UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 24, 2025
Albanian Language Media:
Kurti speaks from Davos about EFTA Agreement (Euronews Albania)
EU ambassadors confirm Sorensen as envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RFE)
Haradinaj: Change of administration in U.S., Kosovo has no time to waste (media)
Lajcak: Discussing EU future of our neighbors (media)
Kurti: Investment in KEK aims to increase production capacity (RTK)
Political parties are using institutional resources for campaigning (media)
U.S. KFOR soldiers patrol in northern Kosovo along the ASL (media)
Serbian Language Media:
- Silent protest in North Mitrovica: A tribute to victims of Novi Sad tragedy (KoSSev)
- The Student Parliament distanced itself from today's gathering in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in Mitrovica; Zafirovic on FB: The Parliament was not in session (KiM radio)
- Radio KIM halts program and news publishing for 15 minutes (KoSSev, Radio KIM)
- Antonijevic: Not time to advance Kosovo status in PACE, clear message it must establish CSM (Kosovo Online)
- Trial of Dragisa Milenkovic continues (Kosovo Online)
- Self-determination MP “asks for judiciary be under control of LVV, court decision needed to exclude Serbian List from the political process” (KoSSev)
- Brussels concerned about expulsion of activists from Serbia; MFA of Serbia: Inadequate accusations from Croatia (RTS)
General strike in Serbia (N1)
Opinion:
- Dismissal of official who blocked Thaci-Vucic deal, paved way for The Hague (AP)
- Peci: Kurti is not the partner the new American administration wants (RTV, Kosovo Online)
Facing strikes and protests, Serbia’s president ‘flex muscles’ - will it work? (BIRN)
International Media:
‘Party and be proud’ : Balkan Roma music strikes new cord (BIRN)
Are Georgia and Serbia heading for coloured revolutions? (intellinews.com)
Students are at the centre of a political uprising in Serbia. Again (wonkhe.com)
Albanian Language Media
Kurti speaks from Davos about EFTA Agreement (Euronews Albania)
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, said in an interview with the news portal that the visit to Davos was more significant than previous ones, highlighting the opening of Kosovo’s House in Davos and the signing of a historic agreement with EFTA.
He said that he has met with the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Ingrida Simonyte, and the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, and that he had several brief meetings, lunches, and dinners organized in Davos, ‘where, on one hand, we showcased Kosovo’s achievements – including democratic advancements and economic growth – and, on the other, addressed the security challenges posed by Serbia, which we have consistently overcome.’
“We now have a gathering in Zurich and will continue with our campaign in Kosovo, leading up to the parliamentary elections on Sunday, February 9th, which will be the first regular elections following a full four-year government mandate since the declaration of independence.”
Asked about what the EFTA agreement means for Kosovo in terms of economic and trade perspectives, Kurti said that Kosovo’s Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, led by Rozeta Hajdari, negotiated with wisdom and determination. “I can say it exceeded my expectations as Prime Minister, as at one point, I thought we could only achieve an agreement on the trade of goods, similar to other Balkan countries. However, Minister Rozeta insisted on continuing negotiations, and she succeeded in including services as well. We are particularly interested in including services in trade because we export many services from the information and communication technology sector. Now, our entrepreneurs have gained access to a new market, providing an additional opportunity to boost production in Kosovo and increase Kosovo’s exports, which, for the first time, surpassed €1 billion in 2024,” Kurti said.
EU ambassadors confirm Sorensen as envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RFE)
The Danish diplomat Peter Sorensen has been confirmed by the European Union ambassadors for the post of the bloc’s special representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. Sorensen was chosen by the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kalas, to replace Miroslav Lajcak in this position. Eu foreign ministers will give their final consent on Monday, so that Sorensen can start his mandate at the beginning of February.
Radio Free Europe had learned days earlier from diplomatic sources in the EU that Sorensen's name had also been sent for approval to the bloc's member states.
Haradinaj: Change of administration in U.S., Kosovo has no time to waste (media)
Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said in an interview with the Voice of America in Albanian on Thursday that the Kurti-led government failed to cooperate with the previous U.S. administration led by Joe Biden. With Trump’s election as President, Haradinaj said: “we need to understand that a major change has happened. It is a different dynamic. A different concept of moving forward, and we cannot waste any time. I believe it would be really bad news, and this is my opinion, if we don’t change the Kurti government, because this government failed to cooperate with the Biden administration”.
According to Haradinaj, “there will be no tolerance for any move forward if we don’t change the government and if we don’t restore bilateral and contractual relations with the Trump administration. I think that with my visit here we have maintained continuity. When I created the army in 2018, the Trump administration was in power, I am talking about the laws of the army and the army itself. We have maintained continuity, but no one will tolerate us if we don’t do our homework. I think our homework starts with changing the government on February 9 … There are many global developments. There is a new approach by President Trump, his administration, vis-à-vis all these processes. We should not be part of the new plans for reorganizing processes of U.S. security. U.S. troops must remain in Kosovo”.
Haradinaj said Kosovo will meet its obligations from the EU-facilitated dialogue. “We now have a completely different plan. We are going to meet our obligations from the dialogue. As you know, we have been involved in dialogue with Serbia for over 20 years and there are many agreements, many contracts, the French-German plan and the Ohrid agreement. My plan is to meet the obligations we have from the dialogue, including the Association [of Serb-majority municipalities], by sending it to the Constitutional Court in the first week. We will no longer engage in dialogue with Serbia,” he argued.
Lajcak: Discussing EU future of our neighbors (media)
EU special representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a post on X today that “discussing the European Union future of our neighbors is worth getting up early. Appreciated a constructive conversation on EU enlargement at the traditional World Economic Forum diplomacy dialogue on the Western Balkans”.
Kurti: Investment in KEK aims to increase production capacity (RTK)
The Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) has announced the tender for phase I of the capital project "Rehabilitation and Modernization of Unit A3 at the Kosova A Power Plant". This project was assessed as important in advancing energy security and improving the quality of energy supply for the future.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that through this investment, production capacities will increase to over one million MWh.
"Since it went into operation in 1970, block A3 has not stopped production. Today we mark the beginning of an extraordinary project for TC Kosova A. This investment aims to increase production capacity. The benefits will be multiple. We are extending the life of block A3 for 20 years. We are increasing capacity to 215 MW. We are increasing time availability, by increasing operating hours. We are doubling annual production. A3 produces about 700 thousand m3/h, after rehabilitation it will produce 1 million and 500 thousand m3/h", Kurti said.
Political parties are using institutional resources for campaigning (media)
Political parties are using institutional resources to campaign. Dozens of cases have been identified in the first week of the election campaign alone. Organizations monitoring this process say that official vehicles, public institution spaces, but also cases when civil servants are present at public gatherings, even during working hours, are being used. The Law on General Elections prohibits the use of state resources during the election campaign period.
“In some organizations of the ruling party, there was a presence of official vehicles and public servants, but also in events or activities organized by opposition parties such as PDK, LDK, AAK, especially in municipalities governed by these parties. Some cases have also been reported to the ECAP [Electoral Complaints and Appeals Panel] where some fines have been imposed. Therefore, political parties are informed that these are prohibited practices, however, we are encountering it during campaign monitoring. There are about five cases that have been [fined] for the use of public resources. We are seeing that fines are imposed by the ECAP in general for all parties, so far the total amount imposed by the ECAP exceeds 100 thousand euros. This is where the violation of other rules comes in,” Senior researcher at the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), Violeta Haxholli said. She added that in the first week of the election campaign alone, there are about 20 cases of the use of state resources.
Viona Bunjaku from “Levizja Fol”, said that even during working hours, there are cases when civil servants participate in political party rallies. “We have identified that five of them [cases] are official vehicles that were used by political parties to go on campaign trips. Then we also have public servants who went to election rallies during their working hours. Starting from doctors, workers, civil servants in public administration, who are also prohibited by the Law on General Elections. The use of public resources has not only happened this year, but it is also something that constantly accompanies us in elections. Since even vehicles and all these means that are prohibited by law are used in election campaigns,” Bunjaku said.
“Some are done intentionally, some violations of the rules are done out of negligence. We think that the use of inflammatory language, the use of hate speech, which political entities know is prohibited, but those insults, insults of leaders towards each other, are being done intentionally. Then some are done out of carelessness”, Haxholli said.
U.S. KFOR soldiers patrol in northern Kosovo along the ASL (media)
NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said in a Facebook post today that U.S. soldiers assigned to Regional Command East, conducted a routine patrol in northern Kosovo along the Administrative Boundary Line. “These efforts are part of KFOR's daily mission to guarantee a safe and secure environment for all communities living in Kosovo. KFOR continues to implement its mandate - based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 - to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially. KFOR works in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the European Union Mission on Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX) in their respective roles as security responders,” the post notes.
Serbian Language Media
Silent protest in North Mitrovica: A tribute to victims of Novi Sad tragedy (KoSSev)
In North Mitrovica, a 15-minute silent protest was held for the first time to honor the 15 victims who lost their lives in the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad train station. Local resident Srdjan Djordjevic initiated the event, who has previously voiced his support for student protests across Serbia.
Gathering in front of the Faculty of Philosophy, approximately 100 citizens joined the commemoration.
They held banners reading messages such as “Support for Students from Kosovo and Metohija“ and “The hardest thing is to wake a man pretending to sleep (think about it)”. A large white banner featured a symbol of student resistance across Serbia: a red fist, symbolizing their demand for institutional accountability.
Djordjevic addressed the attendees, reading the names of the 15 victims and calling for 15 minutes of silence.
“Dear citizens, thank you for responding to this call to honor the memory of the 15 people who died at the Novi Sad train station, a tragedy that sparked mass protests across Serbia. It’s not easy to express opinions, solidarity, or dissent under current circumstances, but today, we are here. I will now read the names of the deceased, after which I ask for 15 minutes of silence,” he stated.
The silence began precisely at 11:52 a.m., marking the exact time on November 1 last year when the renovated canopy collapsed, killing 15 people. The protest concluded at 12:07 p.m. Djordjevic closed the commemoration with the words, “Eternal glory to them!”
He also expressed gratitude to those who stood in solidarity, likening them to prominent figures such as Novak Djokovic (tennis player), Danica Crnogorcevic (singer of ethno, religious songs) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (NBA player). The event was monitored by KP, who provided security, while a drone was also deployed to oversee the gathering.
Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/dj4n29up
The Student Parliament distanced itself from today's gathering in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in N. Mitrovica; Zafirovic on FB: The Parliament was not in session (KiM radio)
Ahead of the first announced "15 minutes of silence" action, to be held today in Mitrovica North, the Student Parliament of the University of Pristina with a temporary seat in North Mitrovica, distanced themselves from the gathering. They also called on colleagues protesting at faculties across Serbia to disassociate themselves from the alleged support given to the protests by Kosovo PM Albin Kurti.
The Student Parliament sent a message to the students who are in blockades, ''to appeal for dialogue, peace, and to protect institutions and the rule of law, as well as that it is of vital importance to them and their families that Serbia be politically and economically strong and stable, a country with strong institutions with the rule of law, which has understanding and friends both in the East and in the West''.
As stated in the announcement, otherwise, their freedom, the property acquired by their ancestors for centuries, and their lives, as well as the lives of their families, will be completely at the disposal of "the one from Pristina who supported you, and expels us and our families and kills indiscriminately and systematically".
In a statement, they appealed to students in Belgrade and across Serbia to ''disassociate themselves without any further delay from the support that Albin Kurti gave them'', as that support "is an insult to every reasonable living being, especially an insult addressed to them and their families ".
"We will consider the lack of reaction of students from central Serbia regarding the support sent by Albin Kurti, which has been seriously threatening the life, education and work of Serbian youth and the people of Kosovo for years, as a lack of solidarity. The university and faculties in the territory of the Serbian province of KiM are threatened with complete paralysis, and we young people live in constant fear for our future. The one who supported you is killing and expelling us here," the statement read.
"We see as a blessing every day that one of our family members is not arrested, detained or sentenced to prison, without having done anything wrong. We are happy when no one from our environment, just because of their nationality, has not been beaten, attacked, had their property taken or some other form of damage done to them, and when we might even think that we can change something, in the place where it is done - the elections, we should limit our option while we are in at the rifle sight of the local 'security services', the statement added.
In Kosovo, as stated in the announcement, there are no basic human rights for Serbs and other non-Albanians, especially for members of the Roma nationality, they said among other things adding that their lives and survival depend on the peace and stability of Serbia.
Jovan Zafirovic: Parliament was not even in session
However, Jovan Zafirovic, writer, and student of the Faculty of Philosophy in Pristina with temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica, announced on his FB profile, saying that he strongly distanced himself from the mentioned announcement, calling it "disgraceful" and "malicious", reported KiM radio.
"What a disgrace, what a slander from the announcement, what malice... Every PU student, who has a clear conscience and sound mind, should distance himself/herself from this (pathetic) shame," wrote Zafirovic.
He pointed to the significant support that students from central Serbia provide to the Serbian people in Kosovo through humanitarian evenings, protests, actions, and lectures, and asked what the students from Kosovo have done besides, as he says, "maliciously accusing" their colleagues and remaining silent.
Zafirovic also stated that, according to information received from a member of the Student Parliament, this body did not even sit, and that students were not asked for their opinion, which is why he believes that the statement does not reflect the attitude of all students at the University of Pristina, with the temporary seat in North Mitrovica.
Radio KIM halts program and news publishing for 15 minutes (KoSSev, Radio KIM)
In support of students in central Serbia and their demands, Radio KIM will halt its program today for a duration of 15 minutes, KoSSev portal reported.
The program will be halted in the period from 11:52, the time of canopy collapse at Novi Sad railway station killing 15 people to 12:07. Radio KIM will not publish the news in this period. This way Radio KIM wants to extend its support to the students protesting for two months already, and who called for a general strike on Friday.
Previously Radio Gorazdevac and KoSSev decided to support students and their protest. In a post published on KoSSev Facebook account it was said that the Media Centre in Caglavica has also expressed its support to students and their protest.
Antonijevic: Not time to advance Kosovo status in PACE, clear message it must establish CSM (Kosovo Online)
Legal expert and human rights activist Milan Antonijevic said anyone familiar with international law would be surprised to see a proposal on the agenda of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) regarding any advancement of Kosovo status within this institution. He pointed out that the decision from April of last year clearly said Kosovo must first fulfill its obligation to establish the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM).
“It is neither the time nor the place for advancing Kosovo's status in the PACE. Let’s not forget that Kosovo is holding elections in the coming weeks, and such a move, in my opinion, would seem like support for one side, while discouraging Serbs from participating in the elections and sending a clear signal that they want to be part of Kosovo’ institutions, to claim their rights, and to ensure Kosovo fulfills its obligations under the Brussels Agreements”, Antonijevic told Kosovo Online.
Trial of Dragisa Milenkovic continues (Kosovo Online)
The trial of Dragisa Milenkovic, from Kisnica village, near Gracanica, accused of allegedly committing war crimes has continued today at the Basic Court in Pristina by hearing the witnesses, Kosovo Online portal reported.
One witness H.H. will be heard today. Milenkovic’s defense lawyers Jovana Filipovic and Dejan Vasic were also in the courtroom, as well as the family of Dragisa Milenkovic.
Milenkovic was arrested on June 21, 2023 in Kisnica where he lived with his family and has remained in detention ever since.
Defense of Dragisa Milenkovic: Accusations from witnesses ungrounded
Witness H.H. was interviewed today. He was a detainee in the prison where Milenkovic worked as a guard, and the lawyer Jovana Filipovic said the defense confirmed today that police carried out the investigation very badly and in contradiction to the laws.
“The witness claims photos were shown to him and that identification was performed. This of course was not included in the case files, and this is not the first case, such things happen regularly, and almost in each case involving the trial for war crimes, we come to the conclusion that police works in contradiction to the law, respectively, I can say it clearly, that they somehow, place the statements, write down the statements contrary to the spirit they were made in, if someone heard or saw something, and when we read only that police statement it sounds horrific, however, when witnesses come to the court and say what they have to say, there is nothing left from that (initial police) statements, or very little of it”, Filipovic siad.
She added today’s witness made some accusations against Milenkovic which were neither grounded or concrete, but rather general.
“Asked were you able to see, or how could you see, if you say you were looking to the ground, or was he there, there was no concrete answer or anything direct. Therefore, we consider that this is only the manner and indicator how proceedings against the Serbs accused of war crimes in Pristina are conducted”, she added.
Dejan Vasic said the decision on detention of Milenkovic had been extended two weeks ago and “that was very painful”. He referred to the poor health condition of his client, his blindness caused by diabetes, adding Milenkovic is able to see silhouettes only, and that he lives in Gracanica where a house arrest measure could be easily implemented. He said the decision on extending detention did not take into consideration any of these arguments, adding the defence will try to have this issue addressed at the Supreme Court.
Self-determination MP “asks for judiciary be under control of LVV, court decision needed to exclude Serbian List from the political process” (KoSSev)
KoSSev portal re-run article of Pristina-based Gazeta Express saying that MP of ruling Self-determination Movement (LVV), Armend Muja, wants LVV to take control of the prosecutor’s office and the justice system, among several institutions that this party has failed to “put its hands on”. The article further said Muja continues to attack the prosecutors and opined that in the next mandate “the justice system will be cleaned”.
Muja made these statements in a live performance on the social media platform TikTok. “I still believe that somewhere where we could not have control, or where February 14 did not penetrate, is in the prosecution and justice system, because a court decision is needed to exclude the Serbian List from our political process. It’s something we have difficulty controlling”, Muja is quoted as saying.
“...because the head of the prosecution is the person who revoked the arrest warrant for Radoicic, and that is the difficulty we have”, he added Muja, even though, the article continues, the head of the parliamentary group of LVV, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, had her telephone conversations with Milan Radoicic recently published in the media. “In the next mandate, the justice system will be cleaned as well. Both prosecutors and judges must keep in mind that justice must work...”, Muja said.
Brussels concerned about expulsion of activists from Serbia; MFA of Serbia: Inadequate accusations from Croatia (RTS)
"We are concerned that peaceful civil society activists from EU member states and the Western Balkans region have been detained and asked by the authorities to leave Serbia as they pose a security risk," a statement from Brussels said, reported RTS.
The European Commission also stated that "civil society plays a vital role in the development of a healthy and democratic society," and that these are values that are not only "the core of the European Union, but also of the future of Serbia as a candidate country and its citizens."
They added that measures taken in the interest of national security should be implemented in accordance with Serbia's legal framework and in accordance with European and international human rights standards. "Such measures should not lead to the restriction of the freedoms of individuals, including foreign citizens," the European Commission said.
MFA of Serbia: Inadequate accusations of Croatia
The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that "the inappropriateness grows into absurdity, if one takes into account the fact that Serbian citizens in Croatia are often treated in a manner that is not in accordance with the law, European values and standards, or common sense".
"We would like to remind you that no less than the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, was denied the opportunity to pay homage to the shadows of the victims of Ustasha terror in Jasenovac, among whom were the President's ancestors," read the MFA statement, adding that even worse treatment was faced by ordinary citizens of Serbia, who are often the target of insults and attacks by individuals in Croatia, as well as legal violence backed by the state.
The Ministry pointed to the Belgrade lawyer Nemanja Beric, who was sentenced to 15 days in prison for a post on a social network.
"The question that the Republic of Croatia should answer to its public is why none of the other Croatian citizens currently residing on the territory of the Republic of Serbia are experiencing any inconvenience or special treatment, but are rather welcome guests of our state, but that answer should also contain information about what the persons who are the subject of reactions from a part of the Croatian political public have actually been doing in Serbia," the MFA of Serbia said adding ''Serbia remains interested in building harmonious and productive relations with all its neighbors, including Croatia, however, such relations must be built through mutual effort, and not through almost daily public messages that generate anti-Serbian sentiment in Croatia, and certainly not through gross interference in political processes in the neighboring country," the statement concluded.
Croatia urges citizens to postpone travel to Serbia
"It is recommended to postpone all non-essential travel, exercise caution, monitor the current situation and obtain more detailed information before traveling due to the recorded inappropriate and unfounded actions of the authorities of the Republic of Serbia towards Croatian citizens," the Croatian MFA website stated.
General strike in Serbia (N1)
A general strike, described as a day of “general civil disobedience,” initiated by protesting students, began on Friday.
“We won’t go to work, we won’t attend lectures, we won’t run errands. Let’s take our freedom into our own hands! Your participation makes a difference,” the students wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, inviting everyone to join the movement.
Numerous companies, associations, and political parties have expressed their support for the initiative. N1 has also joined the general strike and will exclusively report on events related to it on Friday.
At 11:52 am., a 15-minute moment of silence will be observed at various locations across Serbia, marking the exact time when an outdoor concrete canopy at the recently renovated Novi Sad train station collapsed on November 1, claiming the lives of 15 people and seriously injuring two others.
Additionally, the Protest Committee of Lawyers has scheduled a protest rally for 2 pm outside the Serbian Presidency building in Belgrade.
United Group companies in Serbia support general strike
United Group companies operating in Serbia have suspended work for a day in solidarity with the student protest, reported N1.
United Group Serbia, SBB, United Media, United Cloud, and Shoppster are participating in the general strike to support students and all professions using civil disobedience to pressure authorities to meet the demands of the student protest, said United Group.
“This is a critical moment when it is essential for society as a whole to unite and show support for the brave voice of the youths, who are calling for respect for the law, a state ruled by law, and for the rule of law,” United Group emphasized.
Opinion
Dismissal of official who blocked Thaci-Vucic deal, paved way for The Hague (AP)
Opinion piece by Baton Haxhiu
Two days after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Bruce Swartz, one of the chief architects of international justice, was dismissed. Swartz, who had informed Jack Smith in 2020 about the plan to close the Special Court, blocked the historic Kosovo-Serbia peace agreement and paved the way for the indictment against Thaçi
Two days after Donald Trump returned to the White House, Bruce Swartz, a veteran of international law, was reportedly fired from his position.
He was one of 12 senior Justice Department officials, Reuters reported, who were dismissed.
But it was later learned that one of them was involved in a separate case. He had direct ties to the stalling of the Kosovo-Serbia peace deal and the flow of information from the department to Jack Smith, who suddenly filed the indictment against Thaçi.
This act is not reported anywhere to be a simple administrative purge; but sources on the case say it is a political vendetta which echoes all the way to The Hague.
What really happened?
It was a cold morning, just two days after Donald Trump had regained his presidency after a shock victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 White House race.
In a quiet office at the Justice Department, Bruce Swartz, a veteran bureaucrat with decades of service in international justice, received a brief phone call: he had been fired from his position.
For Swartz, it was an abrupt but not unforeseeable end.
For Richard Grenell, one of Trump’s most loyal men, it was a well-planned moment, a form of revenge for what had happened years earlier.
Swartz’s dismissal was not simply an administrative change — it was a political statement.
The Hashim Thaçi issue was no longer a local Kosovo problem; it had become a symbol of the struggle between international justice and domestic American politics, Grenell had repeatedly said in public statements.
A Dramatic Turn: A Race for Peace and Political Glory
The story begins in 2020, at the height of a fierce presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
A peace deal between Kosovo and Serbia, orchestrated by the Trump administration, would be a major triumph for Republicans, a testament to their ability to resolve international conflicts that Democrats had failed to resolve.
But for the Dems, this was an unacceptable scenario.
Kosovo, liberated by the Clinton administration in 1999, was a symbol of their historic achievements.
A deal that Trump would seal in the White House would be a major political loss for them.
Read more at: https://shorturl.at/veEfR
Peci: Kurti is not the partner the new American administration wants (RTV, Kosovo Online)
The director of the KIPRED Institute, Lulzim Peci assessed that Albin Kurti is not the partner that the administration of US President Donald Trump wants, adding that this is clearly shown by Richard Grenell's statement, adding he expects the Washington Agreement be returned, reported Kosovo Online, citing RTV.
He emphasized that Richard Grenell followed what was happening during the Biden administration.
"I think the current statements of Self-Determination, especially what Konjufca said, are regrettable, primarily because that movement accused the first Trump administration of carrying out a coup in Kosovo. Now they're criticizing the Obama administration, because they have absolutely nothing to do with what this administration did, especially when Clinton was secretary of state, and then they're also criticizing the Biden administration," Peci said.
He pointed out that the current Kosovo government has a great responsibility because, according to him, it wasted four years of the Biden administration without making any progress. He recalled that the only official visit of this government to Washington was in 2021.
"It was not by chance that Grenell chose this moment. He has been silent until now. Even some at Self-Determination were thrilled when he said Grenell had deleted some tweets about Kurti. But now they got a slap that shows the right position, this moment was not chosen by chance. One thing we should keep in mind is that Grenell publicly says that Kurti is not their desired partner, neither now nor after the election, and if he becomes an unwanted partner, we will see where we go," Peci told RTV 21.
He expressed his belief that the Washington Agreement could be restored.
"I believe that the Washington Agreement will not be thrown away but will return. Especially the gas and infrastructure part, including the regulation of Gazivode lake management," Peci emphasized.
Peci also does not rule out the possibility of Trump withdrawing American soldiers from Kosovo.
He underlined that Kosovo is a potential hot spot, as well as Bosnia and Montenegro.
"Although these issues are not of high strategic priority, I believe the Trump administration will try to resolve them as soon as possible. But if we don't want to be cooperative, they can step back and say, 'Go ahead as a sovereign state and do your thing, if you're able to do it yourself,'' Peci warned.
When asked what sort of withdrawal it was, diplomatic or political, Peci said it was also military.
He pointed out that the new administration will not be flexible.
Facing strikes and protests, Serbia’s president ‘flex muscles’ - will it work? (BIRN)
Calling for pro-government support rallies, President Aleksandar Vucic is trying to flex his muscles and shore up his base in the face of protests and strikes fast growing into the most serious threat yet to his grip on power.
Serbia faces a day of protest and counter-protest on Friday as President Aleksandar Vucic seeks to reassert his authority in the face of strikes that pose a growing threat to his grip on power.
Schoolteachers, lawyers and some small businesses have swung behind university students who have been protesting for the past two months to demand accountability for the deaths of 15 people when an outdoor canopy at the recently renovated Novi Sad railway station in northern Serbia collapsed on November 1 last year.
On Friday, many schools will remain closed due to a teachers’ strike, while some small businesses have also said they will not work. Amid growing talk of a possible general strike, Vucic has moved to mobilise the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, with a series of rallies beginning on Friday afternoon to demonstrate the support he says he and the party he founded still enjoy.
After 13 years in power, the SNS counts among its members many public sector employees, some of whom face being pressured into organising and attending the rallies, starting in the central Serbian town of Jagodina.
Read more at: https://shorturl.at/YwyEa
International
‘Party and be proud’: Balkan Roma music strikes new cord (BIRN)
Roma musicians in the Balkans are renowned for playing exuberant brass band tunes at weddings. Now the brash, electric keyboard-based party sound known as ‘tallava’ is making an impact outside the region too.
The idea of ‘Gypsy music from the Balkans’ invariably conjures up certain tired clichés about Roma musicians. They usually run along the lines of 15-man brass bands a little the worse for booze, pumping away at wedding parties with large denomination baksheesh plastered to sweaty heads.
The reality of Roma wedding party music in the Balkans is perhaps less colourful but no less mad. The difference is that large brass ensembles have often been replaced by stripped-down bands: a clarinet player, a singer and, of course, one or two keyboard players, playing a style of music long and lingering, trancey, mind-bending, without beginning or end – tallava, in a word; the real sound of the Balkans.
With the start of the 1998-99 war in Kosovo, many Roma – who were often seen by Kosovo Albanians as collaborators with the Serbs – fled to North Macedonia. Many settled in a municipality officially known as Shuto Orizari but known by locals as Shutka,, which is sometimes called “the biggest Gypsy town in the world”.
Shutka, a sprawling Roma suburb 45 minutes by bus south-west of Skopje, is an ethnically distinct mahala, built in 1963 after the country’s devastating earthquake. It achieved fame in Emir Kusturica’s film Time of the Gypsies as a free-wheeling Gypsy slum.
Read more at: https://shorturl.at/iVoCH
Are Georgia and Serbia heading for coloured revolutions? (intellinews.com)
Mass protests have gripped Georgia and Serbia for months, as tens of thousands of their citizens take to the streets to challenge ruling parties that over the last decade have managed to almost completely dominate the political landscapes.
The protest movements are unfolding in a region that has experienced multiple "colour revolutions" since the beginning of this century. Yet not every protest movement has led to regime change. In both Georgia and Serbia, the critical question is whether demonstrators can secure their objectives or whether momentum will dissipate in the face of entrenched power.
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Students are at the centre of a political uprising in Serbia. Again (wonkhe.com)
As months of student-led protests come to a head in Serbia, Jim Dickinson reviews the role of both "official" and "unofficial" student representatives in the country's growing problems a
Today, after three long months of protests, demonstrators in Serbia have called a general strike – and the government has threatened to retaliate.
Activists are challenging the authority of a populist, nationalist government following months of demonstrations that have brought, at times, over 100,000 people onto the streets.
But for me what’s significant about the growing movement – that some think could yet topple the government – is that it has been almost entirely led by students:
The students in the blockade call on the citizens of Serbia for a total suspension of all activities on Friday, January 24… We don’t go to work, we don’t go to lectures, we don’t do our daily duties. Let’s take freedom into our own hands!
It is a story partly about authoritarianism and tactics, and about how power reacts to protest. But it’s also a story about student movements – both official and decentralised – and how they can both lead, and be co-opted, by others.
Back in November, a concrete roof at the railway station in Serbia’s second largest city Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15 people.
The city is home to the University of Novi Sad – with over 50,000 students and 5,000 staff – and in the wake of the tragedy, a student activist group began to organise protests both in Novi Sad and the capital Belgrade – leaving red handprints at the entrances of government buildings to demand the arrest of officials. Government corruption was their claim.
The group leading much of the activism has been Students Against Authoritarian Rule (STAV) – formed last January from within the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad, and responsible last summer for a two-week blockade of the Rectorate building over what they saw as undemocratic practices in student representation.
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