• Hamza calls for immediate and unconditional lifting of EU measures (media)
• Haradinaj: Diaspora always stood shoulder to shoulder with Kosovo (media)
• Mustafa: Elections should bring change after one-year blockade (Indeksonline)
• European Council on list of safe countries of origin (media)
• Procedures to be respected for return of judges and prosecutors in north (RTK)
• Palokaj: EU faces a major test in the north of Kosovo (Koha)
• “Anti-corruption week” starts with a strike as protest to capture of institutions (EO)
• “US support dialogue with mutual recognition”, Bislimi quotes NDAA (media)
• Vukasinovic’s mother granted visit to her son, one month after abduction (Koha)
• Osmani congratulates Syria on first anniversary of liberation day (media)
• Kosovo awards 6.76 mln euro substation deal (SeeNews)
• Swiss Embassy warns of false claims in social media, online newspapers (media)
• Vucic: Several scenarios assessed to protect interests of Serbia, its people and economy (media)
• Tyurdenev: Talks underway with several parties, there is chance of NIS getting US licence (Tanjug)

Hamza calls for immediate and unconditional lifting of EU measures (Express)

Most news websites cover a letter that the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and candidate for Prime Minister of Kosovo, Bedri Hamza, sent to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, calling for the removal of EU measures against Kosovo. 

Hamza writes in the letter that “over the past year, our country has undergone an extraordinary democratic effort, organizing two rounds of national and local elections and now entering a third electoral campaign in less than twelve months. Despite the strain that this has placed on our institutions, and the subsequent unfortunate blockade in forming a government, these processes have been conducted democratically, transparently and peacefully – demonstrating once again the resilience and maturity of Kosovo’s young but vibrant democracy. Across Kosovo, citizens, regardless of age, language, or community, are united by shared aspirations; the need to lower the cost of living, improve education, expand economic opportunity, and see our country fully integrated into the European Union. Kosovars remain among the most pro-European people anywhere on the continent. Today, 89 percent of our citizens say they would vote in favor of EU membership. This level of trust, hope, and commitment is rare – and it is something my party is proud of, and determined to honor. It is precisely because of this strong European orientation, that I must express my profound concern regarding the continuation of the EU’s ‘reversible measures’ against Kosovo. Over time, these measures have evolved into an unreasonable and unjust punishment of the people of Kosovo – people who have consistently worked to preserve democracy, build a functioning economy, strengthen the rule of law, and integrate into the common European market. The stated reasons for these measures have long since become null and void. Their continuation no longer serves any constructive purpose. Kosovo deserves support not restrictions. As President of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), I lead a political force that has always been at the forefront of our country’s European path. Under PDK governments, Kosovo led and concluded the Stabilization and Association Agreement, and implemented a record number of conditions to achieve visa liberalization – many of them imposed uniquely on Kosovo. These included difficult and polarizing steps, such as border demarcation with Montenegro, which we nonetheless undertook because we believed in Kosovo’s European future. I would also remind you that the Kosovo Parliament established the Specialist Chambers – another requirement imposed solely on the Republic of Kosovo – which unfortunately evolved into a monoethnic instrument that has thus far tried only the leadership of the founding generation of our Republic. I am certain that you agree that Kosovo has paid a high price to be liberated, to become a nation of its own, and to develop into a democratic republic that respects international obligations, maintains an active civil society, and upholds free media – achievements that many countries in the region and beyond have not yet fully matched. As the leader of PDK and as the party’s candidate for the future Prime Minister of Kosovo, I firmly believe that it is time to turn a new page. I look forward to working with you and your colleagues to advance our European integration process. Regardless of who leads Kosovo’s institutions after the upcoming elections, our country must be given the same opportunities, tools and support available to all other countries in the Western Balkans on their EU and NATO paths. The continuation of sanctions deprives Kosovo of these tools and risks undermining the very democratic and pro-European values the EU seeks to strengthen. For these reasons, I respectfully call for the immediate and unconditional lifting of all EU measures against Kosovo. Such a decision, on the eve of national elections, would send a powerful signal to our citizens that their faith in Europe is acknowledged and that their democratic efforts are recognized and encouraged. Kosovo has proven, time and again, that it belongs to the European family. We now ask for their fairness, partnership, and solidarity that this family stands for. Thank you for your attention and for your continued commitment to Europe’s unity and stability.

Haradinaj: Diaspora always stood shoulder to shoulder with Kosovo (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said in a Facebook post today that the diaspora has always stood shoulder to shoulder with Kosovo. “During the time of the peaceful resistance, they were our economic and moral support. During the war, the diaspora was actively engaged, becoming a comprising part of the fight for freedom and the logistics of the KLA. Brothers and sisters from the diaspora were our voice in the world about the sufferings and injustices against Kosovo. After the war, the diaspora has always been with us, in every step of the reconstruction and development of the country. The diaspora and Kosovo are one, inseparable,” Haradinaj said.

Mustafa: Elections should bring change after one-year blockade (Indeksonline)

Former leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and former Prime Minister of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, in an interview with the news website, said he expects the December 28 parliamentary elections to bring changes after the one-year political deadlock. “There should be changes in the results, after an almost one-year long blockade. I see the changes as a necessary reflection by the people who are eligible to vote, to stabilize the country and to set it on the normal tracks of developments in the economy, education, healthcare and Euro-Atlantic integration, at a time of dynamic global challenges,” he said.

European Council on list of safe countries of origin (media)

Most news websites cover a press release issued by the European Council on the list of safe countries of origin. The press release notes that “the safe country of origin concept allows member states to put in place a special system for the examination of applications for international protection. Under the 2024 asylum procedure regulation, adopted as part of the Asylum and Migration Pact, member states must apply an accelerated procedure for applicants from a safe country of origin and may carry it out at the border or in transit zones. The safe country of origin rules are based on the premise that applicants from such a country are presumed to have sufficient protection against the risk of persecution or serious violations of their fundamental rights. Non-EU countries can only be designated as safe countries of origin when they meet a high threshold of safety. The Council agreed that the following countries should be designated as safe countries of origin at EU level: Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo*, Morocco and Tunisia. EU accession candidate countries are also designated as safe countries of origin at Union level, unless there is a situation of international or internal armed conflict in the country, restrictive measures affecting fundamental rights and freedoms have been adopted or the proportion of positive decisions by member state authorities to the applicants from the country is higher than 20%. The Council position makes clear that the Commission should monitor the situation in EU candidate countries and inform the member states when any of these exceptions apply or cease to apply”.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/7PnXS

Procedures to be respected for return of judges and prosecutors in north (RTK)

The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the Kosovo Judicial Council will decide independently on the return of Serb judges and prosecutors who resigned their posts in the northern municipalities, the news website reports.

Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo Law Institute (KLA) said that the KPC and the KJC have the authority to determine the criteria and procedures for the return of judges and prosecutors and argued that these criteria should not become a topic of public debate or talks in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “It should be clear that the judicial and prosecutorial systems are independent and that they cannot be used for political interests whenever Belgrade or Serb judges and prosecutors. It is good that Brussels too has accepted this fact. So whenever the KJC and KPC consider that Serb prosecutors and judges should return, it is their decision, but this should not be the subject of a political agreement between Kosovo and Serbia,” he argued.

Kosovo Judicial Council president Albert Zogaj said that the judiciary has remained consistent about the implementation of the Brussels agreement and that it does not prefer a second agreement on the integration of Serb staff in the north, because this would politicize the judiciary. “We don’t prefer this to be a topic of talks because we believe that Kosovo does not have a second agreement for integration. In our opinion, it [the Brussels agreement] was a big compromise and we can look into the possibilities in that context. Otherwise if it becomes a topic of political discussions, this could lead to more topics that would be unacceptable for us, especially if they concern the judiciary and people that do not pass the usual filter be it in terms of education, the jurisprudence examination and other conditions that apply for the judges,” he said.

Zogaj also said that the possible return of Serb judges and staff should happen through their individual requests and be evaluated within a system based on professional criteria.

Palokaj: EU faces a major test in the north of Kosovo (Koha)

Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj writes in an opinion piece that the situation in the north of Kosovo will be a challenge for the European Union because the north is the key point in the process of normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. “There is no doubt that Serbia wants to use the north to challenge Kosovo’s sovereignty. And there is no doubt that it will exert all sorts of pressure on Serbs in that part. The EU knows this better than anyone, although it tolerates it intentionally. The EU in its numerous reports concluded that only in the north of Kosovo there were no equal election races and that there was intimidation and pressure against those that competed against the Serbian List. And the EU, as it always cooperated with the Serbian government, directly or indirectly backed the Serbian List. And this political entity, in cooperation with the EU and the international community, has always acted on the borders of the law by undertaking actions against Kosovo and also being careful to avoid a legal ban on its activities,” he writes.

Palokaj notes that it remains to be seen how the new mayors in the north of Kosovo and the Serbian List act will operate, “if they will work for the interests of the people, cooperate with the international community and the central authorities in Kosovo, or if they will be directed by Belgrade, ready to undertake even violent actions if Serbian authorities advise them to do so”.

“Serbs have a very good expression for this situation: ‘let us not fool ourselves’. This should serve as a reminder that even before Serbs withdrew from the local government, the police and the courts in the north, there were cars set on fire, physical assaults and intimidation of political opponents. Parallel structures, including paramilitary structures, were operating. Neither the EU nor Serbs or anyone else should forget that Banjska happened and that there were attacks against KFOR troops, the media and the citizens. As the EU continuously says that ‘there can be no justification for violence’, it now has to prove that it really believes this. The EU must insist that both Belgrade and local governments in the north contribute to bringing to justice those who were responsible for the violent acts and who have already been identified. This is the key test that will determine whether the situation in the north, interethnic relations and relations between Kosovo and Serbia will move towards normality, or not”,

Palokaj also writes that “the EU will either change its behavior or fail in the north and consequently sink the dialogue. The EU now needs to prove if it really wants the normalization of relations, the integration of Serbs in Kosovo’s structures where they will enjoy their rights, or if it will serve as a protector of the illusion about Serbia’s sovereignty over Kosovo. The EU must react decisively to the very first destructive action by Belgrade whose representative is the Serbian List. If it wants to play the game that Kosovo is and is not a state, and that parallel structures can function in Kosovo, it will not only damage the future of the dialogue but also the few results that they say have been achieved so far”.

“Anti-Corruption Week” starts with a strike as protest to capture of institutions (EO)

A coalition of non-governmental organizations consisting of the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI), Levizja FOL and the Initiative for Progress (INPO) kicked off the “Anti-Corruption Week 2025) with a one-day strike as a form of protest to the capture of institutions and lack of reforms. The organizations said that the decision to organize a strike comes after continuous warnings about setbacks in the rule of law, and which according to them have been ignored by the institutions.

Arrita Rezniqi, senior legal researcher at KLA, said that the strike sent a clear message against policies and practices which according to her are paralyzing “the functioning of the state”. “We decided to enter a strike because as civil society organizations we have continuously reacted to violations of the law, the capture of institutions, stagnation of reforms, and we have called for the necessary fight against corruption. We have warned about phenomena that have become systematic. Despite our engagement, concrete analysis and recommendations, there has unfortunately been no reaction from the institutions and no concrete engagement to address these matters,” she said.

Rezniqi also said that “the lack of full reforms in the judiciary, the failure to start the vetting in the judiciary, corporatization in the prosecutorial system, laws that are not line with the Constitution, the lack of an Anti-Corruption Strategy, the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue by the United States, the lack of a social dialogue, attacks against reporters, civil society and judicial institutions, the blockade of EU Growth Plan funds, are only some of the issues and problems that are continuously damaging the lives of people, the rule of law, economic development and trust in democracy”. 

“US support dialogue with mutual recognition”, Bislimi quotes NDAA (media)

Several news websites report that Faton Bislimi, former LDK MP and activist for Albanians’ rights in the United States, said in a Facebook post that the National Defense Authorization Act of the United States, a draft of over 3,000 pages, refers to Kosovo too and notes that it supports the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia based on mutual recognition. The draft also notes that the United States does not support border changes, divisions or land swaps along ethnic lines as means of resolving disputes between countries in the Balkans.

Vukasinovic’s mother granted visit to her son, one month after abduction (Koha)

The news website reports that over one month after he was wounded and kidnapped in a location near Leposavic and sent to Serbia, Milan Vukasinovic’s mother has been granted permission to visit her son at the hospital of the Belgrade District Prison. Koha recalls that Vukasinovic, a Serb from Kosovo, was wounded and abducted by unknown persons on November 1 and was then sent to Serbia.

An attorney for Vukasinovic said that “Milan Vukasinovic’s mother was granted permission to visit him at the hospital prison in Belgrade, and her visit and first contact with Milan will be on Tuesday. Also if he is in stable medical condition, it is foreseen that Milan will for the first time give a statement to the prosecutor at the hospital on December 12, when he will learn what he is suspected of and present his defense. The detention has been extended for another month and I have submitted a complaint against this decision”.

In Kosovo, the Basic Prosecution in Mitrovica is investigating the case as an attempted murder. Kosovo’s institutions believe that the motive behind the attack on Vukasinovic was because he did not obey the Serbian List to quit his job at the Kosovo Insurance Bureau. 

Osmani congratulates Syria on first anniversary of liberation day (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, through a video message on X, congratulated Syria on the first anniversary of liberation day. “It is with profound honor that I address you today on behalf of the people and the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo as you mark this historic first anniversary of your liberation. This is a day that symbolizes not only freedom regained but also the rebirth of a people’s hope. Both our countries – Kosovo and Syria – have known the darkest chapters of oppression, injustice and unimaginable suffering. But we have always known what it means to rise, to transform pain into purpose and strength. We have stood firm in our belief that no force can extinguish a people’s yearning for freedom. We have learned that justice, though delayed, always finds a voice,” Osmani said.

Osmani also said that this year a new chapter began between Kosovo and the Syrian Arab Republic, “with a mutual recognition between our two countries”. “This recognition is a moral bond between two people who understand the cost of freedom and the value of standing shoulder to shoulder for a more just world. We are excited by what lies ahead in our partnership,” she said. 

Kosovo awards 6.76 mln euro substation deal (SeeNews)

Kosovo’s power grid operator KOSTT said it has awarded a 6.76 million euro ($7.88 million) contract to a consortium of Albania-based firms Enbi Power and Ballkan Petrol to build a new substation. The consortium must complete a 220/35/10–20 kV substation and a 220 kV transmission line in the central town of Malisheve within a year, KOSTT said Thursday in a tender announcement. Enbi Power, wholly owned by entrepreneur Tajar Bregasi, was established in Tirana in 2004, according to the Albanian business register. It established a subsidiary in Kosovo in 2009. Ballkan Petrol, owned by Perparim Caushi, was registered in Tirana in 2010, and in Kosovo in 2017.

Swiss Embassy warns of false claims in social media, online newspapers (media)

Several news websites report that the Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo said in a Facebook post today that “recently, social media and online newspapers have been spreading claims about Switzerland opening its labor market to 85,000 foreign workers. These reports are false!”. The post goes on to note that as stated in an official press release issued on November 19, the Swiss Federal Council has decided to maintain the existing quotas for third-country nationals (non-Schengen states) for 2026. “A maximum of 8,500 qualified workers and specialists from third countries can be recruited in Switzerland next year. This includes 4,500 residence permits (B) and 4,000 short-term permits (L). For accurate information, always rely on official sources,” the post notes.

Vucic: Several scenarios assessed to protect interests of Serbia, its people and economy (media)

After Monday's meeting with teams in charge of energy stability and security in the country, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said all key issues related to energy stability had been discussed.

In an Instagram post, Vucic wrote that he had received a detailed report on the current state of reserves and that several different scenarios had been addressed to protect the interests of Serbia, its people and the economy.

"I reiterated that current challenges call for full attention of all institutions and the responsible individuals, from whom I expect maximum efforts in terms of alleviating the consequences of sanctions", Vucic said in a post, adding that he had "highlighted the significance of swift and timely interventions by the state and a coordinated response to current challenges".

Tyurdenev: Talks underway with several parties, there is chance of NIS getting US licence (Tanjug)

Talks about changes in the ownership structure of Serbia's oil company NIS are underway with several interested parties, and there is still a chance of NIS obtaining a licence from the US, the company's CEO Kirill Tyurdenev has told employees, Tanjug learns.

NIS is under US sanctions due to its Russian-majority ownership. Tyurdenev said the operations of the NIS refinery and, consequently, its petrochemical plant, had been suspended due to a lack of crude oil.

He said December salaries and all bonuses and premiums had been paid out to the employees earlier in the day. "I would like to note that there is still a chance of getting a licence from the (US) Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) for unobstructed operations of our company while the talks on changes in the ownership structure are underway and we are ready to start the refinery as soon as possible in that case. We are cooperating with Serbian state authorities on all current issues and we have their support", Tyurdenev said.

He noted that the last licence issued by the OFAC had set February 13, 2026 as the deadline for completing the changes.