Albanian Language Media:

• Constitution of new Kosovo Assembly fails again (media)
• Haxhiu: Opposition is blocking process; VV offered compromises (media)
• “In absence of political readiness, early elections are the only option” (media)
• Haziri: Assembly dissolves only when government fails to be elected (media)
• Gashi: Compromise is national emergency, no time to lose (media)
• IKD: Impasse in Assembly risks blocking independent institutions (media)
• Musliu: Historic success of AKI in uncovering Serbian espionage network (media)
• “Several terrorists who participated in Banjska attack now guarding Vucic” (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• Elek: It is important that Serbs sign a petition against the construction of a bridge on the Ibar and show unity (RTS, Tanjug)
• Kurti laid the foundation stone; the SL collects signatures against parallel bridges (KoSSev, Alternativna)
• Lucic: Irrational and dangerous attacks by the Pristina authorities on Telekom Srbija (Kosovo Online)
• The import of goods from Serbia doubled in Kosovo (Beta, KoSSev, KiM radio)
• Jelena Petkovic for Radio Gorazdevac: Protests across Serbia are changing society, journalists under pressure (KiM radio)

International:

• 20 years on, new threats worsen outlook for free media in Balkans (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media 

Constitution of new Kosovo Assembly fails again (media)

Members of the Kosovo Assembly failed again today to elect the new legislative, making it the 43rd failed attempt. As in previous sessions, opposition parties – PDK, LDK, AAK, NISMA and the Serbian List – refused to propose their representatives to a committee that would oversee a secret vote for the new Assembly Speaker, arguing that this is against the Constitution of Kosovo.

Haxhiu: Opposition is blocking process; VV offered compromises (media)

MP from Vetevendosje Movement and candidate for Assembly Speaker, Albulena Haxhiu, criticized opposition parties today for blocking the constitution of the new Assembly. She told reporters that opposition MPs are refusing to take part in the vote. “The opposition refused to take part in the vote again. Perhaps we need to address the reasons why they are holding this position. They say that the daily order was changed, but this is not true. The session chair has fully respected the daily order as foreseen by the Regulation of the Assembly. We are currently on the third point: the election of the Assembly Speaker,” she said.

Haxhiu denied claims made by opposition parties that a procedural motion is needed to move from the open vote to a secret vote for the new speaker. “This is not true because the Constitutional Court does not say whether a secret or open vote needs to be held. After six attempts for an open vote, the chair has proceeded with a secret vote – in line with efforts for a compromise,” she said.

Haxhiu also said that the Constitutional Court has called for consensus both from the majority and the opposition. “The Constitutional Court has obliged us to seek a compromise, but it has requested the same from the opposition too. Opposition MPs came to the hall 35 times and made no decision,” she argued.

According to Haxhiu, the Vetevendosje Movement has offered two compromises so far and that if she doesn’t get 61 votes in a secret vote she would withdraw.

“In absence of political readiness, early elections are the only option” (media)

Leader of Alternativa and member of the Kosovo Assembly, Mimoza Kusari-Lila said today that in the absence of political readiness going to early elections remains the only possible solution. She said that either the Constitutional Court can explain its ruling, give instructions and additional explanations, or the parties can agree among themselves to constitute the assembly and then dissolve it so that we can go to early elections. “I’m not seeing any other solution with this approach and with the growing mistrust,” she said.

Haziri: Assembly dissolves only when government fails to be elected (media)

Lutfi Haziri, MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has said before the start of the 43sd attempt to constitute the Assembly that those who bring the dissolution of the Assembly and the punishment of MPs as an option are bringing political blackmail into operation.  

"The political agreement is made in good faith, a path is established, required by the constitutional spirit. In Kosovo, there are no big winners; there are first winners, winners with the earned right to sit down and work with political parties, with MPs. But we are not seeing these yet. The dissolution of the Assembly comes when the Assembly fails to elect a government, not when it fails to constitute itself. This is a problem of the first party, it is not a problem of either the individual or the MP, it is an issue that requires the first party to find a way to build a political agreement. You cannot have a procedure and a political agreement, be an MP and a minister, with bombs, without bombs. This situation does not work in this manner,” Haziri told the reporters.

He also spoke about the situation created on Saturday and the false alarm about a bomb attack. “I thank the police of the Republic, the security bodies that react in such situations because false alarms and bomb alarms are the mindset of those that Kosovo knows very well. It knows who they are, it knows what they are. Whether they speak with a Slavic accent or speak with a provincial accent of Kosovo and the provinces of Albanians wherever they are is not important, what is important is that crime has no ethnicity, and those who have coordinated and are coordinating to destroy Kosovo for political interests, to harm the democracy of Kosovo, they are without ethnicity, they have only one goal. They are the greatest enemy of democracy and our Republic", Haziri said.

Gashi: Compromise is national emergency, no time to lose (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Arben Gashi said today after another failed attempt to constitute the new Kosovo Assembly that compromise is a national emergency. “Kosovo risks turning into a failed state because of the inability for compromise, the lack of political dialogue, personal egos and wild ambitions for power. Compromise is a national emergency. There is no time to lose,” he writes in a Facebook post.

IKD: Impasse in Assembly risks blocking independent institutions (media)

The Kosovo Law Institute (IKD) warned of serious consequences due to the delay in constituting the new Assembly of Kosovo, which has been inactive since April 15, 2025. This inaction has left many institutions and agencies without leadership or capacity to function, as key appointments cannot be made. IKD criticized both the previous legislature for neglecting its constitutional duties and the government for delays in making proposals. The situation is expected to worsen as more mandates expire. IKD urged the immediate constitution of the Assembly to restore institutional order and public trust.

IKD called for the immediate constitution of the Assembly of Kosovo, without further delays, and for the initiation of the constitutional duties regarding appointments to independent institutions, as a necessary step toward restoring institutional order and regaining people’s trust in the public system.

Musliu: Historic success of AKI in uncovering Serbian espionage network (media)

Several news websites report that Agim Musliu, chairman of the Board of Octopus, a Pristina-based Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies, commended the Kosovo Intelligence Agency for successfully uncovering a Serbian network espionage, including their recruitment of a staff member of an international organization in Kosovo. “This is an exceptional success of our state, achieved thanks to the high professionalism of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI), which is now assessed as a regional leader in security and intelligence, both by local and international institutions … The AKI and security institutions in Kosovo are proving they are capable of dealing with complex challenges, by confronting structures such as the Serbian Intelligence Agency, which operates according to Russian methods. Meanwhile, AKI remains committed to Western standards, values and practices,” Musliu wrote in a Facebook post.

Musliu also argued that “the latest case should serve as an alarm for international organizations in Kosovo: stricter monitoring is needed of their staff in order to prevent the penetration and influence of Serbian and Russian secret services in these institutions”. 

“Several terrorists who participated in Banjska attack now guarding Vucic” (Klan)

The news website reported yesterday that the anti-government protests by students in Serbia have entered the ninth day. Srdjan Milivojevic, leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia, said that he submitted to the European Union a list of police officers who he said violated laws during their brutal interventions against the protesters. Milivojevic, an opposition MP, said they called on the EU to ban the police officers from entering EU member states. Meanwhile there is another list which includes around 200 people that have reportedly been operating as guards of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for several months now. The list, which is not official yet, reportedly includes “several terrorists” who participated in the Banjska attack against Kosovo Police in September 2023, and who have been indicted by the Special Prosecution Office of Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Elek: It is important that Serbs sign a petition against the construction of a bridge on the Ibar and show unity (RTS, Tanjug)

The president of the Serbian List, Zlatan Elek, said today that the announced construction of a new bridge on the Iber is another attempt to persecute the Serbian people from Kosovo. He stressed that it is important for the Serbs to sign the petition, initiated by the SL, against the construction of that bridge and show a united position and that they are against Pristina's projects that are to the detriment of the Serbian community.

"This is a bridge of separation, not a bridge of unification, as stated by Albanian officials," Elek told RTS, before the beginning of the signing of the petition against the construction of two new bridges on the Ibar.

He stated that citizens will be able to sign the petition in front of the headquarters of the Serbian List on the promenade in the northern part of Mitrovica from 9 a.m. today, as well tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

According to him, the construction of this bridge is completely unnecessary and absolutely to the detriment of the Serbian majority community, which accounts for more than 95 percent of the population in northern Kosovo.

"Serbs have never been consulted so far. And in this case as well. It is normal that the Albanian community will not consult the Serbian community when it does something to the detriment of the Serbian community. All the moves of the government in Pristina, the moves of Albin Kurti, were made unilaterally and were to the detriment of the Serbian community. And so, in this case as well with the start of the construction of this bridge."

He emphasized that intensive talks are being held with the international community.

"We expect the international community to finally move from words to deeds. We expect a clear condemnation of the unilateral moves of the authorities in Pristina. We expect the international community, which came here to protect multiethnicity in Kosovo and Metohija, to protect above all our collective rights, our individual rights, we expect a clear message from them that the construction of the Bridge on the Ibar River, which is absolutely unnecessary for us and which represents a Bridge of Separation, will not be allowed. Otherwise, if this does not happen, the international community will be a direct accomplice in the persecution of Serbs, that is, the exodus of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija," the president of the Serbian List emphasized.

When it comes to the security situation, Elek says that arrests, threats, blackmail, interrogations, and violations of the fundamental rights of Serbs are everyday occurrences.

Kurti laid the foundation stone; the SL collects signatures against parallel bridges (KoSSev, Alternativna)

Three days since Albin Kurti laid the foundation stone for two new bridges between North and South Mitrovica, and almost a month after the announcement of the plans of the Kosovo authorities to build these bridges, the Serbian list today started collecting signatures of citizens who oppose the initiative, reported KoSSev.

Several hundred citizens gathered this morning on the city promenade, in front of the premises of the Serbian List, to sign a petition against the construction of bridges on the Ibar.

Igor Simic: Bridges are political objects, pressure on Serbs due to Kurti's campaign

The vice-president of the Serbian List, Igor Simic, said that the bridges planned to be built by the Kosovo government on the Ibar River are exclusively "politically motivated objects", whose aim is to put additional pressure on the Serbian people who, as he stated, want to live in peace in their centuries-old homes. 

He stated that the citizens showed that they did not want to be expelled through this democratic means - pen and signature.

"We often hear from Pristina how the citizens have accepted what Kurti is doing, I think this is the best answer, with a pencil, patiently, democratically to express the desire of the Serbian people - that we do not want to be expelled, that we want to live in peace, and on the other hand, to send a message that no one consulted the Serbian people in any way when they decided to start building these bridges."

He emphasized that there are already enough bridges connecting the northern and southern parts of Mitrovica.

"The northern and southern parts of the city, as you well know, are connected by several bridges, and they are absolutely sufficient for people to travel normally from one to the other part of the city," he pointed out.

He added that the construction of new bridges is a political move aimed at changing the ethnic image in the North.

"This is politically motivated to put pressure on the Serbian people, as months ago, hundreds of Albanians were brought from other parts of Kosovo and Metohija to walk in the North and create some new ethnic image of Kosovo and Metohija," he said.

On behalf of the Serbian List, which is behind the organization of the petition, Simic called on citizens to express a clear position "against Kurti's policy" by signing.

"We invite the citizens to express a clear position that they do not agree with what Kurti is doing and that they will never agree," Simic said, announcing that citizens will be able to sign the petition for the next two days, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., in front of the premises of the Serbian List.

Simic accused the Kosovo PM of political abuse of the Serbian people for the purposes of the internal struggle in Pristina.

"We don't want Kurti, due to his political pre-election campaign and his inability to form a parliament in Pristina, to score cheap political points over the Serbian backs," he said, adding that the petition will be sent to the international community.

"We will send the petition to the representatives of the international community, we will not send it to the illegal and illegitimate mayor of the municipality of North Mitrovica, because the Serbs did not even vote for him."

He pointed out that international representatives are obliged to preserve peace and security based on the UN mandate.

"I remind you that international forces - KFOR - have been stationed on the main bridge on the Ibar for years, which is a sufficient indicator of whether it is necessary to open new bridges, which, in our opinion, can threaten the already fragile situation on the ground."

Simic concluded that the ultimate goal of SL is to preserve peace for all communities.

"We are doing this in order to preserve peace - peace for everyone, both for Serbs and for Albanians."

He added that the strength of the SL comes from the people and expressed the hope that, through the petition, they will be able to prevent the construction of disputed bridges.

"It is our obligation to exert political pressure so that international forces act on the ground, and their obligation is to obey the will of the citizens," said Igor Simic.

Portal Alternativna reported that while the signing of the petition was ongoing, construction works on the construction of the bridge, which will be for both traffic and pedestrians, are continuing.

According to this portal, at the location of the second bridge, there was no work for now.

Lucic: Irrational and dangerous attacks by the Pristina authorities on Telekom Srbija (Kosovo Online)

Regarding the accusations by representatives of the authorities in Pristina that Serbia, through the MTS network, tried to destabilize Kosovo by reporting a bomb in the Kosovo parliament, the CEO of Telekom Srbija Vladimir Lucic said that he was shocked by such irrational and dangerous attacks on the company, reported Kosovo Online. 

Lucic recalled for Kosovo Online that two years ago the Pristina authorities tried to shut down Telekom Srbija, clearly showing their desire and intention to make it difficult for the company and even stop its work.

"Telekom Srbija has a great reputation in the world and I think it would be better if, instead of such scandalous attacks, the Pristina administration finally starts issuing a third license for mobile telephony, because it is in the interest of the population that lives and works in the area of Kosovo and Metohija," pointed Lucic.

On the occasion of the bomb report in the Kosovo Assembly on Saturday, the Kosovo PM in technical mandate, Albin Kurti, and the Minister of Internal Affairs in technical mandate, Xhelal Svecla, accused Serbia of waging a hybrid war against Kosovo, via the mobile network from Serbia.

Today, security expert Agim Musliu was more specific and said that Serbia is destabilizing Kosovo through the MTS network and is demanding a review of the work of MTS in Kosovo.

The import of goods from Serbia doubled in Kosovo (Beta, KoSSev, KiM radio) 

According to the data of the Kosovo customs, goods from Serbia have strongly returned to the Kosovo market this year after a decline in previous years. Kosovo doubled the import of products from Serbia this year compared to the first months of 2024, reported KoSSev. 

In the first five months of this year, Kosovo imported goods worth 91 million euros from Serbia, which is 49 million euros, or 116 percent more than in the same period last year, when imports were 42 million euros.

Kosovo is harmed by a high foreign trade deficit, given the low level of exports, which is a consequence of the lack of subsidies and unfavorable policies for domestic producers, as they claim, reported KoSSev, citing Kosova Press agency. 

Imports rose significantly during the first five months of 2025, while the value of exported goods declined compared to the same months last year.

Customs of Kosovo told Kosova Press that the value of exports of goods from Kosovo during the first five months of this year decreased by 12.7 million euros, compared to the same period last year.

According to the data of the Kosovo customs, in the period January-May 2025, the value of exports from Kosovo is over 356 million euros, while in the same period of the previous year it was around 369 million euros, which represents a decrease of over 12 million euros.

On the other hand, the value of imports in the first five months of this year is over 2.76 billion euros, while in the same period in 2024 it was 2.38 billion.

Economists interpret the reasons for the drop in exports and the increase in imports in different ways.

The program director at the Riinvest Institute, Visar Vokrri, said that the drop in exports and the high trade deficit in Kosovo was mainly associated with the deep structural problems of the Kosovo economy. He emphasized that one of the main reasons was the weak production base, which limited Kosovo's ability to export competitively.

"I also think that the reason is insufficient investment in innovation, research and development in the private sector, gaps in the labor market and similar factors that have made us still not sufficiently competitive in export markets," said Vokrri. 

Producers in Kosovo continuously called on the authorities to introduce a more favorable fiscal policy to increase exports.

Thus, Kosovo's foreign trade deficit in the period January-May 2025 deepened to 2.4 billion euros.

Last year, Kosovo exported goods worth only 889 million euros, while for the first time in one year, imports reached 6.38 billion euros.

Jelena Petkovic for Radio Gorazdevac: Protests across Serbia are changing society, journalists under pressure (KiM radio)

As a guest in the morning program of Radio Gorazdevac, journalist Jelena Petkovic talked about the student protests that have been taking place throughout Serbia for months. She pointed out that these protests are not only a political issue, but also a deeper social change, reported KiM radio.

She recalled that the student protests started after the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad, but that over time they grew into a broader social movement that opposes the irresponsibility of institutions and violence in society.

"The students succeeded in what seemed impossible - they woke up the citizens. We saw people welcoming them in the villages, offering them water, food, and accommodation. These were not ordinary walks, but physically and mentally demanding hikes, in the rain and heat, and they sent a strong message - that it's time for something to change," she pointed out.

People choosing sides

Petkovic warned of increasing polarization in society and said that fewer and fewer people are declaring themselves neutral.

"We hear less and less that someone says that they are not interested in politics. People choose a side. Tensions and divisions are further deepened by the actions of the pro-regime media, which use dangerous language and target not only those who protest, but also journalists who report professionally," said Petkovic.

In this regard, she pointed out the worrying increase in pressure and attacks on journalists.

"Since the beginning of the year, more than 170 attacks on journalists have been recorded. In July alone, there were more than ten in one day. People reporting from protests face arrests, physical violence, intimidation, as well as targeting on social networks," she said.

She also cited examples of female and male journalists who, she claims, lost their jobs because they stood up for professional reporting.

"Colleagues from Euronews, Politika, Elle magazine and from RTS suffered the consequences - some were fired because they demanded objective reporting on the protests or participated in them as citizens. At RTS, we have a case where the contracts of people who signed an open letter to the editorial board were not extended," said Petkovic.

She particularly emphasized the problems in the Public Service due to non-reporting of protests.

"RTS is a public service funded by citizens' money. It is their duty to report on everything that happens in the country, especially on mass gatherings and protests. However, they have been ignoring key events for years," she said.

When asked how citizens can be most reliably informed about the protests, Petkovic called for the monitoring of local and professional media.

"According to research, citizens trust local media the most. That's why it's important to listen to and follow Radio Gorazdevac, Radio KiM, KoSSev, as well as televisions that report objectively - N1 and Nova S. Also, social networks like the 'Students in Blockade' profile can be a useful source for daily information about events," said Petkovic.

The protests brought back hope for the people

She concluded that these protests have already brought changes in society and restored hope to many people.

"Many told me that they were thinking of leaving the country, but that the students reminded them that there is a spark of hope, that true values are still alive. That is a huge thing. And it may be the beginning of a deeper change, not only political, but also social," concluded Petkovic.

International

20 years on, new threats worsen outlook for free media in Balkans (Balkan Insight)

When BIRN was founded two decades ago, media freedom in the Balkans faced serious challenges, but there was hope; now, the prospects are even bleaker.

When BIRN was founded in 2005 to promote a strong, independent and free media in the Balkans, media freedom reports on the region’s aspiring democracies painted a grim picture.

Political and economic pressures on the free press, illicit state subsidies, often disguised as government advertising, poor working conditions for journalists, lawsuits and verbal and physical attacks filled reports compiled by media watchdogs.

Yet, hopes were also high – that the internet era would bring more pluralism in to the media space, and that as the region was trod its path towards the EU, European funds and policies to strengthen and protect free media would bear fruit.

Two decades later, the types of pressures listed in media freedom reports may be different, but most of the core challenges that plagued the media landscape back then persist.

The internet brought more media outlets; it did not bring true pluralism. And while laws and strategies intended to safeguard media independence are now usually in place, they have largely hit a brick wall when it comes to implementation.

In a sea of fake news, AI and copy-paste journalism, handfuls of investigative teams still hold the torch for proper journalism that serves the public interest and has an impact.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/bdcm8jpd