UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 26, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: People expecting from us to form new institutions ASAP (media)
French Embassy: Actions in north damage efforts for normalization (media)
“Actions of security institutions not aimed against international partners” (media)
Haxhiu: Kurti never refused to give testimony to prosecution (Indeksonline)
Taravari: If part of Kosovo taken away, it could ignite Third World Conflict (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic met Botsan-Kharchenko, discussed current affairs (Kosovo Online, media)
Journalists' Association of Serbia and its branch in Kosovo: Ensure working conditions and professional independence of RTK2 (KiM Radio, medijacentar.info)
Vorgucic and Milutinovic: There will be no Serbian media in Kosovo if there is no support (KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
Slovak MFA: A principled stance on Ukraine, just as we do not recognize Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
Pilja: Pristina's request for special guest status in the Council of Europe is on the agenda (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, Blic)
15 Minutes of Silence vigil held in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)
EC expects Serbia to provide good environment for civil society (N1)
Freedom House: Because of Vucic and SNS, citizens' freedoms are constantly deteriorating (NMagazin, N1)

International Media:

Germany’s new parliament includes 21 MPs of Balkan origin (BIRN)
Serbian police raids target NGOs supported by USAID (RFE)
Dodik sentenced to a year in prison and and banned from serving as RS president (N1 Sarajevo)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: People expecting from us to form new institutions ASAP (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in today’s meeting of the government that “as clear winners of the elections, the people are expecting us to meet our obligation to form the new institutions as soon as possible”. “We all expect from the Central Election Commission even greater engagement to conclude the counting process and added attention to protect the will of the voters and round up a free, fair and democratic election process with mass participation of the citizens. The counting of the votes from the diaspora begins today. According to the CEC, by next week we are expected to have the final results for political parties,” he said.

French Embassy: Actions in north damage efforts for normalization (media)

The French Embassy in Kosovo told RTV21 today that the Kosovo government’s actions in the north to close Serbian centers for social work damage the efforts for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. “We believe that the issue of Serbia-supported structures must be solved within the EU-facilitated dialogue and we fully agree with the statement of an EU spokesperson who said that ‘the closure of existing structures that provide basic social services for the Kosovo Serbs and other communities, without a previously accorded alternative agreement has a negative impact on the daily lives and living conditions of these communities and it directly damages the efforts for normalization. These issues should be addressed through negotiations between the parties. EU Special Representative for Dialogue, Peter Sorensen, is ready to facilitate the discussions’,” the embassy said.

“Actions of security institutions not aimed against international partners” (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, told a press conference in Pristina today that the actions of Kosovo’s security institutions, including the close of Serbia-managed social work centers in the north, are not aimed against international partners. “These centers were closed because they are suspected of having been used to interfere and apply pressure for the February 9 elections. These centers are believed to have been an instrument of interference, and this is why there was a legal and institutional reaction,” she said.

Haxhiu: Kurti never refused to give testimony to prosecution (Indeksonline)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said today that Prime Minister Albin Kurti has never refused to give his testimony to the Special Prosecution about what is known as “the state reserves case”. “I have said in earlier press conferences that Prime Minister Kurti never refused the request of the Special Prosecution to give his testimony. The Prime Minister invited the prosecutors to go to his office where he would give his testimony. But it seems that the prosecution is not interested in getting the Prime Minister’s testimony, because Kurti suggested several dates. If the Special Prosecution said that the Prime Minister is refusing to give his testimony, this is not true, it is a lie, because Prime Minister Kurti has not refused to give a testimony,” Haxhiu told a press conference today.

Taravari: If part of Kosovo is taken away it could ignite Third World Conflict (media)

Several news websites report that Arben Taravari, Minister of Healthcare in North Macedonia and of the leaders of a party in the ruling coalition, said in a Facebook post that if only one part of Kosovo is taken away it could ignite a global conflict. “The Balkans have always been a powder keg … and if it is ignited it will engulf not only our continent but the whole world. The new disagreements that are ruining old equilibriums, how far they will go, and what impacts will they have especially in Kosovo. All actors that take part in this should know that: if an unjust decision is made even for one part of it, Kosovo will go down in history as the small country that ignited the great conflict and we will all be part of the conflict which can be called the Third World Conflict,” he argued.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic met Botsan-Kharchenko, discussed current affairs (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today with Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko and discussed with him all the important aspects of cooperation between Serbia and the Russian Federation, current international affairs and the most optimal solutions to Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) issue, Kosovo Online portal reported.

In a post on his official Instagram account, Vucic wrote that he had an open and friendly conversation about the role of the two countries in the new geopolitical context.

"We also discussed urgent issues, such as the most optimal solutions for NIS and new modalities of further cooperation in light of the growing pressures on the global energy market. I reiterated the importance Serbia attaches to comprehensive strengthening of ties with the Russian Federation. We will continue to work on strengthening our bilateral relations and common interests, in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect", Vucic also said in a post.

Journalists' Association of Serbia and its branch in Kosovo: Ensure working conditions and professional independence of RTK2 (KiM Radio, medijacentar.info)

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) with its branch in Kosovo expressed concern about the position of the Radio-Television Kosovo 2 (RTK2) newsroom, which broadcasts programs in the Serbian language, and requests this medium be provided with financial and personnel conditions for work and professional independence, which UNS has been insisting on since its establishment, reported KiM Radio.

In the letter director of RTK2, Aleksandra Jovanovic, addressed to the management of RTK, as well as to numerous international and domestic representatives in Kosovo, and which Media Center Caglavica had access to, the difficult position of the channel in the Serbian language - RTK2 - was pointed out.

Jovanovic confirmed to the Caglavica Media Center that she sent the letter "driven by the interests of RTK2 and the responsibility towards the mission of the channel in the Serbian language, as well as the employees", and that she "indeed sent it to more than 30 addresses", but, like UNS, she said that she did not have the consent of her superiors to make a public statement on this issue.

Jovanovic stated in the letter she believes that "the channel, founded on the basis of the Law on Public Service, is facing a serious collapse."

"Of the former 107 employees, today only about seventy of us remain. Although I have been working intensively for months to improve the program, both in quantity and quality, I am facing the inevitability of shutting down certain shows due to a lack of staff," she wrote, among other things.

Jovanovic also pointed out that the problems in the work of this channel are aggravated by the "constant ban on filling vacant positions, the prolongation of tenders for the procurement of equipment, and unconditional and unhygienic working space, which indicates obvious attempts to make the work of the Serbian channel meaningless."

The Director of RTK2 referred to the poor working conditions and non-compliance with the Statute of RTK.

"Since the establishment of the channel, the technical equipment has not been improved, while the working conditions are far below an acceptable level. Although the Statute of RTK guarantees the channel's financial and editorial autonomy, as a director I have no insight into finances. In addition, the law provides that 10% of the marketing income, in addition to 10 % of the budget, belongs to RTK2, but this has never been implemented in practice", Jovanovic wrote, among other things.

On the initiative of UNS, Ahtisaari's plan, and later Kosovo Constitution, the Serbian community in Kosovo was guaranteed "one independent TV channel in the Serbian language that will cover the entire territory of Kosovo with its signal".

The UNS with its branch in Kosovo once again emphasized that the existing cable channel in the Serbian language RTK2 does not represent either a legal or a functional realization of that constitutional right and the obligation of the Kosovo institutions towards the Serbian people.

The Association of Serbian Journalists with its branch in Kosovo has previously indicated that an independent channel in the Serbian language must have its own Board of Directors that elects the director, headquartered in Gracanica, and there must be legal mechanisms which will guarantee independent finances, management, editorial and programming policy.

These two associations call on international institutions, as well as Serbian representatives in institutions in Kosovo, to insist on the full functioning of an independent channel in the Serbian language in Kosovo.

Vorgucic and Milutinovic: There will be no Serbian media in Kosovo if there is no support (KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio)

Most Serbian media in Kosovo did not follow the election campaign of the recently held parliamentary elections.

The reasons for this decision were explained in detail by the journalist and editor of radio KiM, Zorica Vorgucic, and the director of Kontakt plus radio, Mirjana Milutinovic, in the show "Heroes of Our Time".

Zorica Vorgucic pointed out several key factors that influenced the decision of KiM radio, for the first time since its foundation, not to follow the election campaign. One of the main reasons was the lack of interest of Serbian political parties in cooperation with professional media during the previous election cycles.

"We decided to take that step, taught by the experience of previous election cycles, because most of the parties of Kosovo Serbs did not come or respond to our calls before. Some did not even use the free term that was offered to them but directed their campaign through social networks and media close to them. That is one of the reasons, and the second, perhaps the most important, is the lack of people. We are a small team, and we don't have enough staff to be able to send journalists to the field and follow the campaign," said Vorgucic.

She added that during earlier election campaigns, there were situations in which all election candidates responded to media invitations, while now and in the last few years this is not the case.

"It speaks of the closed-mindedness of those people who are running for office. Some of them have their own media where they make statements and say what they want, while others do not have access to those platforms. Today, it is almost impossible to see all six political parties that, for example, participated in these elections in one place," said Vorgucic.

Another reason for this decision is the lack of support from the donor community for pluralism during the campaign.

"This time, there were no financial resources intended for the media to monitor elections, political debates and specialized shows. This additionally influenced our decision to avoid following the campaign itself this time," Vorgucic pointed out.

The director of Kontakt plus radio, Mirjana Milutinovic, also emphasized that this time international donors were not interested in supporting pluralism during the campaign, which made it even more difficult to monitor the election process in the Serbian media in Kosovo.

"I know from the experience of colleagues who asked for support for the creation of media pluralism that, unfortunately, there was no understanding from the donors," she stated.

Milutinovic also noted that in earlier years, politicians were more open to cooperation with the media, while this is not the case now.

"There are those who are clearly directed towards the voters in Serbia, which is a significant difference compared to the previous election cycles," concluded Milutinovic.

Serbian media in Kosovo - key sources of information, but they face the question of survival

The program also discussed the position, problems, and influence of the Serbian media in Kosovo. Vorgucic and Milutinovic pointed out that Serbian media, although key sources of information, are facing the issue of survival.

"The situation is worrying, there are fewer of us, and there is financial uncertainty in almost all newsrooms. There are fewer and fewer projects, and unfortunately, there are also fewer and fewer donors who are interested in supporting the work of independent media. The question is how the situation will develop further. Maybe this should be some kind of appeal or alarm for donors - if they don't continue to support Serbian independent media in Kosovo, maybe in a few years there won't be any more," said Zorica Vorgucic, journalist, and editor of KiM Radio.

Slovak MFA: A principled stance on Ukraine, just as we do not recognize Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

After facing criticism from part of the Slovak public for supporting the European resolution on Ukraine at the UN General Assembly, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that its position is principled, just as in the case of not recognizing Kosovo, as it considers it a violation of international law and Serbia’s territorial integrity, reported Kosovo Online.

The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that voting for the European resolution condemning Russian attack on Ukraine reflects the government's stance.

They recalled that 93 UN member states approved the resolution, which is a "possible compromise proposal" aimed at emphasizing respect for international law, the inviolability of borders, and territorial integrity.

These principles are fundamental for Slovakia, the ministry stated in a press release for the TASR agency, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.

"Our stance is absolutely principled, just as in the case of Slovakia not recognizing Kosovo, because we consider it a violation of international law and Serbia’s territorial integrity," the statement reads.

Pilja: Pristina's request for special guest status in the Council of Europe is on the agenda (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, Blic)

The Head of the Serbian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Biljana Pantic Pilja, stated today that the request of Pristina to receive the status of a special guest in the Council of Europe has been put on the agenda of the session of the Political Committee to be held next week in Paris, but that the Serbian delegation is ready to present its arguments and explain why this request should not be accepted.

"It's not a repeated request; it's a request they sent back in November to get that special guest status. It wasn't on the agenda in December, it wasn't in January, we fought for it, but now they put it on the agenda. We'll see how that session goes, there certainly won't be a vote, but there will be an exchange of opinions," she explained to Tanjug.

Pantic Pilja said that the Serbian delegation is ready to exchange opinions with other parliamentarians and to explain why this request of Pristina should not be accepted.

15 Minutes of Silence vigil held in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

A 15 Minutes of Silence vigil to pay tribute to 15 victims of Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse was held today in Mitrovica North, KoSSev portal reported. The gathering was organized by students of University of Pristina with a provisional seat in Mitrovica North, and took place at the main city square, near Tzar Lazar monument.

In addition to young people, senior members of the community also took part in the gathering. Those present carried banners reading “Who knows you would not even find the hell difficult”, “Corruption – the most expensive Serbian word” and the one listing the names of 15 victims of Novi Sad railway station tragedy, the portal added.

EC expects Serbia to provide good environment for civil society (N1)

Serbia is expected to provide a good environment for civil society, a European Commission spokesperson told N1 following police raids on 4 democracy watchdog NGOs.

The spokesperson said that Serbia is expected to ensure a truly enabling environment for civil society, as underlined in our last Enlargement Package and added that the Commission will continue to closely monitor the developments in Serbia.

The NGOs are under investigation for misuse of USAID funds, a senior prosecutor said on Tuesday, adding that the US Justice Department was sent a request for more information. A Transparency Serbia official told N1 that state institutions also received funding from USAID.

“We are following the developments with great attention and concern, the Commission spokesperson said and recalled that civil society plays a vital role in the development of a democratic and pluralistic society and needs to operate freely without undue pressure. “These are values that are not only at the core of the European Union, but also fundamental for the future of any candidate country that wants to join the EU,” the spokesperson added.

Freedom House: Because of Vucic and SNS, citizens' freedoms are constantly deteriorating (NMagazin, N1)

Serbia ranked seventh in terms of the greatest declines in freedom and rights in the last ten years, ahead of Nicaragua, Tunisia, El Salvador, Tanzania, Niger, and Hong Kong*. Under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party, Serbia has gone from a free to a partially free country, and the rights and freedoms of citizens are constantly deteriorating, according to the latest Freedom House report.

As can be seen on the organization's website, according to data from 2024, Serbia has 57/100 points, while according to data from 2023, it had 60/100 points.

In the report, special focus is placed on pressures on the media. Some of the biggest declines in results in the past 19 years, according to the report, occurred in El Salvador, Serbia, and Venezuela, where the constant destruction of democratic institutions by leaders turned into the consolidation of authoritarian rule.

"Serbia under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) provides a graphic example of how elected leaders have undermined the media. The country went from free to partly free in Freedom House's 2019 World Report and lost another 11 points, while the rights and freedoms of citizens have steadily deteriorated," the report "The Hard Struggle to Protect Rights" stated.

As stated, attacks on journalists and tightening of control of the media environment are among the most prominent features of this erosion.

"Investigative journalists have faced smear campaigns, punitive tax inspections, threats from leading politicians and arrests. The authorities have used their control over regulation and licensing to aid pro-government media. Lack of transparency in media ownership, indirect government subsidies to the media, and politicized advertising allocation have also helped pro-government media dominate the market. More recently, members of the ruling party have used strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) to intimidate independent media and journalists," says the part of the organization's report that refers to Serbia.

All this manipulation has created, as Freedom House states, an environment in which positive reporting about Vucic and SNS overwhelms the world of information, especially on the eve of the elections, and critical voices are increasingly silenced.

The report also states that the majority of the world's population lives in partially free and unfree countries.

"Over 170 million people live in countries that in 2024 moved from the category of partially free to the category of not free... People experienced a deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties in 60 countries, while they improved in only 34 countries. In environments where conditions have worsened, key factors driving the degradation of rights and freedoms have included violence and repression of political opponents during elections, armed conflicts, and the spread of authoritarian practices," the report states.

The full report available at: https://tinyurl.com/yutzawcz

International

Germany’s new parliament includes 21 MPs of Balkan origin (BIRN)

The preliminary results of Germany’s general election show that 21 people with Balkan backgrounds, mostly from Turkey, were elected to the federal parliament, the Bundestag.

Most of the MPs of Balkan origin represent the centre-left Social Democratic Party, the Greens or the Left Party.

Hakan Demir, Metin Hakverdi, Macit Karaahmetoglu, Mahmut Ozdemir, Aydan Ozoguz, Derya Turk Nachbaur and Serdar Yuksel were elected to the parliament from the SPD in Sunday’s polls.

The Left Party, which significantly increased its vote in this election, elected Gokay Akbulut, Ates Gurpinar, Ferat Kocak, Cansın Kokturk, Cansu Ozdemir, Cem Hamit İnce and Mirze Edis.

Serap Güler and Tijen Ataoğlu were elected from the Christian Democratic Party, CDU, and Ayse Asar and Filiz Polat from the Greens. Hülya Düber became the first Christian Social Union Party, CSU, MP of Turkish origin.

As the number of MPs with Turkish roots grows, the German Turkish Society, TGD, called on these newly elected MPs to show responsibility.