• Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will lead dialogue with Serbia (Koha)
• Hargreaves: We look forward to close cooperation between parliaments (Nacionale)
• Osmani publishes video of interviews with international media (media)
• Kurti to meet LDK leader Abdixhiku on President issue at 14:00 (media)
• Spahiu: In everyone’s interest, especially minorities, for President to be elected directly (Kosovo Online)
• Surlic: A directly elected president would become a much stronger figure in the executive branch (Kosovo Online)
• International media freedom groups demand adequate budget for RTK (media)
• Kurti appoints Mjeku as principal deputy minister of economy (media)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will lead dialogue with Serbia (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Glauk Konjufca said today that the ministry will lead the dialogue with Serbia. He made the remarks during a meeting with EU special representative for the dialogue, Peter Sorensen. The meeting focused on the current momentum of the dialogue, with Konjufca and Sorensen exchanging opinions about the necessary approach and principles to ensure a more effective and sustainable process. Konjufca said Kosovo remains committed to viewing dialogue as an opportunity to improve neighborly relations with Serbia “as two sovereign states on their respective paths toward European integration”. 

Hargreaves: We look forward to close cooperation between parliaments (Nacionale)

UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, met with Kosovo Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu and congratulated her on her election. “I welcomed the quick progress the Assembly has made on passing international agreements and the 2026 budget. We discussed the upcoming presidential election. We looked forward to close cooperation between Kosovo and UK parliaments,” Hargreaves said in a Facebook post.

Osmani publishes video of interviews with international media (media)

Most news websites cover a Facebook video post by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani about her interviews with international media. “In every international interview, with a clear goal: protecting Kosovo and empowering the voice of our people,” Osmani wrote in the caption.

See more at: https://shorturl.at/nEwYW

Kurti meet LDK leader Abdixhiku on President issue at 14:00 (media)

All news websites report that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will meet Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Lumir Abdixhiku at 14:00 today to discuss the election of the President. The meeting will be held in the premises of the Kosovo Assembly.

Radio Free Europe notes in its coverage that in several interviews Abdixhiku said that an agreement must be reached in order for LDK MPs to be in the Assembly when a vote is held on the matter.

Spahiu: In everyone’s interest, especially minorities, for President to be elected directly (Kosovo Online)

Analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu told Kosovo Online that changing the procedure for electing the president of Kosovo, so that citizens would elect the president directly instead of having the vote take place in parliament, would be in everyone’s interest, especially minorities, but he points out that for now there is no political will for such a change because political leaders are not inclined to alter anything.

Although changing the method of electing the president would require an amendment to Kosovo’s Constitution, Spahiu believes that it could be carried out very easily if there were the will to do so.

Two-thirds of the members of parliament could decide on it immediately, he assesses, noting that for a constitutional amendment it is also necessary for two-thirds of the representatives of minority communities to vote in favor, that is, 14 out of 20 MPs representing ethnic minorities.

“I believe that changing the method of electing the president is in everyone’s interest, especially minorities, because then presidential candidates would go to minority communities to seek votes, and that could increase the importance of minorities in decision-making. Each of the candidates would probably promise them something in order to win their votes, and in that way, their role in Kosovo society would grow. That is why I think minorities would vote for amending the Constitution in that regard. Also, the majority of the people of Kosovo have an interest in this, so that political deadlocks, which always arise when it comes to electing the president of Kosovo, would be avoided”, Spahiu states.

Asked whether the direct election of the president would lead to a redistribution of political power in Kosovo, he says he does not believe so unless the president’s competences were increased, which would be decided during the constitutional amendment process.

“When the Constitution is amended, it can be decided that the competences remain the same, are reduced or are increased. I think the president’s competences should remain the same because that would pass most easily. We have become accustomed to the existing competences over the past twenty or so years, so it would be easier to implement and keep them as they are”, he states.

Surlic: A directly elected president would become a much stronger figure in the executive branch (Kosovo Online)

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, Stefan Surlic, assesses that at this moment it is an unrealistic political scenario for Kosovo to change the method of electing the president so that he would be elected directly rather than in the Assembly, because there is no consensus among political actors on this issue.

“Although there are different voices, this would require a very complex procedure of constitutional change, and it should be recalled that for a constitutional amendment the support of the Serbian community is also required. There would have to be a broad political consensus, which would include the Serbian community as well, for the president in Kosovo to be elected directly”, Surlic told Kosovo Online.

As a reason for promoting the idea of changing the method of electing the president, he cites concerns about the potential blocking of the presidential election process in parliament in the future, since that process requires broader agreement among members of parliament not only regarding the election of the president, but also regarding attendance at the session.

A direct election of the president, however, as he points out, would lead to even greater complexity in Kosovo’s political landscape.

“If the president is elected directly, he becomes a much stronger figure in a dual executive and there would be a duality between the president and the prime minister. Currently in Kosovo, all executive power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister, and I think that Albin Kurti will not allow himself to have any rival on the political scene, especially not a figure who, through direct election, draws significant legitimacy in the political and social sphere”, Surlic assessed.

International media freedom groups demand adequate budget for public broadcaster RTK (media)

Most news websites covered a joint letter signed by European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), International Press Institute (IPI), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Index on Censorship, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), calling for adequate budget for Kosovo’s public broadcaster, the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK)

The undersigned international media freedom and journalist organisations today express our serious concerns about the underfunding of Kosovo’s public broadcaster, Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), and urgently call for legal budget requirements to be met.

The Assembly of Kosovo is currently discussing the RTK budget, which is anticipated to be passed in two readings on 19 and 20 February 2026. According to the draft Law on the Budget for 2026, the parliament, based on the government’s proposal, will allocate only 8.9 million euros, which is sufficient only to cover basic operational needs such as staff salaries.

The Law on RTK foresees that the public broadcaster should receive 0.7 percent of the total state budget of around three billion euros. This would mean that RTK should be allocated approximately 22 million euros. If passed, the current budget would be only 40% of this legally mandated total.

A budget shortfall of this scale would seriously undermine the ability of the public broadcaster to operate independently and to fulfil its mission to inform citizens on matters of public interest. If RTK were to receive the budget it is legally entitled to, it would allow it to operate  independently from any interference from the government and Parliament, while also enabling investment and development of the public broadcaster.

We note that Article 5 of the European Union’s European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) requires Member States – which Kosovo aspires to become – to provide sustainable and adequate funding to public service media to allow for their stable and independent operations. The proposed budgetary system, which conflicts with the existing legal framework, would, if applicable, clearly violate this EMFA provision. We take this opportunity to invite the Government and the Parliament to initiate work on the implementation of the EMFA, as well as to begin discussions on reforming the funding and governance of RTK to ensure that its editorial and functional independence is guaranteed.

Ahead of the pending budgetary decision, our organisations therefore jointly ask the Prime Minister and President of Lëvizja Vetëvendosje, Albin Kurti, and the Chair of Parliament, Albulena Haxhiu, to ensure that the public broadcaster receives the adequate and equitable budget in accordance with the law and that it is not subjected to political pressure through budget limitations.

Kurti appoints Mjeku as principal deputy minister of economy (media)

Most news websites report that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has appointed Getoar Mjeku as the principal deputy minister for the economy. The Kosovo government announced the appointment in a press release. Mjeku held the position of deputy minister during the previous mandate too.