UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 12, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 279 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Zemaj: We’re looking into the possibility of relaxing some measures (RTK)
• Osmani begins official visit to Brussels (media)
• Haradinaj reacts to Vucic: Kosovo will join NATO (media)
• LDK – AKR, the first pre-election coalition? (media)
• PDK to run alone in elections, other parties free to join its ticket (Kallxo)
• Daka: We verified Diaspora votes before, will do so with applicants in Serbia too (EO)
• VV appeals CEC's decision on Diaspora voter registration (Klan)
• NGO Germin to appeal CEC’s decision on Diaspora voters (media)
• CDHRF: Constitutional Court cannot ban Kurti or others to run for election (Koha)
• Qatar pledges continued support for Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serbian communities in Kosovo 24 new cases of Covid-19, one death (Kontakt plus radio)
• Vucic: Albanians and Europeans want defeat of Serbia; frozen conflict is a danger (TV Happy, KoSSev)
• Selakovic: Serbia expects continuation of China’s support regarding Kosovo (N1, FoNet)
• Petkovic: No one talks to Serbia with language of blackmail (BETA, N1)
• Spahiu: Citizens already know who they will vote for, campaign won’t have an impact (Kosovo Online)
• Lajcak and Reeker on the Western Balkans (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• How to fight disenfranchisement, Kosovo style (Prishtina Insight)
International:

• Kosovo Parties Flout Ban on Gatherings Ahead of Election (Balkan Insight)
• EU and the Western Balkans in 2021: Searching for a Way Back to Normal (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• More than 85.500 citizens have applied for vaccination (B92, Tanjug)

• COVID – 19: 206 new cases, 6 new deaths (media)
• CEC: Diaspora voters cannot register to vote if they don’t answer phone (media)
• Osmani calls on CEC to review decision on diaspora voters (media)
• Haradinaj-Stublla: Daka said decision on Diaspora voters was unanimous (media)
• VV's Haxhiu: CEC imposes unconstitutional criteria on Diaspora voters (media)
• Haradinaj says an AAK - Vetevendosje government is possible (Klan Kosova)
• Poll on political parties’ candidates for Prime Minister (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo FM reacts to Serbia’s anti-lobbying request to Qatar (media)
• Kosovo parties flout ban on gatherings ahead of election (Balkan Insight)
• Pristina municipality to fine any party that holds election rally (Klan)
• “We won’t pay any fines; political parties are not respecting the measures” (EO)
• Ismaili: Municipalities, government must shelter those affected by floods (media)
• “Mental disorders during pandemic very similar to those from the war” (Koha)
• Lushtaku: I will run for Skenderaj mayor (Kallxo)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 206 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Hoti warns of possibility to return reciprocity with Serbia (RFE, media)
• Hoti: Agreement for the Office at Presevo Valley, to be signed on Monday (RTK)
• CEC decides on political entities’ campaign expenses (Indeksonline)
• Hoti: We are in the process of finalizing MP list (RTK)
• Enver Hoxhaj reveals PDK offer for Presevo Valley (RTK)
• Justice Party boycotts elections (media)
• Hoti monitors closely the situation after the recent floods (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Seven new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Election calculations in Kosovo: Kurti the favorite; what the Serbian list will do (KoSSev, N1)
• Jeremic: Firm stance on Kosovo status precondition for normalization of living circumstances (Danas)
• Petkovic: To Jeremic Kosovo is a prey, to us highest value (TV Most)
• Serbian Crisis Team: Anti-coronavirus measures unchanged, schools open Jan 18 (N1, RTS)
• Serbia launches platform for citizens to apply for vaccination (N1, BETA, FoNet)
• Poll: Over 40 pct of Serbia’s people believe in coronavirus conspiracy theories (BETA, N1)
• Office for KiM promised assistance to families affected by floods (Radio KIM)

International:

• Shaped by Kosovo’s war, Vjosa Osmani won’t blink in her battle to cut out the rot (The Times)
• Apparent Body-Shaming Shows Even Kosovo's Top Official Must Endure 'Disgusting Misogyny' (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Floods across Kosovo cause disruptions and evacuations (Prishtina Insight)
• Floods throughout central Kosovo, Grabovac village in the north under the water (KoSSev, KiM radio, RTV puls, Radio Mitrovica sever)

• COVID – 19: 260 new cases, 2 deaths (media)
• Zemaj: Kosovo has secured over 1 million Covid vaccines (media)
• PDK says Government's approach to Covid vaccines is ‘alarming’ (media)
• VV assembles General Council, Kurti to lead ticket and run for PM (Koha)
• LVV: Kurti not denied the right to run for MP or prime minister (media)
• Haziri: LDK prefers a joint ticket not pre-election coalition (Telegrafi)
• Isufi: AAK will be in the new government regardless of who wins (EO/media)
• Mustafa: Polls are propaganda, LDK will be the first party (Express)
• Political parties hold rallies, fail to respect anti-COVID measures (Kallxo)
• Prishtina municipality warns to fine parties for organising rallies (Zeri)
• Acting President Osmani to visit Brussels this week (Klan)
• “Election rallies are rendering the anti-COVID measures useless” (media)
• LVV vows to reapply reciprocity towards Serbia (Koha)
• War veterans’ deputy leader boycotts Hague court hearing (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 8, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 321 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Ministry of Health insists it has secured Pfizer vaccine (media)
• Vetevendosje says Constitutional Court ruling is not about Kurti (Koha)
• CEC announces a ten-day campaign for extraordinary elections (media)
• Rama: Two KSF units to be deployed to peacekeeping missions (RFE)
• Petkovic's visit clashes PM Hoti and FM Haradinaj-Stublla (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• 13 new cases of Covid-19, three deaths in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Over 30 families from Mitrovica North got new apartments on Christmas Eve (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Serbia is doing its best to strengthen health care system in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Specialist Prosecution: Thaci undermined court, we are not in favor of lifting detention (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Serbian people face hard challenges (N1)
• Fabrizi hopes Serbia could open more chapters in 2021 (N1, Blic)
• Serb house in Babin Most burglarized (KIM Radio)

Opinion:

• Stop using the Balkans as a synonym for chaos (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Balkans feel abandoned as vaccinations kick off in Europe (AP)
• Thirteen countries call on EU to support Eastern Partnership vaccine efforts (EurActiv)
• Serbia Starts Inoculations With Russia's Sputnik-V Vaccine (RFE)
• COVID vaccine: EU orders 300 million more BioNTech-Pfizer doses (DW)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo: Infant-toddler centres and preschools are not yet a priority (Balcanicaucaso)

• COVID – 19: 322 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Kosovo parliamentary election to be held on February 14 (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo ‘should rethink Serbia agreements’ with Biden in power (Balkan Insight)
• Gucati, Haradinaj to appear before Specialist Chambers today (media)
• Kurteshi: Kurti will be part of Vetevendosje’s list in new elections (Kallxo)
• Haradinaj: AAK aims for post of President in the elections (media)
• Poll: Vetevendosje has 41.10 percent, PDK 20.80 percent (media)
• “Very small chances for Kosovo to get visa liberalisation this year” (media)

• COVID-19: 218 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Assembly gives green light to KSF participating in peacekeeping operations (media)
• Constitutional Court to publish decision, elections on 7 or 14 February (Koha)
• Veliu’s remarks on Osmani draw sharp criticism (media)
• MP Haxhi Avdyli dismissed from all functions in LDK (media)
• Von Cramon: EU and U.S. to speak in one voice about Kosovo (Klan)
• EU court rejected Spain's lawsuit against European Commission on Kosovo (Koha)
• More than 40 people injured in a gas tank blast in Ferizaj (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 5, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 199 new cases, four new deaths (media)
• Kosovo ensures 500 thousand anti-COVID vaccines from Pfizer (media)
• Mustafa ironizes with Osmani’s statement on her eventual return to LDK (RTK)
• Osmani outlines political future (Prishtina Insight)
• Dialogue with Serbia on 2020 Seen as Failure in Kosovo (Exit.al)
• Assembly extraordinary session for sending KSF on missions with Iowa National Guard, today (media)
• Hoxhaj: Presevo Valley will be the main issue in the dialogue with Serbia (media)
• AKR to compete in elections with LDK? (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 19 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Forthcoming not an easy year of fight with coronavirus, pressures on the issues related to Kosovo and Republika Srpska (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Selakovic: Belgrade for the continuation of a serious and effective dialogue (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, TV Pink)
• Stano: The dialogue continues despite the elections in Kosovo; Belgrade and Pristina to cooperate on vaccines (Kontakt plus radio, Tanjug)
• Tanaskovic: It would be no surprise that Pristina bypasses Washington agreement (N1, Sputnik)
• “Diary of a Decani monk 1903-1906“ published – original records and documents from the monastery archives (KoSSev)
• Sava Janjic: To reconstruct shrines destroyed after the war (Kosovo-online)
• Yet another complaint filed on decision to ban Arlov from entering Kosovo (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

• EU cannot ignore history in Balkans enlargement (euobserver.com)

International:

• Flawed Cybersecurity Is a Ticking Time Bomb for the Balkans (foreignpolicy.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Year in Pictures: 2020 in the Balkans and Central Europe (Balkan Insight)
• Heartwarming harmony as Balkan tensions set aside in Croatia’s hour of need after deadly earthquake (euronews.com)

• COVID – 19: 169 new cases, 7 new deaths (media)
• EU calls on Kosovo, Serbia to cooperate on vaccination (RFE)
• Albania to donate 1,900 vaccines for doctors in Kosovo (Gazeta Express)
• “COVID destroyed Kosovo’s economy; recovery will take 2 years” (media)
• Osmani: LDK presidency must leave before we can talk about my return (media)
• Kuci: Press release by SPO for Thaci was purely political (media)
• Serbia-affiliated power company eyes supplying north Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 260 new cases, seven deaths (media)
• Zemaj: COVID-19 vaccines to reach Kosovo in February (RTK)
• Hoti: If Serbia pursued legal ways, vaccines would be allowed into Kosovo (Klan)
• Di Maio: EU should buy vaccines for Balkans (ANSA/Koha)
• LDK announces Avdullah Hoti as candidate for prime minister (media)
• Hoti: LDK is main favourite to win elections (media)
• Hoxhaj: Kurti and Hoti governments brought degradation in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• Konjufca: Hoti and Hoxhaj together have fewer votes than LVV's Haxhiu (T7/Telegrafi)
• Osmani's initiative in coalition talks with Vetevendosje (Klan)
• Rama: KLA leaders being kept hostage (media)
• UK Embassy sends protest note to Ministry of Education over €1.8 million bid (Koha)