• Osmani meets CEC chair, highlights importance for inclusive elections (media)
• Govt will declare inaugurations in north illegal if Constitution not respected (Koha)
• Osmani reiterates full commitment to strengthen partnership with US (media)
• Agim Ceku, Burim Ramadani join AAK list for MPs (media)
• German Embassy joins EU Office in condemning attack against AJK (media)
• Serbian List delegation meets with political advisor to COMKFOR (Kosovo Online)
• Court in Serbia orders 30-day detention for former KLA member (media)
• EULEX warns “never-ending travel” through Kosovo’s justice system (Kossev)
• Former EU foreign policy chief Mogherini resigns amid fraud probe (media)

Osmani meets CEC chair, highlights importance for inclusive elections (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani highlighted on Thursday the importance of guaranteeing a regular, transparent and inclusive election process on December 28 and also expressed institutional readiness to support every step that ensures the integrity and credibility of elections. She made these remarks after meeting with the chair of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Kreshnik Radoniqi.

Govt will declare inaugurations in north illegal if Constitution not respected (Koha)

The Albanian mayors of the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo will hand over their duties today to Serb mayors. They have asked for the new mayors to respect the laws and symbols of Kosovo and also the decisions that were made during their mandates.

Caretaker Minister of Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, told the news website on Thursday that the inauguration of Serb mayors will be done in full compliance with the laws. “The Ministry of Local Government has set up teams to monitor the inauguration sessions, and they will be present in all meetings to ensure that all constitutional and legal procedures are respected. In any case that these procedures are not respected, the Ministry of Local Government will declare the respective sessions illegal and illegitimate,” he said.

Osmani reiterates full commitment to strengthen partnership with US (media)

All news websites cover the meeting that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani had with US Embassy Charges d’Affaires Anu Prattipati on Thursday. They discussed the latest developments in Kosovo, especially the December 28 early elections. Osmani stressed the importance of a smooth election process and respecting the highest democratic standards. “The meeting also discussed the session of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs on developments in Kosovo and the region and addressed different issues of bilateral cooperation. President Osmani reiterated the full commitment to strengthen partnership with Kosovo’s most important strategic ally, the United States of America,” a press release notes.

Agim Ceku, Burim Ramadani join AAK list for MPs (media)

Most news websites report that former Kosovo Prime Minister and former KLA General Commander Agim Ceku has joined the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo’s list for MPs for the December 28 parliamentary elections. Burim Ramadani, a former senior member of the AAK and former chief inspector of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, has also rejoined the party and will be part of the list for MPs.

German Embassy joins EU Office in condemning attack against AJK (media)

The German Embassy shared on Facebook a statement by the EU Office in Kosovo deploring remarks by Vetevendosje representative at the Central Election Commission, Sami Kurteshi, against the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. “The comparison of the Association of Journalists (AGK) to a criminal group is not only undignified but an attack on media freedom. We join the EU in condemning such rhetoric,” the German embassy said.

Serbian List delegation meets with political advisor to COMKFOR (Kosovo Online)

A Serbian List delegation, composed of the newly elected mayors of Mitrovica North, Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, met with the political advisor to the KFOR Commander, Ambassador Babir Hizlan, to discuss the political situation in Kosovo and the essential need to preserve peace and security on the ground. A statement issued by the Serbian List said that its representatives pointed to numerous challenges faced by the Serb people and called on KFOR to intensify its activities aimed at safeguarding peace, particularly in multi-ethnic areas, both in the south and the north of Kosovo. The newly elected mayors in the north also emphasized that the Serb people remain firmly committed to peace and stability and regard KFOR as the legitimate armed force in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244. They also conveyed that the Serb List will continue to be a responsible and reliable partner in preserving peace.

Court in Serbia orders 30-day detention for former KLA member (media)

Most news websites report that a court in Serbia has ordered a 30-day detention measure for former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Avni Qenaj, who is suspected of war crimes in 1999.

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “this action is a continuation of Serbia’s practice to politically persecute the citizens of Kosovo through ungrounded and politically motivated accusations”. The ministry also said that through Kosovo’s liaison office in Serbia it will continue to monitor the case and undertake all diplomatic measures to protect Qenaj’s rights and to oppose the ungrounded accusations.

EULEX warns “never-ending travel” through Kosovo’s justice system (Kossev)

Despite repeated institutional promises to reform the judiciary, as many as 24 high-profile criminal cases — including several under EULEX’s jurisdiction — continue to move forward with minimal or no progress, according to the Mission’s eighth annual Justice Monitoring Report. In a number of these cases, no final verdict has been delivered even after 10, 15 or more than 20 years, with some proceedings now entering a third retrial. EULEX warns that these long-term failures point to a systemic problem that undermines the credibility of Kosovo’s justice system and erodes public confidence in institutions, while several defendants remain at large.

According to the report, Kosovo’s judiciary continues to sink into delays and inefficiency. Of 478 monitored hearings in high-profile cases, 35 percent were cancelled or unproductive. At the same time, threats against prosecutors — often originating from political circles — have become epidemic, while police actions targeting “hate speech” raise concerns about the shrinking space for free expression, particularly for Serbs and other minority communities.

The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) published the November 2025 edition of its Justice Monitoring Report, warning of limited progress in key areas of Kosovo’s criminal justice sector, with particular focus on ethnically sensitive cases and the situation of the Serbian community, especially in the north. Covering the period from November 2024 to September 2025 — and relevant events outside this timeframe — the report draws on monitoring of approximately 400 cases, involving data from the police, prosecution, courts, bar associations and civil society.

EULEX Head of Mission Giovanni Pietro Barbano stressed the risks of punitive approaches against free expression: “A punitive approach towards what can be considered manifestations of freedom of expression risks harming public trust in the institutions, especially among non-majority communities. Therefore, a sensible approach by the authorities, based on constructive engagement and dialogue with all segments of society, remains essential.”

Former EU foreign policy chief Mogherini resigns amid fraud probe (media)

Most news websites report that former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini resigned as rector of the College of Europe amid a fraud probe. The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) this week accused Mogherini and two others of procurement fraud and corruption. It has said the investigation concerns suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats.

News websites note that during her mandate as EU foreign policy chief, Mogherini was also EU representative in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.