and competitive,” despite noting signs of politicization within certain institutions, KoSSev portal reported.

A nine-member delegation, led by Dominique Lévêque of France, a member of the Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats, observed the elections at the invitation of the Central Election Commission (CEC). It was the first time the Congress observed elections in Kosovo.

Four observer teams visited 55 randomly selected polling stations throughout the day - during opening, voting, closing, and counting - across several municipalities. Before the field mission, on October 10th and 11th, the delegation met with institutions responsible for election organization, complaint and appeal mechanisms, as well as with representatives of the diplomatic corps, media, NGOs, political parties, and candidates.

According to the mission’s findings, election day was calm and well-managed, with only minor irregularities reported: some voters were unaware of polling station changes; ballot boxes were inconsistently sealed, especially in rural areas; and members of non-majority communities were underrepresented among polling station commissioners. Observers also noted that most polling centers were inaccessible to people with mobility impairments.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/Mn4zP

Marko Jaksic: Despite limited resources we achieved major success (Radio KIM)

Marko Jaksic, Civic Initiative North for All mayoral candidate in Mitrovica North said his party is pleased with results they achieved at local elections, Radio KIM reported. According to CEC data, his initiative won 770 votes for municipal councilors or 10,98 percent, while he as a mayoral candidate won 952 votes or 12 percent, Radio KIM reported.

Jaksic told Radio KIM it is a major success for a new political option, which, as he said, with very scarce resources faced an opponent "with inexhaustible sources of power and finance". "With only a few hundred euros spent in the campaign, winning two mandates is too great a success", Jaksic said.

"And of course we are satisfied with the results, as well as those for the mayor, which are slightly better, about 12 percent (952 votes). Those who wished so voted for us, while those who had to, voted for the winners. We cannot be satisfied with the manner, methods and number of votes that the Serbian List secured", he added.

Milenković: Self-determination experienced a kind of defeat, failed to achieve a dominant influence at local level (N1)

A day after local elections in Kosovo, the votes for councilors of local assemblies are counted, and it is already known that in nine out of ten municipalities with a Serbian majority, the mayors were elected in the first round. Marko Milenković from the non-governmental organization New Social Initiative spoke about how the results are viewed the day after the election for N1 TV.

Milenković said there are no big surprises in the local elections in Kosovo, adding the key thing is the dominant role of the Serbian List, especially in the north, where the power and participation of Serbs in local elections has been restored.

He also said “it seems that Self-determination did not manage to achieve a dominant influence at the local level as it appeared in the parliamentary elections. The dynamics are different in the sense that parties such as LDK and PDK declared victories in certain parts, while we have not heard those victory messages from Self-determination, they are waiting for the final results”.

The general impression, he continued, is that turnout was good and elections took place in a proper and fair atmosphere, however, there were many debatable things for the Serbian community during the pre-election process. “Serbs, through the Central Election Commission and other institutions, experienced unpleasant situations during the verification of media and political subjects. The pressure on the Serbian community was strong before these elections”, he told N1.

Milenković opined Self-determination was not the winner of these elections, because their election campaign was focused, as he said, on nationalist rhetoric and centralization, and not on local topics which concern people on a daily basis.

AGK criticizes Kurti’s call to investigate exit polls (KoSSev)

A day after local elections were held, Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, called on the competent authorities to investigate exit poll reports for South Mitrovica, after three television stations had published polls forecasting unexpected outcomes that indirectly suggested a possible loss for the Self-determination Movement. Flutura Kusari, legal adviser at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, urged the authorities not to act on Kurti’s call - in her words, “to stay away from that topic”, KoSSev portal reported.  

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) also reacted with concern, describing Kurti’s remarks as direct pressure on the media and a potentially dangerous precedent for freedom of expression and independent reporting.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/LDdfI

German Embassy: We called for equal treatment of all media (Kosovo Online)

Despite decision of Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) to uphold appeal filed by VIM INFO, founder of Kosovo Online portal, and annul Central Election Commission’s (CEC) decision denying the portal’s reporters accreditation to cover local elections, the CEC has still not reconsidered the accreditation of the portal - even a day after the first round of elections was held, Kosovo Online reported on Monday.

As a result, unlike journalists from other media outlets, Kosovo Online reporters were not allowed to attend and cover the vote counting on Monday. Asked why Kosovo Online was the only Serbian-language media outlet not granted accreditation to cover the local elections, the German Embassy responded that “the German Embassy closely followed the accreditation process conducted by CEC. We called for equal treatment of all media and respect the CEC’s final decision on accreditation”, the Embassy said in a written response, the portal said. 

UNS and DNKiM: Threats to Jovan Zafirovic unacceptable (Radio KIM, media)

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its branch in Kosovo (DNKiM) condemned threats on social media against the journalist and writer Jovan Zafirovic and demanded respective institutions find and punish those responsible, Radio KIM reported.

Jovan Zafirović, who publishes short satirical stories and aphorisms in Belgrade-based media outlets Politika, Vecernje Novosti, Enigmatika, Ilustrovana Politika, Šipak, Etna, and also in Jež, reported to UNS that lately he has been receiving threatening and disturbing messages on social media, and in the comments below the articles and aphorisms he publishes. The UNS had an insight into the offensive and threatening messages, and among the last ones was a threat with the content "It will be your turn, Janissary (term used against those perceived to fight their own people)...just take it easy".

"Until now, I have never contacted the associations and the police. I mostly deleted messages and comments, blocked the profile accounts from which the messages came. But, after the last comment, I decided to do it", Zafirovic said. UNS called on High-tech Crime Prosecution to seriously consider the threats addressed to Zafirovic and react urgently.

Vucic: Constructive discussion about NIS with Russian delegation, there will be no shortages (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday he had had an open and constructive discussion with Gazprom Neft Management Board Chairman Alexander Dyukov and Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin about Serbia's Russian-majority owned oil company NIS, now under US sanctions, Tanjug news agency reported.

"We have just finished important discussions with the Russian delegation about NIS, the energy sector in Serbia, and I am pleased with the openness, constructiveness and sincerity of the discussions. We were all just that", Vucic said in a video posted on his official Instagram profile. He also said there would be no shortages of oil or oil derivatives in Serbia. 

Von der Leyen: Western Balkans firmly on path to EU (N1)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the EU-Western Balkans Investment Forum in Tirana on Monday that the region is now firmly on its way to joining the European Union. She added that accession to the EU means "incredible economic growth" for new member states. "The trajectory of this region is clear. The future of the Western Balkans is within our Union", Von der Leyen said.

"Think about the last waves of accessions to our Union. Poland's economy has tripled in size in less than three decades. In Croatia, unemployment has dropped from 17% to 4% in just over a decade. The same will happen across the Western Balkans. And I am not talking about some distant future. Your economies are already set to grow rapidly in the coming years. We established the Western Balkans Growth Plan for exactly that. The EU opens sectors of its economy for your business", she told the opening ceremony.

She told investors not to miss the opportunity to invest in the Western Balkans. "We are bringing the Western Balkans inside our Union's industrial policy. We are opening some of our core economic initiatives to you – for instance on artificial intelligence. And we are integrating your industries into the Single Market. Today we are sending a clear signal to the business sector. If you choose the Western Balkans, you choose Europe," the EC President said.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/O5NOT

International Media

AI ‘candidate’ proposed for Albania mayoral election (Balkan Insight)

After Albania’s government appointed an AI-generated digital assistant as a ‘minister’, a group of information technology experts have proposed an AI ‘candidate’ for the upcoming Tirana mayoral election.

Three Albanian IT experts say they are putting forward an artificial intelligence ‘candidate’ for the upcoming mayoral elections in the capital, called TirANA (Tirana Algorithmic Neural Assistant) – although it’s not yet clear if the electoral authorities will accept it.

Their initiative comes after Prime Minister Edi Rama appointed an AI-generated ‘minister’ named Diella to his cabinet – a digital assistant that formerly provided online services to the public through the state-run e-Albania portal.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/9XhIF