• Kurti promises swift constitution of assembly and formation of govt (Indeksonline)
• Kurti: The time is ripe for Kosovo and Serbia to normalize relations (FT)
• Kosovo’s President says she expects new government to be formed quickly (RFE)
• Osmani indicates new recognitions for Kosovo in first part of 2026 (media)
• US Embassy: We hope to further our partnership with the new government (media)
• Haxhiu: I don’t rule out the possibility of an opposition MP joining us (KTV)
• Peci: If LDK blocks us on election of President, they’ll fall to single-digit support (EO)
• OSCE mission chief acknowledges role of CEC, ECAP and police in elections (media)
• British Embassy commends CEC on “another smooth election process” (media)
• Special Prosecution files indictment against 21 persons for Recak massacre (media)

Kurti promises swift constitution of assembly and formation of govt (Indeksonline)

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister and Vetevendosje Movement leader, Albin Kurti, in a rally on Tuesday after his part won the snap parliamentary elections, thanked their supporters and voters, and said that once the election results are certified, “we will immediately constitute the Assembly, form the government and implement all our commitments one by one and as swiftly as we can”.

Kurti said that the results of the December 28 parliamentary elections proved that their victory was bigger than the one in February 2021. “This shows that our governance, fair, good and true, was appreciated and this is a great acknowledgment by the people but also a great responsibility we have toward the people,” he said.

Kurti: The time is ripe for Kosovo and Serbia to normalize relations (FT)

Several news websites cover an article by the Financial Times on Vetevendosje’s victory in the snap parliamentary elections. They further note that VV leader Albin Kurti, through a spokesperson, told the Financial Times that “we are now among the more resilient and vibrant democracies in Europe”. “It is time for the reality of our sovereignty to be fully recognised by Serbia, for Europe’s borders to remain firm and secure, and for EU accession to move forward,” he said. “The time is ripe for Kosovo and Serbia to normalise relations”.

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Kosovo’s President says she expects new government to be formed quickly (RFE)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said she expects the new parliament and government to be formed quickly following early parliamentary elections, urging lawmakers to immediately prioritize passage of the state budget and ratification of key international agreements.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Kosovo Service, Osmani warned that delays in forming institutions could block nearly 1 billion euros ($1.18 billion) in international funding, including European Union growth funds and World Bank-backed agreements.

Osmani spoke a day after Kosovo held early parliamentary elections on December 28 for the second time this year, following the failure to form a government after the February vote, when Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Vetevendosje party failed to secure sufficient parliamentary support.

Albin Kurti, Kosovo's prime minister and Vetevendosje leader, speaks to supporters after his party won the December 28 parliamentary elections.

Based on preliminary results, Vetevendosje is projected to win around 56 seats, up from 46 seats in the February elections, leaving it short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government in Kosovo’s 120-seat parliament. Kurti has previously relied on support from non-Serb minority parties to secure a governing majority.

Once the results are certified, Osmani said elected lawmakers should move swiftly, voting "for the government in the morning, and immediately conclude the international agreements in the afternoon."

Election of a President

Lawmakers will also face pressure to reach agreement on the election of a president, as Osmani’s current mandate expires in April 2026. She confirmed she intends to seek a second term, arguing that continuity is essential amid regional instability and heightened security challenges across Europe.

Under Kosovo’s constitution, the election of a president must take place no later than 30 days before the end of the incumbent’s term. Failure to do so could trigger new parliamentary elections.

Osmani was elected president in 2021 after running on a joint ticket with Kurti and Vetevendosje, following her departure from the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo, where she had previously held senior roles.

Accusations against Belgrade

Osmani said Kosovo remains fully committed to the EU-facilitated dialogue on normalizing relations with Serbia but accused Belgrade of blocking implementation of a 2023 agreement on developing good neighborly relations.

“We have a problem with the Serbian side, which never implements what it promises,” Osmani said. “I hope Brussels will be much clearer in actions, not just words, and demand from Serbia full implementation of its commitments.”

Kosovo has so far refused to submit to the country's constitutional court a draft statute for the Association of Serb Municipalities. The proposed body, intended to provide a degree of self-management for Kosovo’s Serb community, was agreed under the EU-facilitated Brussels dialogue, while the draft statute was put forward by the EU and backed by Western partners, including the United States, Germany, France, and Italy.

Serbia, for its part, accuses Kosovo of failing to implement the agreement by refusing to move forward with the planned Association of Serb Municipalities. Osmani rejected unilateral implementation of the deal, accusing Serbia of repeatedly violating its obligations.

U.S. ties and security challenges

Osmani, who visited the State Department twice this year, said she has seen what she described as growing interest from the United States under President Donald Trump, particularly on maintaining regional stability and preventing renewed violence.

“There is increased interest from the Trump administration to help relations between Kosovo and Serbia and to maintain regional peace and stability at all costs, so that no action that destabilizes our region is tolerated,” Osmani said.

Osmani also cited security challenges stemming from what she described as Russia’s long-standing efforts to destabilize the Western Balkans through Serbia, while stressing the role of Kosovo’s institutions, the continued presence of NATO, and cooperation with Western allies.

“As long as we work closely with our allies, our citizens have every reason to feel safe and protected,” she said.

Osmani indicates new recognitions for Kosovo in first part of 2026 (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, in an interview with Indeksonline on Tuesday, said that Kosovo has entered a new pace in terms of securing new recognitions and that there will be good news in this respect in the first half of 2026. “We are very close to reaching recognitions from 2/3 of member states of the United Nations,” she said.

Osmani did not want to name the non-recognizing countries with which Kosovo has contacts, saying that Serbia could damage the process. “There are many countries that are close to making the decision [to recognize Kosovo] but let us not forget that we can damage Kosovo’s interests if we talk about them publicly. This is then inciting Serbia and some other countries to engage and oftentimes even with means outside diplomacy and different forms of pressure to try and block this irreversible process for Kosovo,” she said.

Osmani also said that there is now clarity in terms of results and the formation of new institutions. “My message is that all parties need to contribute to the formation of institutions as soon as possible, and not only that. There are urgent decisions that await the country, including the budget of Kosovo, and the adoption of international agreements that we tried to adopt in the previous mandate, but without success. I am confident that all parties will support these agreements,” Osmani said.

Haxhiu: I don’t rule out the possibility of an opposition MP joining us (KTV)

Senior member of the Vetevendosje Movement, Albulena Haxhiu, in an interview with the TV station on Tuesday, ruled out an eventual coalition with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). “We don’t seek a coalition with the LDK because we don’t see it necessary. We will have meetings on several issues that are pending, such as the [EU] Growth Plan and the international agreements. We have constantly said that we need greater support [from the voters] so that we are not dependent on the votes of opposition MPs. Because if you depend even on one MP the situation becomes very difficult and their demands are in discordance with their political power,” she argued.

Haxhiu did not rule out the possibility of an opposition MP joining the Vetevendosje Movement. “When we were insisting on a committee for a secret vote [on the election of the Assembly Speaker], there were MPs from opposition parliamentary groups who told us to insist on a secret vote committee and that they would support us … So we cannot rule out the possibility of someone joining us in the future,” she said.

US Embassy on new govt: We hope to further partnership (media)

The United States Embassy in Pristina said on Tuesday that it hopes to further partnership with the new government of Kosovo including the resumption of the strategic dialogue. “We hope to further our partnership with the government of Kosovo, including the resumption of the strategic dialogue. This will require actions from the Government of Kosovo to advance our joint agenda for regional peace, stability, and mutual economic prosperity,” a spokesperson for the embassy told RTV21.

Peci: If LDK blocks us on election of President, they will fall to single-digit support (EO)

Faton Peci, mayor of Mitrovica South and one of the leaders of Guxo, a partner in the coalition with Vetevendosje Movement, said on Tuesday that if the Democratic League of Kosovo tries to block the election of the Kosovo President, they will fall to single-digit support. “I think we will elect the President of the country, but what comes as an unpleasant surprise to me is my former party, the LDK. God forbid they try to block it, they will definitely end up as a party with single-digit support, after the debacle they have suffered,” Peci claimed.

OSCE Head of Mission acknowledges role of CEC, ECAP and police in elections (media)

OSCE Head of Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Gerard McGurk, said in a post on X on Tuesday that it is important to recognize the role of the Central Election Commission, the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel, and the Kosovo Police, in delivering Kosovo’s 4th set of elections in 2025 in a professional, efficient and secure manner. “As counting is ongoing, their work continues to be crucial for Kosovo’s democratic resilience and public trust,” he said.

British Embassy commends CEC on “another smooth election process” (media)

The British Embassy in Kosovo, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, congratulated “the Central Election Commission and everyone involved in delivering another smooth election process on Sunday. It was great to see some of the officials and volunteers working hard to count the votes today. We look forward to the swift formation of Kosovo’s institutions once the results are certified”.

Special Prosecution files indictment against 21 persons for Recak massacre (media)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo said in a statement on Tuesday that it has filed an indictment against 21 persons with a proposal for trial in absentia for war crimes against civilians related to the massacre committed in January 1999 in the village of Recak.

The indictment notes that the accused O.S., R.M., K.J., G.R., Z.T., B.J., M.L., R.M., D.DJ., B.M., D.J., M.S., D.A., S.V., B.M., Z.S., M.J., G.P., D.N., C.A. and Z.J., are accused of killing 42 Albanian civilians during an operation by Serbian police and military forces. The investigations of the prosecution notes that Serbian forces first surrounded the village and then started bombing it. They then went inside every house, separated the men from the women and children, and forced the latter to flee the village, and executed the men. The prosecution also said that investigations also revealed that the civilians were brutally beaten with weapons, wooden sticks, chains and other heavy tools. As a result of the operation, around 20,000 civilians from several villages were expelled from their homes.