Albanian Language Media:

• U.S.: Conditions not in place at this time for elections in the north (media)
• Government: Waiting for assessment of situation in north for further steps (media)
• EULEX says protests should be peaceful; calls for calm and restraint (media)
• Rohde: Full support for peaceful demonstrations; zero tolerance for violence (media)
• Guerot: Acts of intimidation very concerning; dialogue only way forward (media)
• Kusari-Lila: Milosevic’s Serbia still functions with Vucic at the helm (Klan)
• Gjoshi: Postponing elections is Vucic’s request; shouldn’t be accepted (Nacionale)
• Abazi: Wouldn’t be the end of the world to postpone elections in north (T7)
• Bislimi to travel to Brussels tomorrow; to meet Varhelyi and Jourova (Express)
• Ceku: Kosovo will apply for UNESCO membership next year (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: New French-German proposal no improvement for us (Tanjug)
• Vucevic: Situation in Kosovo flammable (Kosovo Online, media)
• Vulovic says Pristina officials “acted arrogantly and unprofessionally” (Kosovo Online)
• Trajkovic: They came with automatic weapons, detonations were heard (Kosovo Online)
• After incidents in north, Belgrade and Pristina hurl accusations against one another (KoSSev)
• New manifestation of an old crisis and lack of understanding (Radio KIM)
• Wigemark concerned with incidents in north, says any protests should be peaceful (Kosovo Online)
• EU, W. Balkan mobile operators sign declaration on reduction of roaming charges (Tanjug)
• Doderovic: Dismayed by appointment of Radulovic, we support Serbian List (Kosovo Online)
• EULEX monitors the situation in the north of Kosovo; Kurti increases the presence of the police (Beta, NMagazin, KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Failure to Protect Murdered 35-year-old Was Result of Catalogue of Errors (BIRN)
• Cooper: Belgrade and Pristina enjoy media attention (VoA, Beta, KiM radio)

International:

• Kosovo PM Announces More Police Presence in North Following Attacks (BIRN)
• Explosions, Attacks in North Put Elections in Question (Prishtina Insight)
• Leaders sign the Declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana (EWB)
• Kosovo Activist Threatened After Criticising Football Player’s ‘Thuggish’ Gestures (Balkan Insight)  

Albanian Language Media  

U.S.: Conditions not in place at this time for elections in the north (media)

United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, took to Twitter today to say that “the United States condemns those who employed violence during yesterday’s incidents in northern Kosovo. Resorting to violence and intimidation, including use of an explosive device, and endangering lives is never an appropriate method of protest, under any circumstances”. 

“The United States is concerned that conditions are not in place at this time for elections to be held later this month in northern Kosovo. The safety and security of all Kosovan citizens should be the highest priority. We look for all involved to exercise restraint,” he tweeted. 

Government: Waiting for assessment of situation in north for further steps (media)

Spokesman for the Kosovo government, Perparim Kryeziu, said today that they are waiting for an assessment of the security situation in the north by law enforcement authorities “on further steps” for elections there. He wrote in a Facebook post that Kosovo’s institutions have shown readiness to provide conditions to hold the elections. “Elections are a powerful manifestation of democracy. Preventing or obstructing them [the elections] is an attack against democracy. After the resignations of the mayors of four municipalities in the north of the country, holding elections is now a constitutional obligation of the institutions of Kosovo. Criminal gangs might not take part in the elections, but they cannot dictate whether democratic elections will be held or not. Acts of violence and criminal acts must be condemned in unison,” Kryeziu said.

EULEX says protests should be peaceful; calls for calm and restraint (media)

Head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, said today he is “concerned with yesterday’s incidents in northern Kosovo”. “Any protests should be peaceful and everyone should remain calm and show restraint. EULEX will continue to monitor the situation in close coordination with Kosovo Police and KFOR,” he tweeted.

Rohde: Full support for peaceful demonstrations; zero tolerance for violence (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, shared a Twitter post by EULEX Head of Mission, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark who expressed concern over the incidents in north Kosovo on Tuesday. Rohde tweeted: “Very concerning indeed. Yesterday’s violence against municipal election offices is unacceptable. Good that Kosovo Police in coordination with EULEX and KFOR is present. Full support for peaceful demonstrators but zero tolerance for violence.

Guerot: Acts of intimidation very concerning; dialogue only way forward (media)

French Ambassador to Kosovo, Olivier Guerot, took to Twitter today to comment on the incidents in the north of Kosovo on Tuesday. “The acts of intimidation are very concerning. Dialogue is the way forward,” Guerot tweeted.

Kusari-Lila: Milosevic’s Serbia still functions with Vucic at the helm (Klan)

Head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said that the bomb attacks against the municipal election committee in the north on Tuesday are “targeted against the institutions of Kosovo and Serb citizens that want to live in and with the state of Kosovo”.

“Serbia’s attempt for terror against Kosovo has never stopped. Only the level of influence and the application have changed,” she said.

According to Kusari-Lila, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is not interested “in the integration and advancement of Serbs in the state of Kosovo. On the contrary, he wants the Serb minority here to be divided and against the state of Kosovo. They want to maintain an inexistent conflict between people on ethnic basis. In doing so they believe they will disintegrate the state of Kosovo and destroy all democratic mechanisms”.

“No one has a problem with Serb citizens in Kosovo. But Vucic has a problem that not all of them work against the state of Kosovo. Unfortunately, Milosevic’s Serbia is still functioning with Vucic at its helm”.

Gjoshi: Postponing elections is Vucic’s request; shouldn’t be accepted (Nacionale)

Member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Betim Gjoshi, who also served in the Central Election Commission, argued today that the request to postpone elections in the four northern municipalities came from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. “The postponement of elections in the four northern municipalities is a request of Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian List. Albin Kurti, Vjosa Osmani and Xhelal Svecla must not allow this request. The Prime Minister, President and the Interior Minister are failing to enforce the Constitution of Kosovo and to secure conditions for elections. Unfortunately, their failure has grave consequences for the Republic of Kosovo. The Prime Minister, President and the Interior Minister must answer why the state of Kosovo is failing in the north of the Republic of Kosovo,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Abazi: Wouldn’t be the end of the world to postpone elections in north (T7)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement and head of the Kosovo Assembly Committee for Foreign Affairs, Haki Abazi, said in an interview with T7 on Tuesday that it is difficult to hold elections in the north in a situation where bombs are thrown. 

“I heard some statements from the Central Election Commission that in a situation where bombs are thrown, it is not easy to think about holding elections. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to postpone the issue of elections for a certain period of time … Even if there are Serbs with good will to take part in the elections, it is impossible for them, because they have to deal with Belgrade’s illegal structures,” Abazi argued.

Bislimi to travel to Brussels tomorrow; to meet Varhelyi and Jourova (Express)

Kosovo’s First Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator in talks with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, will travel to Brussels on Thursday. He is scheduled to meet EU Enlargement Commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi, and European Commission Vice President, Vera Jourova.

Ceku: Kosovo will apply for UNESCO membership next year (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrullah Ceku, said in an interview with teve1 that Kosovo will apply for membership in UNESCO in autumn next year. “I believe that we should apply in autumn next year, because the UNESCO General Conference is held every two years, and this is our chance to apply. Application for membership in the Council of Europe, European Union, NATO and very soon in UNESCO, are natural actions to confirm the sovereignty and independence of Kosovo,” Ceku said.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: New French-German proposal no improvement for us (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday in Tirana a new French-German proposal sent to Belgrade and Pristina was no improvement from the previous one in terms of what was the most important for Serbia, Tanjug news agency reports.

“They did not honour the request that was made”, Vucic told reporters in Tirana, where he attended an EU-Western Balkans summit.

“We are ready to talk and we are rejecting nothing beforehand, except that we have made it clear in writing – not only orally – what our red lines are and what we cannot accept. We are ready to talk, we are ready for compromise solutions and we will continue the talks”, he said.

Commenting on a statement by EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak, who has said a new Brussels meeting between Vucic and Pristina’s PM Albin Kurti was expected to take place in a few weeks’ time, Vucic said that “a meeting between us is no problem – it is about whether we can reach a solution”.

Vucevic: Situation in Kosovo flammable (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian Minister of Defense, Milos Vucevic said today “the situation in Kosovo is so flammable and tense that it only takes a single match to set everything on fire and move in unwanted direction”, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“That shouldn’t surprise us because Pristina, all the time, is undertaking a number of actions aimed at destabilising the situation, not a single concluded agreement is adopted. Plus, it’s a clear message to the Serbs that they are unwelcome (…)”, Vucevic told Prva TV.  

According to him “it is clear that the goal of Pristina institutions is to cleanse Kosovo of the few remaining Serbs left there”.

He also said it was easy to speak from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis or Kragujevac, but that the Serbian people in Kosovo live under Albin Kurti’s terror every day, adding his main aim was “to intimidate and expel Serbs”.  

Vulovic says Pristina officials “acted arrogantly and unprofessionally” (Kosovo Online)

President of Zubin Potok municipality, Srdjan Vulovic told Kosovo Online portal that the attitude of officials from Pristina who came to Zubin Potok, escorted by the police, yesterday around 13.00 hrs was very arrogant and unprofessional.

“Three armoured vehicles came in front of the municipality. Two officials escorted by two police officers walked by the municipal reception post without explanation, and without any need kicked with a foot the door that was anyway unlocked of an office used by municipal election commission. Our female colleague who was there was caught by surprise with the entire situation”, Vulovic said.

According to the portal, an Albanian official from the Ministry of Local Government Administration spoke with a new election commission member in Albanian language only. The portal said it was a deputy minister from the ranks of the Self-determination Movement. It also said it tried to get his comment about the situation, but that he after hearing the question hung up the phone.

Vulovic also said they “were arrogant without any need”.

“A police officer translated what they were saying. He told us that a new official of the municipal election commission would work here from 8 to 16.00 every day. Then a handyman came in and changed the lock on the door. After that they exited the building, entered the vehicles and left. They will be in the rooms of the election commission in Zubin Potok”, Vulovic told the portal, adding the footprint of a shoe of one of them is still visible on the office door.

The portal also said that several Albanians armed with long-barrel weapons, who were obviously members of the escort, went to the first floor of the municipal building, before all of them exited the building and left. In the meantime, people gathered in front of the municipal building.

“It was unnecessary for them to act this way. It can cause unneeded incidents. We reacted peacefully and did not want to fall prey to provocations”, Vulovic said. 

Trajkovic: They came with automatic weapons, detonations were heard (Kosovo Online)

Petar Trajkovic, director of the Sports Administration in Mitrovica North, whose premises are located next to the premises of the municipal election commission, into which Albanian members accompanied by the Kosovo police broke yesterday, said the situation was very tense at one point, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Towards the end of working hours, we heard a crash, a door slam, and then three strong explosions. I looked through the window and saw armed policemen with automatic weapons in their hands, but also armed policemen in plain clothes. Employees experienced stress from detonations, especially women, we had to take one colleague to the emergency room”, he told the portal.

He added this way of breaking into someone’s premises was absolutely reprehensible and all this could have been organised in a peaceful way. “All this could have been implemented differently, in a peaceful and democratic way, and not by using bombs and weapons”, he said.

After incidents in north, Belgrade and Pristina hurl accusations against one another (KoSSev)

At least two incidents broke out in Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica on Tuesday, when members of the municipal election commissions attempted to enter the MEC premises in the North, accompanied by the Kosovo police, but were prevented from doing so by the local Serbs, KoSSev portal reports.

While the incident in Zubin Potok ended peacefully, with the intervention of the police, in North Mitrovica, according to official sources, two explosive devices were thrown at the premises of the MEC, one of which exploded, and the other was removed late last night.

The latest events in the north triggered an avalanche of reactions, mostly from Pristina politicians. The ruling structures in Belgrade and Pristina accuse each other of standing behind the incidents, while the opposition in Kosovo is urging Kurti to inform the public about what exactly happened. International representatives called for restraint.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3Y4riY9

New manifestation of an old crisis and lack of understanding (Radio KIM)

I would not say this is about a new crisis, it is only a new manifestation of a crisis ongoing for several months already caused by unilateral Pristina acts, NGO CASA Executive Director, Miodrag Marinkovic said in relation to yesterday’s events in northern Kosovo, Radio KIM reports.

There is an essential misunderstanding in Pristina of the fact that everything done in relation with integration of the Serbian community must be done in the agreement with Belgrade, Milica Andric-Rakic from New Social Initiative said. It is not possible that the Kosovo government on its own, without tensions, carries out a process of integration of the Serbs, she added.

“This is an essential matter that the Kosovo government does not understand regarding the dialogue, and which causes all those crises. As long as the Serbian List does not take part in elections, respectively, as long as Belgrade does not support the election process, as it was in 2013 first time for local elections, there will be no successfully organised elections. This is something that the Kosovo government either refuses to understand, or understands but refuses to accept it as a fact and attempts to implement it in other ways. However, it will always end with tensions, and potentially with violent clashes”, she argued.

Marinkovic also said the cause for yesterday’s tensions was the decision of official Pristina.

“I do not justify any sort of violence, not also that demolishing which took place yesterday, but we also need to be realistic and say that such sort of violence as a cause has politics coming from Pristina, which completely disregards the dialogue and imposes solutions”, he said. He added those elections as Pristina imagined them serve only that Albin Kurti demonstrates how acts of Serbian List were in vain and how they can form authority in northern Kosovo without participation of the Serbian List, respectively the Serb community.

He then argued that under those conditions there would be authorities made up of Albanians who would have no authority over 95 percent of the population there made up of Serbs nor that vast majority of the population would cooperate with them.

Both Marinkovic and Andric-Rakic agreed there are no technical conditions for holding normal elections. Marikovic opined that the current crisis must be resolved with dialogue.

“(…) It seems to me that what Kurti does lately goes in line with the analogy “an elephant in a china shop”. Over the last few months we have witnessed constantly the acts that lead to the deterioration of the situation on the ground, deterioration of stability, departure of Serbs from institutions. Ever since Kurti started so zealously to resolve this crisis the north of Kosovo returned to 2011 when we had no Serbs in the courts, we had no presence of Serbs in political structures. As he goes on I think there is a possibility of returning to 1999, respectively to a year immediately after the conflict when the security situation was very difficult for the Serbian community”, he assessed. 

Wigemark concerned with incidents in north, says any protests should be peaceful (Kosovo Online)

Head of EULEX, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark said he is concerned with yesterday’s incidents in northern Kosovo, adding that any protest should be peaceful, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“Concerned with yesterday’s incidents in northern Kosovo. Any protests should be peaceful and everyone should remain calm and show restraint. @EULEXKosovo will continue to monitor the situation in close coordination with Kosovo Police and @NATO_KFOR”, he said in a post on Twitter. 

EU, W. Balkan mobile operators sign declaration on reduction of roaming charges (Tanjug)

TIRANA – A part of EU-based mobile telephony companies signed with Western Balkan operators on Tuesday in Tirana a declaration on reduction of roaming charges, and subscribers are expected to feel the first benefits from as early as October 2023, Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic said.

At an EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana, Lucic signed the declaration on behalf of Telekom Srbija Group, the largest telecommunications operator in the Western Balkans.

The declaration expresses the operators’ strong commitment to further work on defining a sliding price scale for Internet data transfers in May 2023, with the price reduction to take effect in October 2023.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3FacnD8

Doderovic: Dismayed by appointment of Radulovic, we support Serbian List (Kosovo Online)

President of Montenegrin Liberal Party in Kosovo, Radoman Doderovic said Montenegrin community in Kosovo was not surprised by information on appointment of Lazar Radulovic as adviser to Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rasis, adding that his party supports Serbian List and Democratic Front in Montenegro, Kosovo Online portal reports.

He added that the Montenegrin community in Kosovo “was dismayed by this appointment”. 

EULEX monitors the situation in the north of Kosovo; Kurti increases the presence of the police (Beta, NMagazin, KoSSev)

The EU rule of law mission in Kosovo EULEX announced that their police patrols and today are “monitoring the security situation” in the north of Kosovo, in cooperation with the Kosovo police, reported portal NMagazin. 

EULEX confirmed for the KoSSev portal that at the request of the Kosovo Police and in coordination with KFOR, their police units provided support yesterday in securing the area around the building of the Municipal Election Commission (MEC) in North Mitrovica.

As reported by that portal, the incident in Zubin Potok “ended peacefully, with the intervention of the police”, and in North Mitrovica, “two explosive devices were thrown at the premises of the MEC, one of which exploded”, while the other was removed in a controlled explosion, stated KFOR late last night.

At least two incidents occurred yesterday when new members of the municipal election commissions tried to enter the buildings of the municipalities of Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica, to organise extraordinary local elections on December 18, in which the Serbian List, the most influential party of Serbs in Kosovo, is not participating, reported media.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated that “criminal gangs have increased their attacks in the north of Kosovo” and announced that the presence of the Kosovo police in the municipalities in the north will be increased, reported NMagazin.

Opinion 

Failure to Protect Murdered 35-year-old Was Result of Catalogue of Errors (BIRN)

Opinion piece by Kreshnik Gashi

Hamide Magashi was the second fatal victim of domestic violence in Kosovo in just one week. Her tragic murder in the courtyard of the Gynaecology Hospital, one day before she was supposed to give birth, shocked many, and raises questions about the institutional protection of women in Kosovo. 

She had reported her husband’s violence in July, months earlier. Why did the state fail to protect her? 

Professionals who read information about the case, from the reaction of the Prime Minister to the Prosecutor’s Office’s analysis, felt despair. 

The road to protect women seems at a dead end and the professional ignorance that has gripped the country risks making it even worse. 

It is saddening that the group that recommended changes to the Prime Minister did not even understand the elementary mistakes that were made in this case. It’s saddening also to read that the Prime Minister is content with just resignations in a case where someone should go to jail. There were mistakes in the standard procedures, and more in the initial investigation.

What were these mistakes? 

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3VBRNTb

Cooper: Belgrade and Pristina enjoy media attention (VoA, Beta, KiM radio)

The former mediator in the technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Robert Cooper, said that both sides were enjoying media attention but were not reaching an agreement, which was a proof of how weak they were, reported KiM radio, citing VoA. 

“It seems that they (Belgrade and Pristina) do not see any particular danger in this and are not worried. It is as if they enjoy the media attention, bombastic statements, and display of alleged strength. But, by not reaching an agreement – they are actually showing how weak they are,” said a former British diplomat.

Cooper added that he has the impression that neither Belgrade nor Pristina have decided that they want to solve the problem.

The former diplomat saw the possibility of reaching a “comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, based on the Franco-German proposal supported by the European Union, as an excellent opportunity”.

“That would be great – although I’m not sure what the details of such a proposal are. There are plenty of them floating around – numerous proposals have been tested in public. In the old days, an agreement was reached on a Community of Serb-majority municipalities – which seemed like a reasonable way to approach the issue of Serbs in Kosovo”, said Cooper, and added that he was not sure if the parties in the process were ready for such a thing.

Cooper assessed that it was of vital importance that the EU and the US work together on this.

“It is vital to work together on this because the situation deserves attention and is potentially dangerous. Twenty years have passed since the conflict in Kosovo, which is a long time, and things have not yet been resolved,” Cooper said, adding that the situation was better, some of the things were concluded, but the process was not finished.

International 

Kosovo PM Announces More Police Presence in North Following Attacks (BIRN)

After a series of violent attacks on election premises in the North, aimed at preventing elections from taking place there on December 18, PM Albin Kurti vowed to increase police numbers in the area.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the police presence in the tense Serb-majority North would be increased after a series of attacks on municipal election offices on Tuesday aimed at preventing polls from taking place on December 18.

Several persons threw objects at the municipal election premises in Zubin Potok on Tuesday, breaking the glass.

Immediately after, sirens sounded in Mitrovica North following an attack on its municipal election premises. Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said assailants used bombs and firearms during the attack.

The authorities are trying to organize extraordinary mayoral elections in the North on December 18 after the mass resignation of Serb officials from the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party in a dispute over car registration plates.

The party has not submitted any candidates for the December 18 elections and objects to them.

Kurti blamed “criminal gangs” for the attacks and said that “the end is nearing for them”.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3VTjVB6

Explosions, Attacks in North Put Elections in Question (Prishtina Insight)

Explosions rock north of Kosovo only days before extraordinary local elections are due to take place in the four Serb-majority municipalities.

Gunshots and explosions were heard on Tuesday afternoon in the northern municipalities of Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica. Police said no injuries had been reported.

The offices of the Central Election Commission, CEC, and members of the Police were attacked only days before local elections in the four northern municipalities were due to be held on December 18.

They come after the mass resignations of Serbian officials in the North in a protest against the government decision to outlaw Serbia-issued vehicle license plates.

The Minister of Interior, Xhelal Svecla, said municipal election offices and police were attacked with “shock bombs” and that shots were fired in the air by organized groups.

The Minister added that such attacks, aimed at blocking the electoral process, are unacceptable.

“Organized groups with some masked individuals attacked Municipal Election Officers and police officers with bombs and shots in the air, to stop them from exercising their official duties. Attacks such as this, with the aim of blocking the electoral process, are unacceptable. The organization of elections is a constitutional obligation, while participation in them is a right of citizens that cannot be violated by anyone,” he said.

Svecla announced that Police had started investigations to identify and bring to justice the suspects.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3BfNk0z

Leaders sign the Declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana (EWB)

TIRANA — The Declaration expressing the EU’s full support for the membership perspective of the Western Balkans six and calling for acceleration of accession process was signed today at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana. Signatories of the Declaration were the leaders of the Western Balkans six and EU Member States, together with representatives of the Council and Commission.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3UxMe7b

Kosovo Activist Threatened After Criticising Football Player’s ‘Thuggish’ Gestures (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo human rights activist received threats after she called famous Kosovo football player a “thug” for gestures against Serbian football players during the Qatar World Cup match between Switzerland and Serbia.

Kosovo human rights activist Zana Avdiu said she had received thousands of threats after condemning a gesture made by Granit Xhaka, a Kosovo Albanian football player for Switzerland’s national team, in the World Cup match against Serbia on Friday.

“There were thousands of messages, a large percentage of which were threats to my life and safety. Together with the lawyer Arianit Koci, we reported them to the police … Now we are waiting for the police and the prosecution to do their work,” Avdiu told BIRN.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3VKD2Og