UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 1, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Constitutional Court publishes full decision (media)
• LDK waiting for full Constitutional Court ruling (media)
• Haradinaj: Realistic to expect voting of new government tomorrow (Express/RTK)
• Foreign ministry could present a challenge for Hoti government (Indeksonline)
• 15 trucks from Serbia not allowed into Kosovo (Koha)
• Kosovo courts to resume work (Klan Kosova)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian official react to Pristina’s reciprocity measures (media)
• “Republic” for Serbia, but not for others (KoSSev)
• Ljajic on Pristina’s measures: Trucks with goods are returning, that is a complete suspension of trade (Kosovo Online, RFE)
• Distribution of Serbian daily newspapers prevented at Jarinje (KoSSev)
• Association of Journalists of Serbia: Pristina without delay to ensure the free flow of Serbian print media (uns.org.rs)
• No new cases of Covid-19 infection in Serb-populated areas in Kosovo (Kosovo-online portal)
• Two Serbs attacked in Donja Gusterica (KIM radio)
• "Kamenica the best example of coexistence of Serbs and Albanians" (Slobodno Srpski, KIM radio)
• Jevtic about another stoned house in Ljubozda village (Kosovo Online)
• Crossing points to open today (Radio KIM, Kosovo-online)
• Pristina orders removal of goods which 'are not in line with Constitution' (KoSSev, N1)
• RIK: 90 polling stations in Kosovo (Kosovo online)
• Vucic: There's no doubt - without resolving Kosovo issue, Serbia will not join EU (B92, Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Nomen est omen: Albanian-Serb territorial dispute is also 50 plus years semantics battle (KoSSev)
• Stretching the rules to breaking point (Prishtina Insight)
• A Republic of Kosovo is not what the Balkans needs (The Jerusalem Post)

International:

• Kosovo: corruption, electoral funding and political participation of women (balcanicaucaso.org)

Humanitarian:

• 300 residents of Strpce hold protest against Matkos Group (KoSSev)
• OpisMEDIJavanje: Only media close to the government in Belgrade can reach Kosovo Serb politicians (KoSSev)
• Coronavirus crisis to affect household welfare across W. Balkans - World Bank (SeeNews)

• Covid-19: 13 new cases in last 24 hours (media)
• Kosovo authorities ease coronavirus measures (media)
• Kosovo government supplements reciprocity towards Serbia (media)
• Kurti: Denying Kosovo reciprocity is denying its sovereignty rights (media)
• Lajcak criticizes Kosovo’s move to expand reciprocity measures (media)
• Osmani supports recently-expanded reciprocity measures (media)
• Thaci: Kurti risking everything achieved in two decades (media)
• Hoti: The new government will eliminate every obstacle to dialogue (media)
• Veseli: Reciprocity measures, part of Kurti’s deceitful mentality (media)
• Names of ministers expected to be appointed to Hoti-led govt (Koha)
• UNDP publishes latest Public Pulse poll (media)

• Borrell: EU prefers current borders between Kosovo and Serbia (RFE)
• 12 new cases of coronavirus in last 24 hours (media)
• Survey: Citizens satisfied with Osmani and Kurti’s work (media)
• CDHRF calls on all parties to respect Court’s decision (media)
• National Security Council supports Grenell’s position (Telegrafi)
• Decision to open Kosovo’s air and land borders, next week (media)
• Von Cramon: All parties must respect Constitutional Court's decision (DW)
• Vogel: U.S. expects swift agreement to declare Kosovo a concluded mission (RFE)

Albanian Language Media:

• Thaci calls for swift formation of new government (media)
• Acting PM Kurti: Decision of Constitutional Court, unacceptable (media)
• Veseli: An expected decision by the Constitutional Court (media)
• Abazi: Constitutional Court ruling, dangerous precedent (media)
• Mustafa: Assembly to vote on new government by Monday (media)
• Von Cramon: No alternative but to accept Constitutional Court ruling (Telegrafi)
• Nagavci: We’ll use democratic means to oppose court’s decision (Koha)
• Pacolli: Constitutional Court decision to be respected by all (media)
• Kusari-Lila: Kosovo democracy was betrayed (media)
• Pacolli’s New Kosovo Alliance won’t be part of new government (Indeksonline)

Serbian Language Media:

• North Kosovo: One person infected, no cured and deceased ones in the last 24 hours (Kontakt plus radio)
• Djuric: We will continue to help Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, TV Most)
• Jokanovic: Constitutional Court failed (KIM radio)
• Rasic: Constitutional Court will be quite ruined after this decision (KIM radio)
• Jovanovic: Albanians are buying time and waiting for the outcome of the elections in America (Kosovo Online)
• Orahovac: A group of Albanian young men removed a street sign with the name of Sloven Radic (Kosovo Online)
• Russian arms, deals with China harm Serbia's EU path, US diplomat says (FoNet, N1)
• Vucic invited to the 2020 Moscow Victory Day Parade (B92, Tanjug)

International:
• Kosovo highest court clears the way for new government vote (Reuters)
• Kosovo's President Welcomes Court Ruling On Prime Minister Appointment (RFE)
• Brussels and Washington Must Work Together on Kosovo Deal (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo’s Caretaker Governing Party Holds Peaceful Rally (AP/NYT)
• Week in Review: The Keys of Power (Balkan Insight)

• Constitutional Court rules in favor of President Thaci’s decree (media)
• President Thaci welcomes decision of Constitutional Court (media)
• U.S. Embassy statement on Constitutional Court’s decision (media)
• Grenell comments on Court's decision (Express)
• Konjufca implies LVV will seek opinion from Venice Commission (media)
• Abazi: This is state capture (media)
• Haxhiu: Court's decision is scandalous (media)
• Hoti: Time to unite for the country (media)
• Mustafa: Constitutional Court ruling, triumph for democracy (media)
• Haradinaj: Hoti government to be formed as soon as possible (media)
• Limaj calls on parties to respect Constitutional Court decision (media)
• Vetevendosje supporters hold “test-protest” in downtown Prishtina (media)
• Border changes promoted with taxpayer money (Kallxo/Prishtina Insight)
• Osmani: Those who lobbied for partition with taxpayers’ money, want to govern again
• Ambassador Heldt reacts to BIRN story about partition lobbying (Kallxo)
• Mujanovic: First time in history a govt hires lobbyists to partition own territory
• Haradinaj: I stopped Kosovo’s partition, no one can bring back this issue (media)
• President Thaci publishes images of “drug lab”, accuses “Kurti’s group” (media)
• Svecla: Psychiatric experts should comment on Thaci’s statements (media)
• Prosecution initiates investigations on surveillance room allegations (media)
• PDK: VV took data of over 1 million citizens from surveillance room (media)
• Miftaraj: The surveillance case is Thaci’s game, nothing more (Koha)
• President’s advisor: Kurti wants to be a dictator (media)
• 4 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in last 24 hours (media)
• Montenegro decides to open border with Kosovo on June 1 (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti responds to Thaci's statements, calls them "lies" (media)
• Prosecution gathering information into Thaci's allegations (Kallxo)
• Kurti: Old regime’s time is over (media)
• Kurti, Ahmeti discuss Covid-19 management efforts (media)
• "Contour Global" seeks over €20 mil in compensation from Kosovo govt (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Kosovo North: No new cases, cured and deceased in the last 24 hours (Kontakt plus radio)
• Dacic: ''Protection of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is an important and long-term goal of Serbia'' (media)
• Russian ambassador calls for respect of UN SC resolution 1244 on Kosovo (Srna, N1)
• Palmer: US doesn't support stability at expense of democracy in Serbia (VOA, N1)
• Bilcik supports Lajcak, Vogel thinks he is the wrong man for the dialogue (Beta, Euractiv, KoSSev)
• Serbian cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo a sovereignty issue for both Belgrade and Pristina (KoSSev)
• Covic: In political sense, coronavirus helped some put on or take off their masks (RTS)
• Jevtic met Risi, discussed frequent attacks against Serbs in Kosovo (TV Most)
• Two decades since murder of 4-year old boy and two more Serbs in Cernica village (Radio kontakt plus)

Opinions:

• Court Ruling May Deepen Divisions in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• The heroine mother (UNICEF)
• Kon: Serbia on way out of epidemic (B92)
• WHO office chief says pandemic under control in Serbia (N1, Nedeljnik)

• Only one new confirmed case of coronavirus in last 24 hours (media)
• Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s interview to TV Dukagjini
• Borrell: No way around EU-facilitated dialogue (media)
• Palmer: U.S. does not take sides in Kosovo (media)
• Stano: Kosovo-Serbia agreement to be acceptable for the region (Telegrafi)
• Kurti speaks on the phone to Slovenian PM, Jansa (media)
• Abazi: Thaci's statement, pure lie (Klan Kosova)
• Haxhiu: We will file charges against Thaci tomorrow (media)
• Konjufca to meet Austrian Minister for Europe at Pristina Airport (media)
• Swiss embassy believes authorities will continue to respect Constitution (media)
• Nagavci: Protest, result of people’s pressure (media)
• Quni: KSF has no limitations to go the north (media)
• Op-ed: There is only one Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Prishtina Insight)
• Osmani: Participation of women in politics achieves sustainable development (Koha)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 27, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• EU rapporteur reacts to Thaci's statement on Lajcak (media)
• “President doesn’t talk to Lajcak as he is openly against land swap” (Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj believes court will give right to other parties to form govt (Telegrafi)
• Miftaraj: President cannot play role of whistleblower (Koha)
• Borg Oliver: Not president's role to form new govt (Kallxo/Prishtina Insight)
• Acting government considers Association/Community to be invalidated (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• One new case of Covid-19 infection in Serb areas in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Serb returnee in Klina physically assaulted and injured (Kosovo-online)
• House of returnee in Ljubozda village stoned (Kosovo-online)
• Vucic: Pressure on Serbs will not stop, constant campaign of Albanian media (Tanjug)
• Djuric: Serbs in Kosovo most persecuted ethnic group in Europe (Kosovo-online)
• OSCE Mission condemns incident in Drenovcic village (Kosovo-online)
• Grenell's ready: "Serious dialogue" between Belgrade and Pristina is expected (B92, Kosovo-online, Vecernje Novosti)

Opinions:

• Milacic: Why Serbia’s President chose Grenell over Merkel (Euractiv/Koha)

International:

• Grenell to join Trump campaign (Politico)
• Little love, as Berlin bids 'auf Wiedersehen' to Trumpism (EUobserver)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo: 92-year old woman alone in abandoned village (Al Jazeera, KoSSev)
• World Bank approves $100 mil loans to Serbia for curbing pandemic (BETA, N1)
• OpisMEDIJavanje: Think about where the media get their money from (KoSSev)

• Nine new cases of coronavirus confirmed (media)
• Kosovo President rejects EU mediator for talks with Serbia (Reuters)
• EU: Lajcak speaks on behalf of all member states (Lajmi)
• Kurti: We shouldn’t worry that protests will be violent (media)
• Kurti speaks to Djukanovic about Covid-19, dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Osmani: Dialogue with Serbia to be well-structured (media)
• Abbott: Constitutional Court decision to be respected by all (media)
• VV supporters with "performance" in Prishtina on Thursday (Indeksonline)
• Selimi: We will not remain silent to unfair decisions (Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj: Court will support Hoti government (media)
• LVV submits to CEC request for local elections in Podujeve (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: We only expect interpretation from the Constitutional Court (media)
• Thaci says he will not take part in negotiations led by Lajcak (Koha)
• Veseli: I will not cease efforts to set up tribunal for Serb war crimes (media)
• LVV's Zogiani compares Grenell to former ambassador Dell (Kosovapress)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dr Antonijevic: The situation is calming down; protection measures are still mandatory (Kontakt plus radio)
• New attacks against Serb returnees in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• “Opening of crossings after June 1, following analysis of III phase measures” (KoSSev)
• "Western Balkans belong to Europe" (B92, Tanjug)
• REC:"Office for KIM will soon publish the number of polling stations in KiM" (Kosovo Online)
• "All our eyes would be on Serbia, watching election process" - MEP says (N1)
• Kosovo society should not deny the crimes of certain KLA members (KoSSev, Novosti)
• Matkos Group director: We are not breaking the law (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Profession, law, and justice (KoSSev)
• Kosovo between USA and EU (moderndiplomacy.eu)

International:

• Borell: Maintain the intention to bring the Western Balkans into the EU (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• OpisMEDIJavanje: Any unverified information or half-truth can lead to major consequences (KoSSev)
• Kosovo Economy Faces Fresh Hit If Diaspora Stays Away (Balkan Insight)