UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 6, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: Bureau will be formed, everyone will declare their wealth (Telegrafi)
“No normalization of relations with Serbia without integration of Serbs” (RFE)
Who could be Lajcak’s successor as EU special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue? (Indeksonline)
KSF Transition Plan: Generation of options for building the air fleet begins (Kallxo)
These will be numbers of political entities for February 9 elections (media)
Sallahu: CEC violated the law by allocating the number to the Serbian List (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic congratulates Christmas: We will continue fighting for Serbian people, in particular Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media)
Petkovic congratulates Christmas Eve and Christmas: Fight to preserve peace, stability and every good is goal we strive for (Tanjug, Kosovo online)
Two years since wounding of Stefan and Milos Stojanovic, Strpce residents still in fear (Kosovo Online)
Government forms teams for long-term gas arrangement with Russia and oil industry issue (N1)
Government forms working group for discussions with education workers (N1)
Gasic: Compulsory military service due to begin in September (Tanjug)

International Media:

Political tensions test unity of Kosovo’s police force (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Bureau will be formed, everyone will declare their wealth (Telegrafi)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, during a visit to Mitrovica on Sunday, sent a message to people from Kosovo living abroad that have not registered for the February parliamentary elections. “Those that did not register can use the old method: take a plan, bus or drive to Kosovo,” he said.

Kurti said that Kosovo’s economic growth has been made possible without going into new debts and that “on the contrary we have reduced the debt”.

Speaking about the priorities of a new mandate in government, Kurti highlighted the importance of reforms in the judiciary and forming of the bureau for the confiscation of unjustifiable wealth. “The bureau will be formed. Everyone will declare their wealth. We have nothing against rich people, but they need to say where they got their money from,” he said.

Kurti said that reforms in the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council are also necessary.

“No normalization of relations with Serbia without integration of Serbs” (RFE)

Engellushe Morina, senior policy researcher with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in an interview with the news website that there can not be normalization of relations with Serbia without the integration of Serbs in Kosovo.

Morina said that in the future, the Kosovo government, especially concerning the north, needs to consult with international stakeholders, “and also have in mind a time to share the information about the measures it takes. If we take the [Serbian] Dinar for example, there were situations when ordinary citizens in the north had no other choice, after the decision entered into force. This was the majority of mistakes, there was no deep thinking about what happens after a decision enters into force”.

Morina argued that the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia needs to be reviewed and that Serbia must not be allowed to interfere in Kosovo’s internal affairs. “Serbia’s approach toward the north of Kosovo is problematic. In late 2022, under Serbia’s influence, all Serbs withdrew from Kosovo’s institutions. This goes against the integration of the Serb community in Kosovo. If there is no integration of the Serb community in Kosovo’s institutions, I do not see a healthy normalization of relations with Serbia,” she said.

Who could be Lajcak’s successor as EU special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue? (Indeksonline)

The news portal explains that the mandate of the main protagonist in mediating the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will end in less than a month. According to Indeksonline, the two names mentioned in the diplomatic circles are Pekka Havisto and Peter Sorensen, both well known in the field of diplomacy and with experience in the Western Balkans. In fact, the names of the former Finnish Foreign Minister and the Danish diplomat have been mentioned since the summer of last year, when a new position was assigned to Lajcak.

The news webpage further notes that neither of the mentioned candidates has denied the possibility of taking on the difficult task of the EU Special Representative for the Dialogue, however everything will depend on the EU new High Representative and the EU Council.

The new head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, has not given many details about her role in this process – whether she will appoint a new special representative, or whether she will lead the process herself.

KSF Transition Plan: Generation of options for building the air fleet begins (Kallxo)

The Ministry of Defense has said that it has begun generating options for building the air fleet. In a response to the news portal, this Ministry stated that such a thing has happened according to the Comprehensive Transition Plan. “According to the Comprehensive Transition Plan, the third phase, that of building the air fleet capacities, begins this year, and in accordance with this plan we have also started generating options, but at this stage we cannot share the details with the public,” said the media advisor to the Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci. The process of transforming the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a force with military capabilities has entered the seventh year of the ten-year plan. The process of transforming the KSF into the Kosovo Armed Forces began in December 2018, when the Kosovo Assembly approved legal amendments to change the mandate of the KSF. This process is expected to last ten years, until 2028.

These will be numbers of political entities for February 9 elections (media)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has drawn the lot for the ranking of certified political entities certified on the ballot for the elections for the Assembly of Kosovo.

According to the drawn lot, the Vetevendosje Movement will compete in these elections with the number 118 on the ballot. The Democratic Party with number 131, the Democratic League according to the draw in the elections will compete with the number 124, AAK-Nisma together with the other members of the coalition in the race will have the number 137. The Coalition for the Family will have the number 129 on the ballot, while the Fjala party will have the number 138.

The number 112 will be the Serbian List, which did not participate in the drawing of the lot at all, but was drawn by CEC officials according to the established rules.

Sallahu: CEC violated the law by allocating the number to the Serbian List (media)

Deputy Minister of Justice, Blerim Sallahu has accused the CEC of violating the law today when it allocated the number to the Serbian List for the February 9 election race in Kosovo. According to him, based on Article 130 of the Law on General Administrative Procedure, the administrative act is suspended while an appeal is filed with the higher body, in this case, the ECAP.

Members of the Vetevendosje Movement voted against the certification of the Serbian List for the February 9 elections on December 23.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic congratulates Christmas: We will continue fighting for Serbian people, in particular Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated all believers today Christmas Eve and Christmas saying that he will continue fighting for the Serbian people, and in particular for the Serbs in Kosovo, Kosovo Online portal reported.

A holy liturgy was served this morning in the Presidency building in Belgrade, on the occasion of Christmas Eve and in addition to Vucic and his associates, children from Montenegro and Romania also attended.

“I am proud because we fought from this building for the Serbian people, and in particular for the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, and we will do so in the future as well. I want to congratulate Republika Srpska on its birthday also, may it live long, and may we be even closer, respect more and love one another”, Vucic said in a post on his official Instagram account.

Petkovic congratulates Christmas Eve and Christmas: Fight to preserve peace, stability and every good is goal we strive for (Tanjug, Kosovo online)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, congratulated all believers, especially the people of Kosovo, Christmas Eve, and Christmas.

"On behalf of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and my own name, to His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, Metropolitan Teodosije, the clergy, Orthodox believers, especially the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, I wish a happy and blessed Christmas Eve and Christmas. This holiday and the gentle days that are ahead of us are an opportunity to gather around the timeless Christian values that Christmas joy brings us, aware that today mutual trust, love, togetherness and harmony are the only way to achieve spiritual peace and grace for all our genus," stated Petkovic in the message.

"And therefore, let us turn with joy to Christmas, with the hope that the time ahead will be a time of love and understanding, in which we will always and again acquire and nurture timeless Christian values, finding them, first of all, in ourselves, to preserve the most sacred. Although in Pristina they do not wish anything good for the Serbian people, no one can break the unbreakable ties of the Serbian people with Belgrade. Unfortunately, I will not be able to celebrate Christmas, the most joyous Christian holiday in our southern province, with my people this year either, because Kurti's regime continues to illegally deny me entry to Kosovo and Metohija. But even that ban will not last long", he added.

He wished personal and family happiness, professional success, and above all good health.

"I am sure that the fight for the preservation of peace, stability and every good thing will be the goal we will strive for together in the coming year", the congratulatory message concluded.

Two years since wounding of Stefan and Milos Stojanovic, Strpce residents still in fear (Kosovo Online)

Two years have passed since the wounding of two Serb youngsters, Stefan (11) and Milos (21) Stojanovic in Gotovusa village, Strpce municipality on Christmas Eve, Kosovo Online portal reported, adding that residents continue to remember this incident with unease and fear that something similar could happen again. Strpce mayor Dalibor Jevtic said these two years were the years of painful injustice for the families of wounded boys, but also all the Serbs.

On Christmas Eve, two years ago, the two Serb boys were shot at from a moving vehicle by Kosovo Security Force (KSF) member, Azem Kurtaj. By the court’s decision he is defending himself from freedom while the proceeding against him is ongoing. Lawyer of Milos Stojanovic, Veljko Radic told Kosovo Online he is displeased with the dynamics of the trial against the defendant.

Jevtic said that the previous two years have been painful years of injustice for the families of the wounded Stefan and Milos, but also all the Serbs living in Kosovo. “{…} How can someone explain to me that some Serbs spend months in detention and years, without any evidence, and someone who shot, and it is known that he shot at and wounded two boys is free, except by calling it simply injustice”, Jevtic said.

He added that the change in the indictment by which Kurtaj is accused of “causing general danger” and not of “attempted murder” sends a negative message to the Serbian people. Jevtic also said they through the lawyers will insist on amending the indictment.

Government forms teams for long-term gas arrangement with Russia and oil industry issue (N1)

The Serbian Government on Sunday formed teams for negotiations with Russia on a long-term contract for gas supply and for the negotiations on the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS), Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said, N1 reported. The Government also formed a Coordination Body which will be in charge of the work of the two teams, headed by Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, she told Tanjug after the government session.

Djedovic Handanovic added the ministers will also be part of the teams and the government will try to ensure that the effects of the announced US sanctions on NIS do not spill over negatively to the Serbian economy.

“We will also try to secure a new long-term gas supply contract with the Russians under the best conditions“, she said. The minister also said people should not worry, because the authorities will find the best possible solutions so that they are not endangered.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said earlier that the US Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment, Jose Fernandez, confirmed to him that the country would impose direct sanctions on NIS.

Government forms working group for discussions with education workers (N1)

The Serbian Government adopted a Conclusion on establishing a Working Group to engage in discussions with representatives of education sector employees, given the demands of employees of educational institutions for salary increases, the Serbian Government said in a press release.

Members of this Working Group will discuss methods and modalities for potential salary increases in the sector and take part in developing negotiating positions for talks with education sector employees, as well as other stakeholders, as necessary, to successfully fulfil its mandate, the press release said.

On November 4, the unions initiated a rotating legal strike in schools, during which educational institutions alternately shortened classes to 30 minutes each week for several school districts.