• Osmani expects swift formation of institutions after Dec 28 elections (media)
• EU member states discussing draft conclusions on enlargement (Koha)
• Kosovo leaders’ messages on Albanian Independence Day (media)
• Thaci criticizes Specialist Chambers for holding session on November 28 (media)
• EU awards BIRN journalist, Xhorxhina Bami, for investigative reporting (PI)
• Serbia pushes deadline for healthcare workers in Kosovo before elections (RFE)
• Nine Serb-majority municipalities to get new leadership on Dec 5 (Radio KiM)
• The legal and illegal landfills harming lives and land in Kosovo (BIRN)
• Young people clean Ibar River, learn how the local community works (Radio KiM)
• Pedaling beyond myself (Kosovo 2.0)

Osmani expects swift formation of institutions after Dec 28 elections (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Thursday that she hopes that after the December 28 extraordinary elections, the new MPs will manage to form the new institutions as soon as possible. “My hope is that immediately after the elections the Assembly will be constituted. And then to have a new government as soon as possible because the people of Kosovo are anxiously waiting for many other decisions that are in the interest of Kosovo,” Osmani told the media during a visit to Albania.

Osmani also said she was confident that there would not be any problems during the December 28 elections. “I am confident that just like every other election process this one too will be held smoothly and based on the highest democratic standards,” she said.

EU member states discussing draft conclusions on enlargement (Koha)

EU member states are discussing draft conclusions on enlargement that are expected to be adopted at the General Affairs Council meeting in December. The news website claims to have secured a draft text under discussion and according to which the EU will welcome the enlargement package approved by the European Commission on November 4 and will particularly commend the progress made by several candidate countries, most notably Montenegro and Albania, as well as Ukraine and Moldova. With regards to Kosovo, the draft notes that the Council is expected to say that as a result of the political deadlock, Kosovo has not achieved the necessary progress. The Council is also expected to highlight that there has been limited progress in the reform process and that it will call for cooperation among parties in Kosovo to accelerate reforms, especially in public administration and the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and freedom of expression --areas where there has been no progress. The Council is expected to express regret over the political blockade in Kosovo following the February elections and will express expectations for a well-administered and inclusive election process for the December 28 parliamentary elections. Regarding the recent local elections, the Council will welcome their professional and transparent conduct. It will express expectations that the transfer of local power in the four northern municipalities will be carried out properly, through cooperation between local and central authorities, in line with the legal framework of Kosovo. “The Council takes note of the further lifting of measures following the proper transfer of local authority in northern Kosovo and sustainable de-escalation,” the draft conclusions state. “The Council reiterates expectations for the reintegration of Kosovo Serbs, starting with their inclusive participation in Kosovo’s institutions at all levels, followed by the unconditional reintegration of qualified judicial and police personnel, in accordance with dialogue agreements and full respect for Kosovo’s legal framework,” it continues.

Kosovo leaders’ messages on Albanian Independence Day (media)

The leading news in the media today are statements by Kosovo leaders and politicians on the occasion of Albanian Independence Day.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a Facebook post that “the Flag Day, the Independence of Albania, the birth of legendary commander Adem Jashari, and the first public appearance of the Kosovo Liberation Army, are four events that make up the nexus of our national pride”. She also said that “today Kosovo and Albania walk shoulder to shoulder: two states, one nation, two flags, and one heart”.

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti in a Facebook post mentioned Albanian national hero Gjergj Skenderbeu and Ismail Qemali, who declared the independence of Albania in 1912, and added that Albanians are looking toward the future, toward a Third November. “Certainly as a European nation, we look towards the future, towards a Third November, which needs to come through our joint efforts, work and our continuous commitment. This Third November, even if it doesn’t happen on this date [November 28], we can bless it even today as our Third 28 November. And then the will of all Albanian patriots, living and dead, will come to life. We hope this day will come as soon as possible,” he said.

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, said in a Facebook post that “in a world of increasing threats against peace and security, Kosovo and Albania must stand by one another like never before, to defend the values, identity and the joint dream of the nation”.

Hysni Gucati, leader of the Organization of KLA War Veterans, said that the November holidays are lacking “because our leaders [referring to former KLA leaders who are standing trial in the Hague] are being held unjustly by a court, but we hope that next year we will celebrate together with them”.

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who is standing trial in the Hague, congratulated all Albanians on November 28 saying that they should “celebrate united, proud and with dignity. I hope that we will celebrate the next Novembers together,” he said.

Thaci criticizes Specialist Chambers for holding session on November 28 (media)

All news websites report that former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who is standing trial in the Hague, criticized the Specialist Chambers for holding a session on November 28. He argued that it is in the interest of the court not to do things that do not happen in the states of respective parties. “I welcome the holding of the session and that is why I am here today because I am determined to respect the state of law. It is in the interest of this court for things that cannot happen in your respective states to not happen here either,” he said. Thaci said as every other people, Albanians too have their history, and that holding the session on November 28 was an unpleasant surprise for him and for Albanians. “As every other people, we Albanians have our national and state history, traditions and values. I think that holding this session on November 28 should have been avoided. Today every Albanian has a national, state and family holiday because it is the holiday of our national dignity and pride,” he argued.

EU awards BIRN journalist, Xhorxhina Bami, for investigative reporting (PI)

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, journalist, Xhorxhina Bami, was awarded second place at the EU Awards for Investigative Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey for her investigative reporting on online misogyny and institutional inaction across the Balkans. Sasa Dragojlo, another BIRN journalist, was awarded with third prize.

At a ceremony in Prishtina on Wednesday, BIRN journalist and editor for Prishtina Insight, Xhorxhina Bami, was awarded the regional second prize for investigative reporting by the European Union for her article “TikTok Used Across Balkans to ‘Slutshame’ Women and Girls.”

Bami analysed 427 TikTok videos posted between September 2020 and November 2023 that sexualised, harassed, or targeted hundreds of women and girls with degrading content.

“A key finding was that none of the eight countries examined have specific legislation addressing cyberbullying as a standalone criminal offense,” Bami said. “Cases usually fall under hate speech, insult, or stalking provisions. Police and prosecutors need to understand the phenomenon and apply the law creatively, something that often doesn’t happen, leading to these cases being ignored,” Bami stated.

She emphasised that, “no one has the right to share your photos or videos without permission, let alone use them for harassment, abuse, or to spread personal data.”

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/D3BrJ

Serbia pushes deadline for healthcare workers in Kosovo before elections (RFE)

Several Serb political parties in Kosovo, which won municipal seats in Serb-majority municipalities in the October local elections, have opposed a decision by the Serbian Ministry of Health to extend to January 15 next year the vacancies for new workers in Serbia-run institutions in Kosovo. The vacancies include several hundreds of jobs which Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had announced on the eve of the October 12 local elections in Kosovo. The extension of the deadline has been justified with the high number of candidates. The extended deadline will correspond with the pre-election campaign for the December 28 parliamentary elections in Kosovo. For this reason, the Serbian Democracy led by Aleksandar Arsenijevic has condemned the decision, calling on heads of healthcare institutions “not to obey party orders and pre-election calculations but to work for the interest of their community”.

The news website notes that the director of the Hospital Centre in Mitrovica North is also the leader of the Serbian List, Zlatan Elek, and that members of the Serbian List are also in leading positions in other healthcare institutions. The head of the Family Medical Centre in Gracanica, Mirjana Dimitrijevic, was a candidate of the Serbian List for MP in the February parliamentary elections in Kosovo. The Serbian Democracy said in a statement that this is not the first time that the people “are deceived to support the leaders of the Serbian List”. “The same scenario keeps repeating – promises, manipulations, pressure – and the result is the continuing of agony,” the party said.

Nine Serb-majority municipalities to get new leadership on Dec 5 (Radio KiM)

The elected mayors of the Serbian List in the municipalities of Mitrovica North, Gracanica, Strpce, Novo Brdo, Leposavic, Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Partes and Ranilug have scheduled constituent sessions of local assemblies for December 5. As announced, the constituent session of the Municipality of Klokot will be scheduled at a later date. The Serbian List said in a statement that "by the will of the Serbian people, for the next four years, 10 municipalities with a Serb majority will be led by the mayors of the Serbian List”. 

The legal and illegal landfills harming lives and land in Kosovo (BIRN)

There are hundreds of illegal landfills across Kosovo, and even legal sites are a threat to lives and the land due to a lack of investment.

Residents of the Vishnjet neighbourhood in the eastern Kosovo city of Gjilan/Gnjilane had been expecting a park, as the politicians had repeatedly promised; instead, they got an illegal landfill.

“People used to go for walks in this area,” said Demush Vokshi, who lives nearby. “Today we have an extraordinary stench, the remains of cut straw, construction equipment and the like.”

Part of a pine forest, “once very beautiful and green”, has become inundated with garbage, he told BIRN.

Residents say complaints to the local authorities have gone unanswered, but they are not the only ones in Kosovo confronted with the growing scourge of fly-tipping.

The country’s Environmental Protection Agency said it had identified 458 illegal landfills this year, 154 of them in the capital, Pristina, 78 in the southern city of Prizren, 76 in Lipjan/Lipljan to the south of Pristina, and 40 in Podujeva/Podujevo in the northeast.

Authorities say the situation is improving, pointing to the fact that in 2022 there were even more illegal landfills – 746 to be precise. But in some areas the situation remains critical.

In Gjilan/Gnjilane in the east, mayor Alban Hyseni said the number of illegal landfills “is increasing every day”.

“We have continuously made efforts to eliminate them, but they still appear and the main problem is that the landfill that was for domestic waste has now been closed,” he said in an interview in September.

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

Young people clean Ibar River, learn how the local community works (Radio KiM)

The NGO Center for the Advocacy Centre for Culture from Mitrovica North (ACDC) has recently started the implementation of an important environmental project called “Youth for Clean Rivers in the North of Kosovo”. This project aims to enable young people to play an active role in the protection of water and the environment in the north of Kosovo. ACDC Executive Director, Dusan Radakovic, and project manager Stefan Kalaba, said that the north of Kosovo is facing increasing challenges when it comes to waste management and river pollution, especially the Ibar, and this project seeks to connect education, practical clean-up actions and creative initiatives, in order to raise awareness and encourage responsibility in the community. Radakovic points out that environmental topics are very important, because very few organizations in the north deal with environmental protection and environmental projects. “We have the Ibar River and Lake Gazivode, which are the lifeblood of drinking water not only in the north, but in almost half of Kosovo. The entire sewage network flows into the Ibar River from Tutin, through the lake, Zubin Potok, Mitrovica, Zvecan, and there are no collectors that could purify that water. That is why this cleaning of the river is very important for us,” said Radakovic. Project manager Stefan Kalaba points out that the main component of the project, in addition to ecology, is the involvement of young people in initiating actions and initiatives, in order to try to agitate for their better tomorrow. “The cleaning action is not only to go out to the field and pick up garbage, but to go to the utility company, municipality, police, etc., so that young people, with our support, had the opportunity to see how the local community works,” said Kalaba.

Pedaling beyond myself (Kosovo 2.0)

Opinion by Donika Emini, a member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), country analyst for Freedom House and the executive director of CiviKos Platform.

How a bike ride from Vienna to Bratislava became a journey of rediscovering myself after motherhood.

It has been almost six months since I gave birth to my son. I would never have imagined that my life could be so profoundly changed. Postpartum feels like entering a parallel world, tender, transformative and profoundly isolating. My life shifted overnight, and the new responsibility of caring for my baby pulled every part of me into uncharted, stormy waters.

The world outside seemed to move on effortlessly, while I hovered between two versions of myself. The woman I once was, rootless, always in motion, having lived in Berlin, Paris, New York, DC and London, built a career, traveled and never settled, as the world swept her along. Now, anchored in Vienna –– a city I find challenging but many dream of –– my days are consumed by a tiny human whose needs never end, by sleepless nights, with a responsibility that leaves me feeling both empty and full. I cling to work as a lifeline connecting me to the person I used to be, but even then, the hours slip away, and I am left feeling as if I’ve done nothing at all.

This phase is a time of love and vulnerability, of overwhelming devotion, but also of a quiet grief for the loss of a former self that drifts further and further away, a self I fear might disappear from view altogether.

In late October, almost five months after giving birth, I was alone for the first time. The freedom was both thrilling and terrifying. I meticulously planned every moment of the five days I had without my baby: rest, sleep, work, writing, shopping and exercise. I felt overwhelmed because it was the first time I had the opportunity to reclaim my time. It was a chance to step into a controlled, isolated space –– a space where I could begin searching for my old self, the one I had been dreaming of since giving birth. So, to celebrate my freedom and to reclaim the old me, one autumn afternoon in Vienna, I took my bike and rode along the Danube. The weather was perfect: calm, crisp and golden. I hadn’t planned the route. I just rode! Three hours and seventy kilometres later, I found myself in Bratislava, a city I had no plan to reach. Barely prepared, I crossed the Iron Curtain, now a completely invisible border between two countries, as I challenged my mental boundaries.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/a4JoT