UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 5, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani travels to U.S., will hold speech at National Prayer Breakfast (media)
Gervalla: It’s not true that the international community is against Kurti (TeVe1)
Ziv: Visa agreement ratified on 4th anniversary of diplomatic relations (media)
117 new police officers in the north of Kosovo (Kallxo)
Osmani: Horrific attack at a school in Sweden is heartbreaking (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucevic: Decision on formation of new government or new elections to be made in next two weeks (RTS, K1)
Starovic reacts to Kurti’s remarks on ‘bad neighbors, loaded guns and high morale’ (Kosovo Online, social media)
Petkovic reacts to Kurti’s remarks at rally in Podujevo (media)
Mijacic reacts to Kurti’s latest statements (social media)
Kurti: “When you have a bad neighbor, you need high morale and a loaded gun” (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, Alternativna.com, Radio KIM)
Caslav Jolic pleaded not guilty in new trial (Kosovo Online)
Blagojevich: Belgrade perfect place for Putin-Trump meeting (Kosovo Online)
Serbian pensioners rally: “Long live the students, baby boomers are with you” (media)
Marta Kos: No violence should be tolerated in Serbian protests (N1, RTS, Beta)
Varoufakis: Let Serbian students show us way forward (N1, Danas)

Opinion:

Fear-mongering from Western Balkan leaders is no longer working on their citizens - or the EU (Atlantic Council)
Lessons from the student protests in Serbia (balcanicaucaso.org)

International Media:

In Kosovo election, four bidders for post of PM (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani travels to U.S., will hold speech at National Prayer Breakfast (media)

All news websites report that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has travelled to the United States where she will take part in the National Prayer Breakfast. “The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, following an invitation by a group of members of the U.S. Congress traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in the National Prayer Breakfast where she will give a speech at one of the main events of this ceremony of the U.S. Congress. As part of the event, which brings together thousands of congressmen, politicians, businessmen and civil society representatives from around the world, President Osmani will deliver the keynote speech by international representatives at the International Lunch. On this occasion, she will talk about the journey of the people of Kosovo from the most difficult days to today's successes, emphasizing the unseen faith and resilience of our citizens. During her stay in Washington, President Osmani will also hold meetings with members of the U.S. Congress and US administration officials, focusing on strengthening the strategic partnership between Kosovo and the United States, as well as advancing our country's Euro-Atlantic aspirations,” the statement notes.

Gervalla: It’s not true that the international community is against Kurti (TeVe1)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said in an interview with the TV station that it is not true that the international community is against Kosovo Prime Minister and Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti. “It is not true that the international community is against Albin Kurti because this means that all the partners that I talked to are either hiding the truth from me or are saying different things elsewhere. I remember in 2021, when our government was formed, and until mid 2022 they were still mentioning to us the standard sentences ‘you need to fight corruption’ and ‘you need to reform the administration’, but in 2024 not a single person outside Kosovo’s borders has not mentioned to me the work corruption, because there is consensus that corruption in this country is fought against and the law is respected. Therefore, the majority of our partners are happy with this progress. The United States of America is the most important partner of Kosovo. It is the state that has helped us not only during the war but also after the war, so it is really naïve to believe that the U.S. will give up on the security of the country, or that anyone in the U.S. will threaten the prosperity of our country,” she said.

Ziv: Visa agreement ratified on 4th anniversary of diplomatic relations (media)

Israel’s Ambassador to Kosovo, Tamara Ziv, said in a post on X today that she is happy to announce that the visa waiver agreement between Israel and Kosovo has been ratified on the 4th anniversary of diplomatic relations. “On the week in which we mark 4 years of Diplomatic Relations between the countries, Israel and Kosovo ratified the Visa Waiver agreement. Beginning May 5, 2025, Kosovan citizens can travel to Israel as tourists without the need for a visa,” the post notes.

117 new police officers in the north of Kosovo (Kallxo)

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the north, Veton Elshani, told the news website today that there are 117 new police officers in the northern municipalities. He said that 79 of them are Serbs and 21 are Bosniaks. “We had 340 police officers, now we have 120 more. So around 460 police officers operate in the north now. Around 150 of them are Serbs,” he said.

Osmani: Horrific attack at a school in Sweden is heartbreaking (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X that the “horrific attack at a school in Orebro, Sweden, is heartbreaking”. “Schools should be places of growth and learning, not fear and terror. In these difficult moments, we stand with the people of Sweden. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we wish a swift recovery to all those injured,” she said.

Serbian Language Media

Vucevic: Decision on formation of new government or new elections to be made in next two weeks (RTS, K1)

Outgoing Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said in the next two weeks a decision will be made whether a new government will be formed, or new elections will be held, reported RTS.

Vucevic also said the issue of holding a session at the Serbian Parliament, at which his resignation will be confirmed, is also related to the decision on the government or elections in terms of the upcoming deadlines.

He told K1 TV he does not see himself in the new government in the role of a line minister, adding it won’t be good at this time as he did not submit his resignation to do some mimicry and simulate some things.

He also referred to the decision of the Rector's Board to reject the invitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for talks, saying he hoped and believed they would accept the invitation and that it would be a path "toward calming the situation in society" and seeking solutions through a process of dialogue.

He assessed that protests and blockades taking place in Serbia will have a negative impact on the Serbian economy as well as foreign investments, reported RTS.

Starovic reacts to Kurti’s remarks on ‘bad neighbors, loaded guns and high morale’ (Kosovo Online, social media)

Serbian Minister of Labor, Employment, Social and Veterans Affairs Nemanja Starovic reacted to the statements Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti made during a pre-electoral rally in Podujevo that “high morale and loaded guns” are needed if one has bad neighbors, by saying that “this warmonger must be stopped before a disaster strikes”.

“If you've had your eyes closed to who's fueling war in the Balkans, wake up. Provisional PM of #Kosovo* Albin Kurti isn't just talking; he's threatening Serbs with a loaded gun, backed by harsh repression in the North. This isn't politics; it's peace at stake. We must stop this warmonger before disaster strikes. Chekhov's gun always fires - let's not fool ourselves that Kurti's won't”, Starovic wrote in a post on X social platform.

Petkovic reacts to Kurti’s remarks at rally in Podujevo (media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic reacted to the statements of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti at a pre-election rally in Podujevo by saying the US officials' assessments that Kurti is destabilizing the region comes as no surprise, Kosovo Online portal reported.

During the rally in Podujevo Kurti said if one has bad neighbors then “high morale and a loaded gun” are needed.

“A Serb-hater Kurti threatens with the guns again and says that Serbian municipalities should be run by Albanians. Militant policy of this pyromaniac aims at setting the entire Balkans ablaze! That is why the assessment of a US official that Kurti is destabilising the region comes as no surprise. Conflict and hatred are Kurti’s feast he can only dream about”, Petkovic wrote in a post on X social platform.

Mijacic reacts to Kurti’s latest statements (social media)

Coordinator of the National Convention on the EU Working Group for Chapter 35 Dragisa Mijacic in a post on X social platform shared the article published by Alternativna.com portal on the latest statements of Prime Minister Albin Kurti about “high morale and loaded gun” if one is to have bad neighbors.

“The gun loaded in one act will fire in another! This Sunday, the people of Kosovo will decide: should they follow this man and carry the loaded gun to their neighbors, or elect someone new and talk peace? The choice is yours”, Mijacic wrote in a post on X.

Kurti: “When you have a bad neighbor, you need high morale and a loaded gun” (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, Alternativna.com, Radio KIM)

The Self-Determination Movement held a pre-election rally in Podujevo, where the party leader and current Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that with bad neighbors, "high morale and a loaded gun" are necessary.

In his speech, Kurti said that with the government led by Self-Determination, security throughout Kosovo, including the north, would be guaranteed. "We have built a fence around every corner, we have doubled the budget for the army and police, and we have invested in training", Kurti said.

He pointed out that all municipalities "bordering Serbia" are led by mayors from the ranks of Self-Determination. "The longest border with Serbia, of all the municipalities in Kosovo, is held by Podujeve, and it is good that we have mayor Shpejtim Bulliqi from Self-Determination. And do you know why? The second municipality with the longest border with Serbia is Leposavic, where we have mayor Lulzim Hetemi from Self-Determination. The third and fourth municipalities with the longest border with Serbia are Kamenice and Gnjilan, where we have Kadri Rahimaj and Alban Hiseni. Where we have a border with Serbia, the citizens have decided that the mayors should be from the ranks of Self-Determination. The people know well who defends Kosovo, municipality by municipality, from the genocidal aggressor state of Serbia", said Kurti. He added it would be a problem if other parties were in power in the border municipalities.

"As they would say in Serbia, 'I understand'. With a bad neighbor, there is no 'I understand.' When you have bad neighbors, you must have high morale and a loaded gun", Kurti said.

Caslav Jolic pleaded not guilty in new trial (Kosovo Online)

Caslav Jolic from Istok pleaded not guilty in a new trial, following the decision of the Court of Appeals to annul first instance verdict sentencing Jolic to 8 years in prison for alleged war crimes, Kosovo Online portal reported.

His defence lawyer, Jovana Filipovic said she expects the new proceeding to be conducted in a more appropriate manner than the previous one.

“We told the court we have to look at all witnesses’ testimonies as a whole, and not partially as it was the case before. It was in particular concerning the claims of prosecution that witnesses can not remember some things, that it is not important if a person was wearing this or that uniform, this or that color, which is really concerning as it demonstrates how proceedings are conducted, in particular ones related to the war crimes”, Filipovic said.

She also expressed hope the new proceeding will not only focus on Serbian ethnicity of the defendant, but also attempt to find the truth and whether Jolic took part in the acts he is accused of or not.

The new hearings will take place on March 25 and 26, and prosecution witnesses will be heard.

Jolic was sentenced to 8 years in prison in June last year and his lawyer Miodrag Brkljac said the verdict was made without evidence. In an appeal to the Court of Appeals, Brkljac said the testimonies of the witnesses and cases presented during the trial do not incriminate Jolic of having committed the acts he was accused of. The Court of Appeals overturned the verdict and instructed a new trial.

Caslav Jolic was a displaced person from Istok municipality, living in Mrcajevci in central Serbia. He is the father of four children. He was arrested on June 3, 2022 in Djurakovac where he came to attend a probate hearing following the death of his father. He was also coming to his home place frequently and never had any problems, Serbian media reported back then.

Blagojevich: Belgrade perfect place for Putin-Trump meeting (Kosovo Online)

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich said Belgrade would be an ideal location for a summit between the two most powerful leaders, US President Donald Trump and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Belgrade-based Novosti daily.

Blagojevich said Belgrade is the perfect place for a Putin-Trump meeting to discuss resolving the conflict in Ukraine, though he is unsure if it will actually happen.

"You have strong arguments for such a summit in Belgrade, considering Serbia's historical ties with Russia and the current situation, when looking at Serbia’s relations with both Russia and Ukraine. On the other hand, President Trump is someone determined to help and bring peace to Ukraine. I believe Belgrade would be one of the best places for such an event. I cannot predict it, nor do I expect it to happen, but there are certainly solid arguments for this proposal", Blagojevich said.

Serbian pensioners rally: “Long live the students, baby boomers are with you” (media)

Serbian pensioners gathered in Belgrade's central square on Wednesday to demonstrate solidarity with protesting students.

“We are here to support the students in their fight for justice and an orderly state,” pensioner Mirjana Vukotic told N1.

She said they attended at the invitation of the military pensioners’ association. “This government could take this opportunity to restore our unfairly withheld pensions, which they took from us for four years,” she added.

Among the crowd, one striking banner read: “I don’t care about the pension, but I won’t give up on justice. Long live the students, baby boomers are with you.”

The pensioners then joined students at Students’ Square and marched together to the Ministry of Education to participate in a protest organized by deans from eight teacher-training university faculties. The demonstration aimed to speak out against the intimidation of educators, who face threats of salary cuts or dismissal for supporting student protests.

Marta Kos: No violence should be tolerated in Serbian protests (N1, RTS, Beta)

Responding to concerns from Serbia about the current situation in the country, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said Wednesday that Serbia’s European agenda offers solutions to many of the outstanding issues, reported N1.

She emphasized that it is important to establish conditions for an inclusive dialogue involving all stakeholders, political actors, institutions, and members of civil society to address reforms that are necessary for Serbia’s European future.

“This is a shared responsibility of all parties involved,” said the commissioner.

Kos emphasized that violence would not be tolerated, and that Brussels expects Serbian authorities to conduct a full, impartial, and swift investigation into incidents against demonstrators. The Commissioner also called on Serbian police to continue ensuring protesters’ safety.

Varoufakis: Let Serbian students show us the way forward (N1, Danas)

Economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis expressed his support for Serbian students who have been protesting for three months and demanding accountability for the November collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad main train station which killed 15 people.

“Serbian students have decided that enough is enough. Now they need to give political expression to what comes next. It will take courage and a clarity of purpose. I believe they have both. Let them show us the way forward,” Varoufakis wrote in a post on X.

Opinion

Fear-mongering from Western Balkan leaders is no longer working on their citizens—or the EU (Atlantic Council)

Opinion piece by Agon Maliqi

Fear-mongering from Western Balkan leaders is no longer working on their citizens - or the EU

If one is to believe Serbia’s infamous government-sponsored tabloids, the country is under permanent siege by a plethora of external and internal enemies. Headlines regularly denounce plots by neighbors and by Western countries, which are often alleged to be colluding with the “unpatriotic opposition” to undermine Serbia.

Just across the border in Kosovo, the ruling party’s narrative has been that of an imminent war with Serbia, especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and an attempted armed insurgency in the Serbian-majority north in 2023. Government officials and their media proxies have regularly framed the government’s critics—journalists, activists, and prosecutors—as being part of Serbia’s hybrid war against the country.

Rule through fear is neither new nor unique to the Western Balkans. It has been the political zeitgeist in the region for a while, in part because there have long been valid reasons to be fearful.

The region continues to have an unresolved security architecture, with most of its countries still limping toward European Union (EU) and NATO membership, which were supposed to make its contested borders irrelevant. Insecurity about the future has paved the way for secessionist ideas to resurface. In 2022, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine sent this anxiety into overdrive, as Moscow actively sought—to no avail—to expand the front and stir trouble in the Balkans, primarily via its allies in Serbia.

Yet these fears also gave regional leaders a useful tool to distract attention from poor governance and to suppress dissent. For Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who has pursued a policy of hedging between Moscow and the West, the threat of regional destabilization also serves as a bargaining chip with the latter.

Nevertheless, there are hopeful signs that people in the Western Balkans, as well as Western decision makers dealing with the region, are no longer buying into this blackmail. Throughout the region, leaders seem less able to distract their citizens from socioeconomic concerns. At the same time, the EU seems to be learning not to engage with regional troublemakers from a position of fear. Indeed, Brussels has shown that it has ample geopolitical and economic leverage to press its concerns on domestic reforms, Russia policy, and regional stability to Western Balkan nations while working to integrate them into the bloc.