UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 25, 2026

Even with deadline ending, calculations over President continue (RFE)
Kurti meets foreign ambassadors, briefs on laws on foreigners and vehicles (media)
Serbian List wants solution for Serbian-run education to be sought in dialogue (Koha)
What model of integrating Serbian education and healthcare in Kosovo could be at play? (RFE)
Sorensen after visit to Pristina: We focused on advancing Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RFE)
COMKFOR: No decision to reduce US troops in Kosovo (RTV21)
Kurti: We stand with the people of Ukraine; you are not alone (Dukagjini)
Kosovo upholds ex-intelligence chief’s jail sentence for Turkish deportations (BIRN)
Critic of Serbian List and Vucic assaulted and threatened in Shterpce (Koha)
Djuric meets Rubio: Working to make 2026 a great year for Serbia - US relations (Kosovo Online)

Even with deadline ending, calculations over President continue (RFE)

The news website reports with only six working days before the end of the constitutional deadline to elect the Kosovo President, instead of concrete names and agreements, uncertainty prevails. Behind the scenes, the process does not appear to be merely a formal constitutional obligation, but part of a broader political calculation by Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“Kurti aims for a president who will be under his control at key political moments,” political commentator Imer Mushkolaj said in an interview with the news website. He said that the diplomatic activity of the current president, Vjosa Osmani, complicates Kurti’s calculations, prompting him to look for a new name.

Kurti said on Monday that he is trying to avoid early elections, which would follow if a president were not elected. Osmani’s mandate ends on April 4, while the deadline to elect a new president is March 4. Otherwise, new parliamentary elections must be held within 45 days.

Osmani has said she seeks another term in office, but Kurti - whose party, Vetevendosje Movement, holds a majority in parliament - did not mention her name. He did not categorically rule Osmani out but said that it would be pointless for his party to propose a candidate on its own, since it can secure at most 66 votes - far short of the 80 votes needed to elect a president.

On the issue, Kurti met the leaders of the two biggest opposition parties, on Sunday with PDK leader Bedri Hamza on Sunday, and on Monday with LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku. Hamza said he was ready for parliamentary coordination on “issues of state and national interest”, while Abdixhiku called for a political agreement or consensus. Kurti meanwhile said that the situation regarding the election of the president is not easy. “I don’t see a zeal for new elections and that is something we are. These elements make me optimistic,” he said.

Mushkolaj said: “I think Kurti may have a name he intends to propose, hoping the opposition will support it. I don’t know whether that name will come from the Jashari family,” Mushkolaj said, adding that the entire process has been marked by lack of transparency.

Mushkolaj also said that Kurti’s public messages suggest that he could abandon the possibility of Osmani getting another mandate. He also said that if the Vetevendosje Movement and the opposition fail to agree on a joint candidate, Osmani could return as a candidate in order to avoid new parliamentary elections. “To avoid early elections, it cannot be ruled out that Osmani will be back in the game … But deep down, I believe Kurti is interested in someone that will not disprut his,” he argued.

Political commentator Ilir Deda told the news website that the next president should be someone who “has deep understanding of international issues and Kosovo’s position on the global arena.”

He said that electing a consensual president would bring institutional stability, but that so far the political parties are viewing the process mainly through the standpoint of party interests rather than Kosovo’s interests. “Someone who has no idea about the field of international relations cannot be placed in the position of president, especially in the current situation. This would damage both Kosovo and the institution of the president,” he said.

Kurti meets foreign ambassadors, briefs on laws on foreigners and vehicles (media)

Most news websites reported on Tuesday that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti hosted foreign ambassadors and diplomats in what is the second meeting of this format since the start of the gradual implementation of the Law on Foreigners and Law on Vehicles on January 15. Kurti briefed the ambassadors and diplomatic representatives about the work of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in accurately informing all citizens, the campaign, and other activities so that the full implementation which commences on March 15 can be preceded with fair, accurate and right information for every foreigner so that they are informed about their rights and responsibilities.

Serbian List wants solution for Serbian-run education to be sought in dialogue (Koha)

At the first meeting of the Kosovo Assembly’s Committee for Education, the issue of the Serbian-run education in the north was discussed, after Serbian List member Nemanja Bisevac said that the issue is related to the dialogue in Brussels and that it should not be treated by the committee. The meeting adopted the scope of the committee following discussions and proposals by the members about the priorities and oversight of the education sector. Bisevac said: “I consider that this is an issue of the dialogue and that it is one of the competencies of the future joint commission. This is why I don’t believe we should deal with this and that this matter should be addressed by them”.

PDK MP and member of the committee, Enver Hoxhaj, reacted saying that education issues should not be linked to the dialogue. “The University in Mitrovica North emerged as a result of the Ahtisaari process in Vienna. It has nothing to do with the dialogue. It is part of our educational system and as a member of the Kosovo Assembly, I can monitor and oversee every institution that is located within the territory of our sovereign state,” he argued.

What model of integrating Serbian education and healthcare in Kosovo could be at play? (RFE)

Rada Trajkovic, Kosovo Serb politician, said in an interview with the news website that granting executive competencies through the Association of Serb-majority municipalities as a model for the integration of Serbian education and healthcare in Kosovo’s system is the only option for the sustainable survival of the Serb community. She also said that there can be no differences from the education system of Serbia, because otherwise the position and survival of Serbs in Kosovo would be “jeopardized”.

On the other hand, Pristina-based sociologist and political commentator Artan Muhaxhiri, argues that the most logical approach to integrate education and healthcare institutions – which in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo continue to operate according to the Serbian system – would be “pragmatic eclecticism”, namely “identifying existing international models of a similar nature” and “selecting solutions that would be more suitable for Kosovo”. “It would not be necessary to start from scratch, because such practices of integrating minorities, even in the case of complicated frameworks, have been applied for decades and in many different situations,” he said.

Sorensen after visit to Pristina: We focused on advancing Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RFE)

The European Union Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Peter Sorensen, said on Tuesday that during his stay in Pristina he had good discussions with Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca. “We focused on advancing the normalisation of relations with Serbia, implementing commitments, and ensuring stability and progress on the European path,” Sorensen said in a post on X.

Kurti said in a post on X that he and Sorensen discussed “Kosova’s European integration path, the rule of law, and the EU-facilitated dialogue process”. He also said that the Kosovo government remains “committed to the full normalization of relations with Serbia through mutual recognition”.

COMKFOR: No decision to reduce US troops in Kosovo (RTV21)

Commander of NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, Ozkan Ulutas, said on Tuesday that NATO has made no decision to downsize the number of US troops in Kosovo and that it will maintain its permanent presence in the north of Kosovo.

In an interview with RTV21, Ulutas said that KFOR continues to demand responsibility for attacks against peacekeeping forces and the attack in Banjska in 2023 and that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Ulutas also said that NATO continues to support the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia as a framework to resolve outstanding issues and highlighted the importance of regional cooperation and respect for community rights.

Kurti: We stand with the people of Ukraine; you are not alone (Dukagjini)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Tuesday that “Kosova rose from the ashes of war to become a sovereign, democratic, and secure country because our people refused to give up. We see the same strength today in Ukraine”. “Four years after Russia’s attempted conquest of Ukraine, we stand with the people of Ukraine, in empathy and solidarity. The citizens of Kosova know the pain of displacement and loss - and we also know that countries can be rebuilt and healed and can emerge stronger. We believe that Ukraine will do the same. You are not alone,” he said.

Kosovo upholds ex-intelligence chief’s jail sentence for Turkish deportations (BIRN)

The Basic Court of Pristina on Tuesday sentenced Driton Gashi, former chief of Kosovo’s Intelligence Agency, KIA, to four years and eight months in prison for the controversial deportation of six alleged “Gulenists” to Turkey in March 2018.

This is the second time the court has ordered such a sentence for Gashi for the deportations of the alleged supporters of cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was accused by the Turkish government of attempting a coup. The appeals court overturned the original May 2023 verdict in the Gashi trial, ordering a retrial.

Gashi “exceeded his official competencies when he illegally deported Turkish nationals who had residency and work permits in Kosovo,” Judge Violeta Namani Hajra said, announcing the verdict.

“Through his actions, Gashi violated standard procedures and instruments of human rights… By deporting Turkish nationals, he has exposed them to a real danger of torture, physical mistreatment,” she added.

Gashi, who was not present for the verdict on Tuesday, was also banned from exercising public duties for four years after serving his jail sentence. The verdict can again be appealed.

Gashi was dismissed from his post following the extradition of the six Turkish citizens in March 2018. The then prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, claimed the incident had happened without his knowledge.

A report by a Kosovo parliamentary commission in February 2019 found that 31 breaches of laws and procedures took place during the deportation. Members of the commission accused former president Hashim Thaci of being behind the incident.