Albanian Language Media: 

• Constitutive session cannot be held without full Constitutional Court ruling (RTK)
• Reiffenstuel: Constitutional Court decision must be fully respected (RTK)
• U.S. and Italian Embassies call for respect of Constitutional Court decision (media)
• Maqedonci highlights Kosovo’s progress in defense and strategic partnerships (media)
• Gjilan Murders: Svecla calls for Police investigation, Haxhiu demands disciplinary measures against judges and prosecutors (media)
• Special Prosecution: Mefail Shkodra is being investigated in two cases (media)
• Four Gjilan police officers suspended over triple murder case (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Djuric: Kurti’s Ambassadors’ Conference is the height of cynicism (Kosovo Online, Danas, Blic)
• The Serbian List met with the German MFA delegation (Tanjug) 
• The change of land use requested for Mikronaselje/Kodra e minatorëve school construction — Legal or not? (KoSSev)
• Todic on the incident in the village of Vuca  (Tanjug, TV Most, Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media

Constitutive session cannot be held without full Constitutional Court ruling (RTK)

The constitutive session of Kosovo’s new parliament cannot proceed until the Constitutional Court publishes its full ruling, following its June 26 decision outlining the procedure for electing the Speaker within 30 days via open vote. Previous sessions led by the oldest MP, Avni Dehari, were deemed invalid by the Court, as they did not comply with its guidelines. A new session can only be called once the full judgment appears in the Official Gazette, a process expected to take up to two weeks. The Court’s ruling has been welcomed by opposition parties but criticized by the election-winning party.

Reiffenstuel: Constitutional Court decision must be fully respected (RTK)

Michael Reiffenstuel, Director for the Western Balkans at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, has concluded his two-day visit to Kosovo. During his stay, he met with a wide range of Kosovo’s political leaders, including President Vjosa Osmani and Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti. He also met with opposition leaders Memli Krasniqi of the PDK and Lumir Abdixhiku of the LDK. While in Mitrovica, he held meetings with representatives of the Serbian minority parties and civil society. Additionally, he met with COMKFOR.

“In his meetings with Kosovo’s political stakeholders, he emphasized the need to fully respect and implement the recent decision of the Constitutional Court in order to end the political deadlock. He also reiterated our expectation that all parties meeting the criteria should be allowed to participate in the upcoming local elections,” stated the German Embassy in Kosovo.

The statement further noted that Reiffenstuel reaffirmed Germany’s full support for EU Special Envoy Peter Sorensen in his efforts to advance the EU-facilitated normalization dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “Constructive engagement by Kosovo is essential for the success of its EU integration process, which Germany strongly supports,” the statement concluded.

U.S. and Italian Embassies call for respect of Constitutional Court decision (media)

The U.S. and Italian embassies in Kosovo have called on members of the Kosovo Assembly to respect the recent Constitutional Court decision regarding the formation of the Assembly, warning that the ongoing deadlock is costing Kosovo valuable opportunities.

The Italian Embassy in Pristina told Radio Free Europe that the Constitutional Court has been clear in its ruling. “All political forces must come together to resolve the institutional deadlock for the good of Kosovo and its citizens,” the statement read.

The U.S. Embassy told the news website Koha that the continued political stalemate is resulting in missed opportunities for Kosovo. “The people of Kosovo expect their leaders to fulfill their commitments and act in the country’s best interest. This continued political blockage is leading to lost opportunities for Kosovo. It is time for leadership to prioritize progress and stability for the benefit of the citizens,” the embassy was quoted as saying.

Maqedonci highlights Kosovo’s progress in defense and strategic partnerships (media)

At the 8th Ambassadors’ Conference, caretaker Minister of Defense Ejup Maqedonci highlighted Kosovo’s growing role in the security of the Western Balkans and Europe. He stated that Kosovo is now in a significantly stronger position than in previous years, crediting the development of self-sustaining defense capacities.

Maqedonci emphasized that “Kosovo has become a more secure and reliable state, aligned with democratic values and seen as a trusted partner in promoting regional and European stability.” “In this context, Kosovo is now in a much better position than a few years ago — safer and better protected, based on the development of self-sustaining capacities, and has risen to the level of trustworthy states that uphold democratic values,” Maqedonci told attendees.

Gjilan Murders: Svecla calls for Police investigation, Haxhiu demands disciplinary measures against judges and prosecutors (media)

The Ministry of Justice has reacted to the tragic case in Gjilan, where three people were killed. The main suspects in the triple murder, Mefail and Edonis Shkodra, have been declared wanted by the Kosovo Police.

In its statement, the Ministry of Justice said the suspects had previously been held in pretrial detention but were released by a decision of the Basic Court in Pristina, based on a request from the Special Prosecution of Kosovo. The Ministry called the court's decision "incomprehensible" and described the release as a serious case of institutional negligence.

Caretaker Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, has called for an internal investigation within the Kosovo Police into possible procedural failures. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice is demanding disciplinary action against the responsible judges and prosecutors.

Special Prosecution: Mefail Shkodra is being investigated in two cases (media)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo (SPRK) has confirmed it is conducting investigations in two separate cases involving Mefail Shkodra, the main suspect in the recent triple murder in Gjilan. According to SPRK, a criminal complaint was filed against Shkodra on April 25, 2025, by an individual identified as B.H. The prosecution began investigative actions on the same day but did not initially request pretrial detention, citing the need to verify allegations and gather more evidence. Police reports indicated that, following operational measures and interviews, no threats toward the complainant or their family could be confirmed.

In a separate case, both Mefail Shkodra (M. SH) and Edonis Shkodra (E. SH) had previously been held in detention for four months on charges including usury and coercion. Their detention was later replaced with house arrest after a legal review, as the court found the conditions for continued detention no longer applied.

The Prosecution emphasized that it had seized nine real estate properties during that investigation and continues to gather evidence, including through international legal cooperation. The case remains in the investigative phase.

Four Gjilan police officers suspended over triple murder case (media)

The Police Inspectorate of Kosovo (IPK) has launched a preliminary investigation to determine whether any Kosovo Police officers were negligent or possibly involved in the criminal activity of the suspect wanted for the triple murder in Gjilan. To preserve the integrity of the investigation and prevent any influence on witnesses or evidence, IPK has recommended the suspension of four police officers from the Regional Police Directorate in Gjilan.

Based on the recommendation, the following have been suspended: one police sergeant and one investigator from the regional investigation unit; one police sergeant, head of investigations at the Novoberde Police Station; and one officer from the Rapid Response Unit.

IPK, in cooperation with the Chief Prosecutor of the Basic Prosecution in Gjilan, is conducting preliminary criminal investigations into the suspended officers, on suspicion of involvement in unlawful activities with elements of a criminal offense. The investigation is still in its early stages and includes collecting material evidence, taking statements, and other procedural actions.

Serbian Language Media

Djuric: Kurti’s Ambassadors’ Conference is the height of cynicism (Kosovo Online, Danas, Blic)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Marko Djuric, stated today that the ambassadors’ conference organized in Pristina was “the height of cynicism,” noting that the policy of Albin Kurti’s regime is the very opposite of the idea of diplomacy.

“I remind you that the main election slogan of Kurti’s movement—Jo negociata (‘No negotiations’)—is a denial of the idea of resolving problems through diplomatic means,” Djuric said in a statement regarding the gathering in Pristina, which brought together Kosovo’s diplomatic representatives and at which the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, once again claimed that “Serbia’s efforts to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo represent a serious threat.”

Djuric stressed that Kurti has shown through his actions that he is “a champion of slander, obsessed with hatred toward his Serbian homeland,thereby causing serious harm to his own people”.

“What is far more dangerous is that Kurti is also a champion of creating instability and has turned institutions into weapons for repression and the mass violation of human rights, especially of Serbs, but also of others. Unfortunately, there is always an example no older than 24 hours, such as the harassment of children in the village of Vuca, caused by his policies,” Minister Djuric warned.

He therefore believes that, until Kurti stops suppressing the rights of Serbs and violating the agreements reached, all international assistance to Kosovo should be suspended.

The Serbian List met with the German MFA delegation (Tanjug) 

The delegation of the Serbian List met yesterday in Pristina with the delegation of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by the head of the Department for the Western Balkans, Michael Reiffenstuel, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Pristina, Jorn Rohde, and spoke about the problems Serbian people in Kosovo face, as well as the necessity of forming the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

"During the meeting, we discussed numerous problems faced by the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, including the necessity to immediately stop the unilateral moves of the institutions in Pristina, stop politically motivated actions and arbitrary arrests of Serbs, stop the violation of human rights and freedoms, and above all, urgently form the Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO), in accordance with the signed agreements with consistent compliance with all the obligations assumed from the dialogue," read the post of the SL on Instagram. 

The Serbian List emphasized that for stability and peace it is of crucial importance that the pressures and discrimination against the Serbian people stop and that the open issues are resolved exclusively through dialogue and in accordance with internationally assumed obligations.

The change of land use requested for Mikronaselje/Kodra e minatorëve school construction — Legal or not? (KoSSev)

As the local government of North Mitrovica approaches the end of its mandate with elections scheduled for October, the Municipal Assembly received a proposal to change the land designation to build a new primary school in the Mikronaselje/Kodra e Minatorëve neighborhood, reported KoSSev.

However, during yesterday’s Assembly session, the request—submitted only in Albanian—was not considered due to a lack of quorum after Dušan Milunović, the sole Serbian representative, walked out in protest over the absence of a Serbian translation.

Assembly Chairperson Nedžad Ugljanin confirmed the session’s suspension and announced plans to reconvene soon. He also raised questions about the legality of passing land use decisions after the official election call, citing a notice from the Ministry of Local Administration stating that no such changes can be approved post-election announcement.

The extraordinary Assembly session, originally scheduled for Friday with a single agenda item—a proposal to change the land use from agricultural to construction—was postponed and rescheduled for yesterday at 10 a.m. The change would allow the construction of the “9+1 School” in Mikronaselje/Kodra e Minatorëve.

According to the document provided only in Albanian to councilors and the media, the proposal came from the municipal Directorate for Urban Planning, Cadastre, and Geodesy via Mayor Erden Atić, who was absent from the session, as was the directorate’s representative.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/46ywhn4w

Todic on the incident in the village of Vuca  (Tanjug, TV Most, Kosovo Online)

The leader of the Serbian List of the municipality of Leposavic, Zoran Todic, said that the incident in the village of Vuca, when the Kosovo police shot during the identification of Serbian young men, represents an excessive use of force by members of the police, adding that he believes that they will be sanctioned for this.

The former mayor of Leposavic pointed out that the incident caused additional fear and discomfort for the entire Serbian people living in the north of Kosovo.

"Without any reason, and based on the information I have, which I heard in the conversation with one of the young men who was detained and with their parents, without any reason, which was acknowledged by the Kosovo police, weapons were used," Todic told TV Most.