UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 22, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

COVID-19: 137 new cases, ten deaths (media)
Hoti to announce new anti-Covid measures (media)
Hoti vows to respect Constitutional Court's ruling (media)
US Embassy calls on parties and institutions to respect court’s decision (media)
Acting president Osmani meets head of EU Office Szunyog (Koha)
Kurti: Elections to be held as soon as possible (media)
LDK's Abrashi: We are ready for elections (media)
Hoxhaj: PDK to soon announce candidate for prime minister (media)
LVV: Constitutional Court ruling does not prevent Kurti from running for election (RFE/Koha)
Isufi: AAK ready for elections, will run on its own (media)
Daka: CEC ready to organise the elections (media)
“Only final court decision excludes MP candidates from running” (media)
Hasani: Constitutional Court's ruling, strange (Telegrafi)
Tahiri: Law clearly sets out who can run for election in Kosovo (Indeksonline)
Gerxhaliu: Budget must be adopted before we go to elections (RTK)
Journalist Valon Syla assaulted in Pristina (media)

Serbian Language Media:

In the Serbian communities in Kosovo, 46 new cases, four died (Kontakt plus radio)
First shipment of Pfizer vaccine reported to have arrived in Serbia (Nova.rs, N1, Tanjug)
Dacic: Unserious attitude of Pristina, most important to have peace in Kosovo (Danas)
Father Sava: Decisions of Constitutional Court selectively implemented, justice applied on ethnic basis (Kosovo-online)
Lazarevic: Kosovo politics demonstrated its irresponsibility and lack of seriousness (Kosovo-online)
Petkovic: Serbia and Vucic did not hand over anything to Albanians (Kosovo-online)
Rada Trajkovic: Vucic handed over one part of Serbian energy network (Danas)
Father Sava reacts to Suvo Grlo village church case (Kontakt plus radio)
A Serb came to Pec for documents, arrested for a "war crime" and taken to Pristina (Kosovo Online)
Office for KiM: Arrests aim to keep Serbs in constant fear and uncertainty (Kosovo Online)

International:

Kosovo to hold early election after court ruling (AP)
Kosovo's highest court rules parliamentary vote electing government was illegal (Reuters)
Kosovo Heading For Fresh Elections After High Court Rules Parliament Vote For Government Was Illegal (RFE)
Kosovo Faces New Elections After Court Rules Govt Illegitimate (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

NGO Link only in December donated 15.000 protective visors to health workers in Kosovo (KoSSev)
Serbia Leads Region in Expecting COVID-19 Vaccines Within Days (Balkan Insight)
Share This Now! How Conspiracy Theories Swamped North Macedonia (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

COVID-19: 137 new cases, ten deaths (media)

137 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed of 841 tests carried out in the last 24 hours, Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health said.

Meanwhile, ten deaths and 382 recoveries have been reported over the same time period.

There are currently 12,002 active cases of coronavirus in Kosovo.

Hoti to announce new anti-Covid measures (media)

In a virtual meeting with representatives of the business community, Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti announced that the government plans to introduce new anti-Covid measures that are set to enter into force on Wednesday, 23 December.

Hoti assured the businesses that he is in regular contact with parliamentary groups and is making efforts to ensure that the current legislature adopts the budget for next year as well as several international agreements before being dissolved.

Telegrafi news website reports that the new measures include an extension of the movement period from the current 7 p.m. curfew to 8 p.m.

Hoti vows to respect Constitutional Court's ruling (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti said he will respect the ruling of the Constitutional Court stating that the election of his government is unlawful and that new elections need to take place.

"I fully accept and will respect it without any question. I will not comment on the decision of the Constitutional Court. I am glad the Constitutional Court has explained it. The Government remains on duty until a new one is elected. We will continue with our work," Hoti said.

He appealed for the 2021 budget to be voted prior to the Assembly being dissolved.

US Embassy calls on parties and institutions to respect court’s decision (media)

The United States Embassy in Prishtina, in a statement today, called on all parties and institutions in Kosovo to respect the decisions of the Constitutional Court, and to ensure that the citizens of Kosovo are able to choose their representatives through free, fair, peaceful elections.

Acting president Osmani meets head of EU Office Szunyog (Koha)

Acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani met today the head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, and discussed recent developments in Kosovo.

The two underlined the need for the latest ruling of the Constitutional Court to be respected as well as all legal timeframes.

Osmani and Szunyog also discussed the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts for obtaining the vaccine. They agreed that the issue needs to be treated as a priority and that Kosovo institutions need to have in place a clear vaccination plan.

Kurti: Elections to be held as soon as possible (media)

Leader of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Albin Kurti spoke about the Constitutional Court's decision declaring the government of Kosovo to have been unconstitutionally elected saying elections should be announced as soon as possible.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting with acting President Vjosa Osmani, Kurti said that too much time has been wasted and that Kosovo needs a new and competent government that can take it out of the multifold crisis. "We expressed our interest to have the future early parliamentary elections take place at the earliest possible time," Kurti said adding that they did not talk of any specific date.

"With respect to the details mentioned by the Constitutional Court, we need to wait for the complete verdict and give our position," he said.

He did not say who will be the party's candidate for prime minister noting that this is a decision that is taken by the general council but that "no doubt, we will be the future majority."

LDK's Abrashi: We are ready for elections (media)

Arban Abrashi, secretary of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) presidency, represented his party in the meeting with acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani following the latest decision of the Constitutional Court.

He said that LDK is ready for elections and that they mentioned 7 February as a possible date. Abrashi however pointed out that the meeting with Osmani was preliminary and that they will wait for the full ruling of the Constitutional Court and the adoption of the next year's budget of Kosovo before determining the future steps.

"The good thing is that the full verdict has not yet been made public so we have few more days time and can use this to pass the public budget," he told reporters after meeting Osmani.

Hoxhaj: PDK to soon announce candidate for prime minister (media)

Acting leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj said at a news conference today that the party will soon announce the name of its candidate for prime minister and that it welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court declaring the election of the Hoti-led government unconstitutional.

"Such a decision was expected due to the political crisis that the country was in since 6 October 2019. October of 2019 has proved to be a big deceit for the citizens of Kosovo. No citizen has endorsed such degradation, no business deserved the closing down of a workshop or job loss and this is the fault of the two governments," he said.

Hoxhaj noted further that the PDK is ready for elections and is convinced it has the best offer. "You know the PDK is a party of great decisions. We will offer hope because we are a party of hope. We will offer stability, security, and progress and the best economic programme."

He also said that the party will soon announce the name of its candidate for prime minister and that it has enough people that are able to run all institutions in Kosovo.

"I have visited 35 municipalities in Kosovo and have seen there is a return of trust with PDK. I am sure the election result will be surprising," he said adding that the PDK plans to run on its own in upcoming elections.

LVV: Constitutional Court ruling does not prevent Kurti from running for election (RFE/Koha)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) has said that the decision of the Constitutional Court on whether persons that have been convicted have a right to run for election will does not affect the party leader Albin Kurti and senior member Albulena Haxhiu, both of whom have been conditionally convicted in 2018 for releasing tear gas at the Assembly.

Perparim Kryeziu, LVV's spokesperson said that neither Kurti nor Haxhiu were sentenced to prison. "Conditional sentences have no legal effects, that is no legal repercussions. Therefore leader Kurti and member of leadership Ms. Haxhiu have no ban on being part of the election race," he said.

Isufi: AAK ready for elections, will run on its own (media)

Ahmet Isufi, deputy leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said after the meeting of the party's leadership in light of the Constitutional Court decision declaring the election of the government led by Avdullah Hoti to be unconstitutional that AAK is ready for elections and that its goal is to govern Kosovo.

"We will go to elections as AAK with the goal of leading the country," Isufi told reporters.

He also commented on AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj's candidacy for president of Kosovo saying the party's position remains unchanged. "We think he is best suited to become president."

Daka: CEC ready to organise the elections (media)

Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) President Valdete Daka said today that the CEC is ready to organise the early parliamentary elections. She said it is their constitutional obligation to organise elections whenever they are announced and despite the coronavirus pandemic.

“Yes, we are always prepared, in fact we know that next year is an election year and we have made all the necessary preparations as foreseen by the Constitution,” Daka said. “We are now accustomed to having early elections. All parliamentary elections were early elections and if they are announced it is our obligation to organise them.”

“Only final court decision excludes MP candidates from running” (media)

Kosovo’s Central Election Committee (CEC) spokesperson, Valmir Elezi, told Euronews Albania today that organising parliamentary elections within a short period of time is a challenge for the institution but added that the CEC has managed these challenges in the past too.

Asked how MP candidates are verified, given the recent public debate that persons convicted of penal acts cannot run for MPs, Elezi said only a final court decision can exclude individuals from running for MP positions.

Hasani: Constitutional Court's ruling, strange (Telegrafi)

Former president of Kosovo's Constitutional Court, Enver Hasani, commented on the decision of the court to declare the election of the Hoti-led government unconstitutional and call for new elections within 40 days.

Hasani told TV Dukagjini: "In the professional sense, the ruling is very strange in that it prevents anyone convicted in the last three years to run for election." He said a decision on who can run for election cannot be rendered by the Constitutional Court but regular courts.

Hasani also said that the Vetevendosje Movement leader Albin Kurti can run for the post of Kosovo prime minister in upcoming elections but not for an MP seat, in line with the recent Constitutional Court decision.

Tahiri: Law clearly sets out who can run for election in Kosovo (Indeksonline)

Ramush Tahiri, political commentator, spoke about the decision of the Constitutional Court paving way for new elections and noted that the law in Kosovo clearly stipulates on who can run for election.

"Whoever is sentenced to a prison term of more than six months cannot exercise an MP mandate," Tahiri said. He added that a person convicted of a criminal activity can be elected MP unless there is a court decision banning that person from exercising public functions for a set period of time.

Tahiri also said that once the acting President Vjosa Osmani dissolves the parliament and announces the date for new elections, she can no longer keep the current post and that the head of the Constitutional Court, Arta Rama Hajrizi, will become acting president.

Gerxhaliu: Budget must be adopted before we go to elections (RTK)

Safet Gerxhaliu, a commentator on economics, said in an interview with RTK today that the Kosovo Assembly must adopt the budget before the country goes to early parliamentary elections. “The extreme politicisation of important processes in Kosovo and the negative impact of the COVID – 19 pandemic, have brought the country before many political, economic and social challenges and especially political instability,” he said.

Gerxhaliu argued that even after the ruling of the Constitutional Court, the current government has all the competencies of a legitimate government. “Therefore, even if the proposed budget is adopted, the new government that will result from the 2021 elections, would be able to review the budget so that Kosovo is not economically paralysed,” he added.

Journalist Valon Syla assaulted in Pristina (media)

Valon Syla, journalist and founder of the Gazeta Metro news website, has been physically assaulted in Pristina today.

Kosovo Police confirmed the attack saying they have opened an investigation and are awaiting additional information.

The Association of Kosovo Journalists condemned the attack on Syla and urged law enforcement mechanisms to as soon as possible solve the case which the association said undermines the freedom of the press and of expression.

Acting leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj called the attack on Syla an act of "cowardice" and said that violence can never serve as an answer to those who think differently. "Freedom of thought is the greatest achievement of a democracy - a value which we have embraced and preserved with a great deal of effort," Hoxhaj wrote on Facebook. At the same time, Kosovo’s Ambassador to the U.S. Vlora Citaku called the attack “shameful”.

The attack has also been condemned by the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA).

Several media outlets have published the footage of the attack and tie it to Syla’s recent comments against the members of the Kosovo diaspora for which he received fierce backlash on social media.

Serbian Language Media

In the Serbian communities in Kosovo, 46 new cases, four died (Kontakt plus radio)

The North Mitrovica Crisis Staff announced today that in Serbian communities in Kosovo, four people died as a result of the coronavirus, 46 new cases of infection were registered, while 85 people came out of isolation, reported Kontakt plus radio.

Three people died from Leposavic, while one is from North Mitrovica.

Out of 171 processed samples, positive cases were recorded in the municipalities: North Mitrovica (14), Zvecan (7), Zubin Potok (6), Gracanica (6), Gnjilane (4), Leposavic (3), Priluzje (3), Strpce (2) and Kosovska Kamenica (1).

Currently, 960 cases are active.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 78 people have died in the Serbian communities in Kosovo as a result of Covid-19.

First shipment of Pfizer vaccine reported to have arrived in Serbia (Nova.rs, N1, Tanjug)

Tanjug news agency said on Tuesday that the first shipment of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine had arrived in Serbia.

The agency published a video of a cargo aircraft being unloaded at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport, saying that 4,800 doses of the vaccine were in the shipment.

Serbian officials have been saying for days that the first deliveries of the vaccine would arrive by the end of the year. The Serbian Medicines and Medical Devices Agency approved the imports of the Pfizer vaccine four days ago, N1 recalled.

See at: https://bit.ly/3rkbQXH

Dacic: Unserious attitude of Pristina, most important to have peace in Kosovo (Danas)

Serbian Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic it is difficult to find any political setting in Kosovo that would be positive towards Serbian stances, Danas daily reports.

“Whenever there are new elections in Kosovo, there would again be tensions relating to the forming of a new government in Pristina, and for us it is the most important to have peace”, Dacic told TV Happy, adding that lots of “boiling” took place in Kosovo over the recent period due to arrests of some Kosovo leaders.

According to him it is “unserious” that so many times had passed since the Constitutional Court made the decision that practically ousted the government there.

Father Sava: Decisions of Constitutional Court selectively implemented, justice applied on ethnic basis (Kosovo-online)

Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery Sava Janjic wrote on Twitter how come that decisions of the Constitutional Court are being implemented selectively, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“I just wonder how come that decisions of #Kosovo Constitutional Court are selectively implemented. The Court decision recognizing land ownership of Dečani monastery has been ignored for 4 years w/ impunity. The justice applied on ethnic & arbitrary basis isn’t a proof of progress”, Abbot Sava wrote.

He made these remarks as a response to Florian Bieber, professor at Graz University and Balkans expert post on Twitter, who said that “the decision of Kosovo Constitutional Court to declare the government illegitimate and ordering new elections shows a key legacy of international state building in Kosovo and Bosnia: an independent Constitutional Court”.

Lazarevic: Kosovo politics demonstrated its irresponsibility and lack of seriousness (Kosovo-online)

Kossev portal Editor-in-Chief, Tatjana Lazarevic said today that the decision of Kosovo Constitutional Court to call for snap parliamentary elections was a “continuation of embarrassment” for the current Kosovo government, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Lazarevic told Beta news agency that the Constitutional Court confirmed with that decision what was known in Kosovo in June after the election of the government, that the government got the majority in an illegal way because the convicted MP Etem Arifi voted for it.

“All decisions made by that government, according to Kosovo law, are legal, although the election of the government itself is illegal”, she added.

Lazarevic further said Kosovo politics has shown “frivolity and irresponsibility” by spending half a year making a decision on one “easily verifiable information” such as the vote of MP Arifi.

In addition, “this decision was made after the almost two-month crisis of the unsuccessful election of the President of Kosovo, because some candidates, such as Ramush Haradinaj, as well as the rest of the government, were blackmailing to be elected”, she said.

Petkovic: Serbia and Vucic did not hand over anything to Albanians (Kosovo-online)

Member of Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Main Board and Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said today in reaction to the claims of Rada Trajkovic that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic handed over part of the Serbian electricity network to Kosovo, that “neither Serbia nor President Aleksandar Vucic handed over anything to Albanians, as Rada Trajkovic and her political bosses had wished maliciously and accused unfoundedly,” Kosovo-online portal reports.

In a press release published this morning, Petkovic said that on the contrary, political leadership of Serbia was doing everything to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity in northern Kosovo and that it “succeeds and will succeed, as long as our state is being led by a government that cares primarily for the interests of its people, and not for cheap political points or applause from Pristina”.

“It is devastating that today in Serbia we have opposition politicians who, from their comfortable positions in Belgrade, attack their home country and openly side with Pristina, which for years refuses to implement the signed agreements - both the Brussels Agreement and the Agreement on energy from 2013 and Action plan with the conclusions of the EU mediator from 2015,” Petkovic underlined.

He added that, Serbia again, for the fifth time, submitted a request for registration and licensing of two Serbian companies whose competencies would be trade, distribution services and supply of consumers in the north of Kosovo with electricity.

He agreed with Rada Trajkovic on one account only, and that is, as he said, “there is no going back for Serbia”.

“Serbia is moving forward and will continue to grow stronger economically, institutionally and politically, and her and her bosses have long been part of political, backward history. Maybe that is why Pristina is running Rada Trajkovic’s candidacy for the new president of self-proclaimed Kosovo. The way things are right now, she would soon get an opportunity for that,” Petkovic concluded.

Rada Trajkovic: Vucic handed over one part of Serbian energy network (Danas)

“It is clear to everyone that there is no going back. Vucic stole a part of the Serbian electricity network and handed it over to Kosovo,” said Rada Trajkovic, president of the European Movement of Serbs from Kosovo, commenting for Belgrade based daily Danas the Kosovo operator KOSTT taking over the electricity supply in the north of Kosovo.

She pointed out that Germany has invested more than 100 million euros in connecting the electricity networks of Kosovo and Albania, which, in her opinion, was a large strategic and investment project for that country.

Trajkovic stated that the connection projects have been in preparation for a long time, and that it has now been completed.

“I know for a fact that all integrative projects in the north resulted in the departure of some Serbs. That is what really drastically reduces the already endangered multiethnicity,” Trajkovic pointed out.

She explained that when it came to the police, some people did not want to join Kosovo police, so they were engaged in the rest of Serbia. Trajkovic said that it was the same with Customs.

She opined that it would be the same with some of the workers of Elektrodistribucija who did not want to move to Kosovo system, as well as with those for whom there would be no place because, according to her, there were too many workers-beyond any systematization.

Trajkovic said that these people would be hired in the rest of Serbia.

She added that the state and President Vucic did not show at all what Serbia has gained, and whether it has gained anything at all, except for the attempts through Germany for him to stay in power for a little while longer.

“The state did not get any improvement as a state, because it is still a huge strategic concession. Both strategically and financially. I am also worried about Serbs. The state should have regulated the payments of electricity to Serbia earlier, while it was in the system. But they left it because they have criminogenic factors, so together with the Albanians, they used it for bitcoins,” Trajkovic said.

She claims that a large number of configurations for cryptocurrency mining (bitcoin) were set up in the north of Kosovo.

“We have both compromised ourselves because we have never regulated the payment (of electricity) of Serbs to Serbia, and we have also inserted that criminogenic factor, which further compromises you with the international (community) and then they win you over. After all, they filled their pockets, they could care less, and the people remained in a mess without any answer,” Trajkovic concluded.

Father Sava reacts to Suvo Grlo village church case (Kontakt plus radio)

“Increasingly frequent provocations directed against the Serbian Orthodox heritage in Kosovo and Metohija only show the real relation towards the Serbian people, their culture and spirituality”, Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery Sava Janjic said in reaction to the event about the church in Suvo Grlo village, Kontakt plus radio reports.

Serbian media reported earlier that a sign in Albanian and English languages “Our Church” was placed not far from the remains of a church that Serb from the village visit for ceremonial purposes.

“I think it will be very difficult to convince the world of their fairy tales after all those horrible scenes of desecration of churches and crosses in the last 20 years, not in time of war, but in time of peace. We can only hope that some official voice of reason will be heard that this is not the way to reconciliation, but as far as I can see, even those who could say something are silent”, Abbot Sava posted on Facebook.

“It is important that all these examples are documented and presented to international representatives. Low and primitive provocations should be answered in a responsible and reasonable manner. Primarily by an even stronger testimony of our heritage, history, culture and, above all, spirituality. It is well known who cared and lived for these shrines, and for whom they are a source of identity, faith and strength”, Abbot Sava added.

“And those who deal with them only when they need to provoke, demolish and desecrate (...) with their deeds they show how much they are theirs”, he concluded.

A Serb came to Pec for documents, arrested for a "war crime" and taken to Pristina (Kosovo Online)

Members of the Kosovo Police arrested Svetomir Bacevic, a displaced person from Belo Polje near Pec, who currently lives in Gornji Milanovac, on charges of war crimes, confirmed the president of the Provisional Authority of the municipality of Pec, Milos Dimitrijevic, for portal Kosovo Online.

Dimitrijevic says that Bacevic came to Pec for personal documents, and the Kosovo police transferred him to Pristina after deprivation of liberty and interrogation on suspicion that he committed the war crime.

"Bacevic came to Pec to get his personal documents, but apparently someone reported him, and he was arrested by the police, who brought him in for questioning. I tried to get in touch with the police commander in Pec and the spokesman, but they did not respond, so we through the station in Gorazdevac, learned that Bacevic was charged with the criminal offense of war crime and that he was transferred to Pristina,'' says Dimitrijevic.

He points out that the arrested S.B had come to Pec before and that he never had any problems, because before the war he worked as a postman in Pec and did not take part in any war conflicts.

"It is really incomprehensible to arrest people who did not take part in the war at all, let alone commit a war crime. This is a clear message to Serb returnees that they are not welcome and such things further disturb the remaining Serb population in Kosovo," Dimitrijevic said.

Office for KiM: Arrests aim to keep Serbs in constant fear and uncertainty (Kosovo Online)

Immediately after learning that a Serb Svetomir Bacevic was arrested in the municipality of Pec today under the pretext that he was responsible for the alleged war crime, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija provided a defense attorney, who will monitor his case and action towards him, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement, reported portal Kosovo Online.

"We strongly condemn another campaign of intimidation of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, in which the existence of some secret lists of suspects in alleged war crimes is used as a mechanism to put pressure on the Serb population. It is a new attack on the Serbs in the southern province, and in recent years especially returnees and returnee families have been targeted by Pristina institutions.''

This unequivocally testifies that there is no readiness or will in Pristina to enable the peaceful and safe return of displaced Serbs from Kosovo, and that Serbs are obviously not welcome.

''We emphasize that this is not the first time that returnees to Kosovo face this kind of threat to security and integrity, and that in the past it has been shown that almost all Serbs arrested in such actions were innocent. The only goal of such actions of Pristina institutions is to keep Serbs in Kosovo a constant state of fear and uncertainty," stated the Office for KiM in a statement.

International

Kosovo to hold early election after court ruling (AP)

Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the country must hold a new general election because parliament’s confirmation of the Cabinet in June only passed because of an invalid vote by a lawmaker who has since been jailed.

The court decided late Monday that the vote of lawmaker Etem Arifi, of the minority Ashkali Party for Integration, for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti was invalid and consequently “the Government has not taken the majority of the votes of the lawmakers.”

Arifi’s vote gave the government 61 votes in the 120-seat chamber, and without it the confirmation would have failed.

Humanitarian/Development

NGO Link only in December donated 15.000 protective visors to health workers in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Mitrovica Innovation Center at the LINK non-governmental organization and volunteers during December produced and donated 15.000 protective visors to the health facilities in Kosovo, KoSSev portal reports.

As NGO said in a three-language announcement posted on their Facebook page, 12.500 visors were donated to the Ministry of Health, 1.500 to the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North that would further distribute them to the health facilities in the Serb-populated areas in line with their needs, as well as to Kamenica municipality.

Protective visors were also donated to the catering facilities, shops and other service business.

LINK said in a statement it hopes that their mission under these difficult circumstances would be useful in combating the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

Serbia Leads Region in Expecting COVID-19 Vaccines Within Days (Balkan Insight)

Serbia has announced that it expects the first COVID-19 vaccines to arrive this week, while Turkey and other countries in the Balkans expect their first doses somewhat later – either by the end of 2020 or in the first quarter of 2021.

The first doses of the vaccine made by the Pfizer and BioNtech companies will arrive in Serbia this week, Pavle Zelic, from the Serbia’s Agency for Medicines, said on Monday.

He said the agency had approved the quality and safety of the vaccines made by the two companies, and Serbia expected to get its first doses by the end of this week. “We can be satisfied with the results of our examinations of the vaccine,” Zelic said on Monday.

The agency has approved 20,475 doses of the vaccines – but 5,000 doses are expected to arrive in the first tranche this week, according to the Health Minister, Zlatibor Loncar, in a statement from December 18.

See at: https://bit.ly/2KjeDzS

Share This Now! How Conspiracy Theories Swamped North Macedonia (Balkan Insight)

The fight against the spread of fake news is becoming more sophisticated in North Macedonia – but those involved in disseminating misinformation are upping their game as well.

The day starts with coffee and unread messages: a few from friends, a few work related, a paid furniture ad, and one with lots of exclamation marks that indicates that it must be read immediately before it is deleted from the Internet. This is because it reveals a big secret, hidden from ordinary people.

That “secret” may refer to the “fake” pandemic, the “dangerous” new vaccine, the “global conspiracy against Donald Trump”, the “dark truth about child-eating elites” – and especially a popular term – and so on.

The sender or sharer may well be an ordinary person that we know personally or through social networks, and who sends such content for the first time or occasionally.

Spreading misinformation through personal messages has become increasingly common in North Macedonia, as elsewhere.

See at: https://bit.ly/3p7GW2S