UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 29, 2025
Albanian Language Media:
CEC to Kosovo people: Our power lies in your vote (Kallxo)
Defense mechanisms coordinate for elections (Koha)
EULEX welcomes specialized police unit for election security in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
Haxhiu: Emergency hotline for victims of violence established (RTK)
ECAP fines Serbian List for placing banners in public spaces (media)
Kurti: Triumph of justice for Hadri; Serbia to hand over those found guilty (media)
Serbian Language Media:
Vucic met Doughty: I called on the UK to condemn Pristina's unilateral moves (Tanjug, RTS)
Petkovic: Kurti will never understand the responsibility that Vucevic demonstrated (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, Tanjug, Beta)
And Kurti commented on Vucevic's resignation, he thinks it has something to do with him (Danas, Kosovo Online)
Albin Kurti poses with ‘Greater Albania’ flag at election rally (KoSSev)
ECAP: Due to the violation of election rules, parties in Kosovo have so far paid 307,400 euros in fines (Kosovo Online)
The Kremlin on the protests: Serbian authorities have not contacted us; they are capable of solving all problems independently (N1, Beta, RTS, Tanjug)
International Media:
Kosovo seeks ‘balanced approach’ from new EU special envoy (BIRN)
- In Kosovo, a ski resort’s legal limbo leaves visitors frustrated (Balkan Insight)
- At Serbian protests, 'Generation Vucic' finds its voice (RFE)
- Serbia is in turmoil – ongoing mass protests (freiheit.org)
- UN aid agencies cut back operations after Trump’s 90-day funding suspension (The Guardian)
Humanitarian:
Elderly resident injured in dog attack in Leposavic (KoSSev)
Albanian Language Media
CEC to Kosovo people: Our power lies in your vote (Kallxo)
A few weeks away from the parliamentary elections in Kosovo, the Central Election Commission (CEC) has addressed the residents of Kosovo, saying that on 09.02.2025, they can exercise their constitutional right to vote. According to the CEC, through free voting, the democratic development of the state of Kosovo is proven. “The Central Election Commission is fully committed to ensuring a fair, transparent and integrity based electoral process, guaranteeing your right to vote. Do not forget, your power lies in your vote. Your vote for Kosovo” CEC announced today.
Defense mechanisms coordinate for elections (Koha)
The Central Election Commission, Kosovo Police, State Prosecution, Electoral Panel for Complaints and Appeals and the Kosovo Judicial Council discussed today the preparation, cooperation and coordination of activities for the Parliamentary elections to be held on February 9.
According to a press release, CEC Chairperson Kreshinik Radoniqi assessed that inter-institutional cooperation is essential in creating the conditions for the electoral process to take place in accordance with thw Constitution and the laws in force. "Leaders and representatives of institutions spoke about their plans regarding engagement on election day within the framework of constitutional and legal competencies, in order to guarantee the smooth conduct of the electoral process," the announcement states.
EULEX welcomes specialized police unit for election security in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
The EULEX Head of Mission Giovanni Pietro Barbano welcomed on Tuesday the 5th Reserve Formed Police Unit (RFPU). These Officers, composed of EUROGENDFOR assets provided by the French Gendarmerie Nationale, Italian Carabinieri, Lithuanian Public Security Service, and Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana, will work shoulder to shoulder with the Formed Police Unit (FPU) provided by the Polish Police to fulfil the Mission’s mandate of supporting stability throughout Kosovo and ensuring safety for all communities during the upcoming general elections.
ECAP fines Serbian List for placing banners in public spaces (media)
Kosovo’s Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) has fined the Serbian List with €4,500 for placing banners in public spaces in Mitrovica North. The complaint was filed by the Vetevendosje Movement.
Haxhiu: Emergency hotline for victims of violence established (RTK)
Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, has announced the establishment of an emergency hotline for victims of domestic violence, violence against women and gender-based violence. “As part of the ongoing commitment to protecting human rights and combating domestic violence, violence against women and gender-based violence, I have signed the Draft Instruction for the Emergency Hotline for victims of domestic violence, violence against women and gender-based violence, for approval at a government meeting, which enables the establishment of a specialized emergency hotline, which aims to provide immediate support and assistance to victims of violence,” she wrote on "Facebook".
According to Haxhiu, this line creates a safer society and offers a concrete opportunity to help victims of domestic violence, violence against women and gender-based violence.
Kurti: Triumph of justice for Hadri; Serbia to hand over those found guilty (media)
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said today that Serbia needs to hand over to Belgian authorities two Serbian nationals – Veselin Vukotic and Andrija Draskovic – who were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Brussels for the assassination of Kosovo Albanian activist Enver Hajdari in 1990 in Brussels.
Kurti argued that Serbian authorities had refused to hand them over to Belgian authorities. “Following instructions from the Serbian intelligence service, Veselin Vukotic, Andrija Draskovic and Bozidar Spasic, were part of the execution of the assassination of Enver Hadri. Involved in Hadri’s assassination were several other suspects, two of which were killed in conflicts between Serbian criminal gangs later,” he said.
Serbian Language Media
Vucic met Doughty: I called on the UK to condemn Pristina's unilateral moves (Tanjug, RTS)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke today with the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (UK) Stephen Doughty about the current situation in Kosovo and informed him about the conditions in which Serbs live and invited the UK to condemn the unilateral moves of Pristina.
"Good conversation with Stephen Doughty, with a focus on strengthening bilateral relations between Serbia and the United Kingdom. We discussed various aspects of cooperation, including economy, trade, cyber security, and migration," Vucic wrote on his Instagram account.
He said that the economy is the best way to connect the two countries and informed the interlocutor about the progress that Serbia is making when it comes to economic growth and a favorable business environment, which, as he points out, is particularly important for attracting foreign investments.
Petkovic: Kurti will never understand the responsibility that Vucevic demonstrated (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, Tanjug, Beta)
The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said today that Albin Kurti cannot and will not understand the meaning of responsibility and democratic values, which Milos Vucevic demonstrated with his decision, reported Tanjug agency, citing the statement.
Thus Petkovic reacted to Kurti's statement that with him at the head of the government in Pristina, prime ministers in Belgrade are resigning, and added that he understood very well why Kurti supports ''the opposition'' protests in Belgrade, and why President Aleksandar Vucic together with his closest collaborators and Serbian List are biggest nuisance to him, which he tried in vain to ban from participating in the elections.
''However, we have bad news for Kurti - while President Aleksandar Vucic is at the head of Serbia, official Belgrade will never recognize the so-called independent Kosovo and Kurti can only dream about it, just as he also dreams of the so-called "great Albania" which flags he so passionately waves at his rallies, but that's where it all ends,'' the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement.
Petkovic added in the statement that ''it is clear to him why Kurti does not attack Dragan Djilas, Marinika Tepic, Milos Jovanovic, or Borko Stefanovic and why he supports the protests, while simultaneously shooting, arresting, beating and expelling Serbs from Kosovo".
"Kurti's attacks on Milos Vucevic and Serbia show who is his main enemy. Kurti supports the protests because he hopes in vain that violence and the street can lead to a change of government in Belgrade, and therefore to the recognition of the so-called Kosovo," he said.
And Kurti commented on Vucevic's resignation, he thinks it has something to do with him (Danas, Kosovo Online)
President of the Self-Determination Movement and current Prime Minister Albin Kurti, speaking yesterday at a pre-election rally in Suva Reka, said that with him at the head of the Government, prime ministers in Serbia resign, reported Danas, citing Nacionale report.
"In the past, prime ministers in Kosovo submitted their resignations, and now prime ministers in Serbia are doing so," Kurti said.
He stated that during the dialogue in Brussels "they are constantly pressuring him with the signatures of his predecessors Mustafa and Thaci, but they are avoiding an agreement with him, because they do not want to sign it."
"While the former governments were conducting dialogue in Brussels, Serbia was getting stronger, and unstable Kosovo was getting weaker. With our government, in the dialogue we are conducting, we have an unstable Serbia and a Kosovo that is rising and getting stronger. You remember how in the past prime ministers resigned in Kosovo, and now prime ministers in Serbia resign," Kurti said.
The Prime Minister of Serbia, Milos Vucevic, submitted his resignation from the post of Prime Minister of Serbia yesterday and pointed out that his decision was irrevocable.
Albin Kurti poses with ‘Greater Albania’ flag at election rally (KoSSev)
At a recent election rally in Suva Reka, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti was photographed alongside a flag depicting the concept of “Greater Albania,“ a nationalist symbol that includes parts of several neighboring countries. The event, organized by Kurti’s ruling party, Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination), prominently featured Albanian national colors, with multiple red-and-black flags visible throughout the venue.
Kurti shared a total of 70 images from the rally on his official Facebook profile, highlighting the enthusiasm of his supporters. Among the sea of Albanian flags, at least one American and one Kosovan flag were also visible.
However, what drew attention was the presence of the „Greater Albania“ flag, and Kurti himself posing next to it. One image shows him standing beside a supporter dressed in traditional Albanian attire, holding the controversial flag.
The Symbolism Behind the ‘Greater Albania’ Flag
The “Greater Albania“ flag depicts an expanded Albanian territory, encompassing not only the entirety of Albania and Kosovo but also large portions of Montenegro—including its capital Podgorica—nearly half of North Macedonia, parts of northwestern Greece, and regions of Serbia, such as Preševo, Bujanovac, Medveđa, the Sandžak region, and Toplica.
Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2vx74hwp
ECAP: Due to the violation of election rules, parties in Kosovo have so far paid 307,400 euros in fines (Kosovo Online)
Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel(ECAP) stated yesterday that due to violations of electoral rules, the parties participating in the February elections have paid thus far more than 300,000 euros in fines-Kosovo online cited Reporteri.
From the beginning of the election campaign until January 27, ECAP issued 63 decisions by which political entities - participants in the February elections were fined a total of 307,400 euros.
It is stated that all parties had to pay fines, including the ruling Vetevendosje, as well as the opposition: PDK, LDK, AAK, “List for the Family” and a whole series of other smaller parties.
On Tuesday alone, the ECAP processed 12 complaints, half of which it rejected, and in the accepted complaints, LVV was fined 5,000 euros, and the Egyptian Liberal Party was fined 2,000 euros.
28 political entities with a total of 1,280 candidates for the Assembly of Kosovo are participating in the February 9 elections.
The Kremlin on the protests: Serbian authorities have not contacted us; they are capable of solving all problems independently (N1, Beta, RTS, Tanjug)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today in Moscow that the Serbian authorities did not contact Russia regarding the protests in Serbian cities and wished them to solve all the problems in the country as soon as possible, reported N1.
"The Serbian authorities have not contacted us. The Serbian leadership is capable of solving all problems on its own," Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters.
Peskov also said that Serbia is a "dear country" to Russia and that the interaction between them will continue, reports the Interfax news agency.
"We are connected by common historical roots, we value our friendship, our interaction. We wish our Serbian brothers to solve all problems as soon as possible and to return to peaceful development in accordance with the plans," added Peskov.
International
Kosovo seeks ‘balanced approach’ from new EU special envoy (BIRN)
Kosovo's deputy premier says he hopes the new EU special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process, Peter Sorensen, will take a fair approach to both sides when mediating implementation of the stalled 2023 deal on normalisation.
The Kosovo government said on Tuesday that it expects a “balanced approach” in mediating the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue from the newly appointed EU special envoy, Peter Sorensen, expected to start duties on February 1, as soon as the mandate of Miroslav Lajcak ends.
Congratulating the Danish diplomat, Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi wrote on X that he wishes Sorensen “a successful mandate as a facilitator, [with] a balanced approach towards the parties & negotiations as key precondition for a successful process towards full normalisation of relations [with Serbia]”.
Sorensen, whose initial mandate will be 13 months, was appointed by the European Council on Monday, “to facilitate the dialogue that will contribute to a comprehensive normalisation of the relations between Serbia and Kosovo and in particular the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex adopted in February and March 2023”.
BIRN contacted Sorensen for a comment on his appointment and potential approach, considering the non-implementation of the Kosovo-Serbia normalisation deal, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Read more at: https://shorturl.at/qIf8Z
In Kosovo, a ski resort’s legal limbo leaves visitors frustrated (Balkan Insight)
Disputes over control and ownership of Kosovo’s Brezovica ski resort have starved it of much-needed investment, despite the massive potential it offers for winter tourism and as a model for Serb-Albanian collaboration.
Snow drifts and parked cars meant the road was too narrow for the bus driven by Angjelo Malushi, so his passengers from Albania had to get out and walk the final 45 minutes to the Brezovica ski centre in the Sharr mountain range of southern Kosovo.
The cars parked along one side of the road meant he also needed another hour or two to turn the bus. “We regularly face challenges here,” said Malushi.
Brezovica’s famously steep slopes once served as back-up for the ski events at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, in the last decade of federal Yugoslavia.
Tourists still come, but poor collaboration between the local municipality and the central government, and an ownership row dating to Kosovo’s 1998-99 war, have frustrated efforts to realise the full potential of this mountain gem.
Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2zzfjjjd
At Serbian protests, 'Generation Vucic' finds its voice (RFE)
As fireworks lit up the night sky to welcome in the new year, thousands of people in Serbia's capital stood in complete silence, many with their mobile phones raised skyward.
They weren't celebrating -- they were mourning -- and they held their vigil for 15 minutes, one minute for each of the victims of the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad in November. The protesters repeat this every day at 11:52 a.m., the exact time the roof collapsed.
It's the type of dramatic symbolism that has come to define Serbia's largest protests since the fall of late Yugoslav and Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. And after claiming the scalp of the prime minister on January 28 and possibly forcing new elections, the student-led protests show no signs of fizzling out.
With the protesters' average age around 20, this is a generation that has grown up under the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Aleksandar Vucic.
For the students taking to the streets in their tens of thousands, the Novi Sad tragedy is emblematic of everything they believe is wrong in Serbia: widespread institutional corruption, a lack of accountability, and a technocratic class who are perceived to have risen only due to their ties to Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party.
Read more at: https://shorturl.at/oZ0yG
Serbia is in turmoil – ongoing mass protests (freiheit.org)
What began with student demonstrations in November has now evolved into mass protests across Serbian generations. The ruling system of President Aleksandar Vucic is under enormous pressure. Vučić has already been forced to sacrifice his prime minister, Miloš Vučević. Lennart Jürgensen spoke to Markus Kaiser, FNF's project director for the Western Balkans, about the political developments in Belgrade.
Lennart Jürgensen: How did the resignation of Prime Minister Vučević come about? What role do the student protests that have been going on since November play in this?
Markus Kaiser: On the surface, the students are demanding a complete investigation into an accident on 1 November in Novi Sad that cost fifteen people their lives due to botched construction work. Above all, however, they are demanding rule of law, and that the institutions provided for in the Serbian constitution govern the country, not the all-powerful President Aleksandar Vučić on his own. That is why the tragedy in Novi Sad was the trigger, but not the cause of the mass protests.
In my opinion, we are not dealing with a government crisis, but a societal crisis. For a decade and a half, a small but significant part of Serbian society – around ten percent of the Serbian population are members of Aleksandar Vučić's all-dominant Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) – has been enriching itself at the expense of everyone else. Many Serbs are aware of the consequences such as lawlessness, corruption and a lack of a future, but many of them have been afraid of repression. The students have now taken this fear away from a part of society.
Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/2dz59ecj
UN aid agencies cut back operations after Trump’s 90-day funding suspension (The Guardian)
UNHCR chief orders clampdown on spending, including 90-day delay in ordering new supplies and hiring freeze
UN agencies have begun cutting back their global aid operations following the 90-day suspension of all foreign assistance ordered by the Trump administration.
Filippo Grandi, the head of the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, responsible for providing life-saving assistance to the 122 million people forcibly displaced from their homes across 136 countries, sent out an overnight email to employees ordering an immediate clampdown on expenditure, including a 90-day delay in ordering new supplies except for emergencies, a hiring and contract freeze, and a halt to all international air travel, as the agency tries to adapt to the US funding freeze.
The new US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, claimed that the US freeze would not affect life-saving aid defined as “core medicine, medical services, food, shelter, subsistence assistance and supplies”, and that it was focused on aid programmes involving abortion, family planning or “gender ideology”. However, the initial impact of the freeze immediately cut humanitarian assistance across the board and around the world.
Grandi said the majority of UN agencies and other international aid organisations have been affected. Around the world, humanitarian assistance programmes have been forced to fire staff and slow down operations following the unprecedented US funding suspension ordered by Trump, pending a review of all aid programmes. Only emergency food programs and military aid to allies Israel and Egypt have been exempt.
Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yc8dt8ft
Humanitarian/Development
Elderly resident injured in dog attack in Leposavic (KoSSev)
An elderly man from Leposavic suffered severe injuries last week after being attacked by a dog in the town center. His daughter claims that multiple dogs were involved in the incident, but at least one bit him. Meanwhile, Kosovo Police assert that only one dog was responsible and suspect that it was a privately owned pet that had been released.
The victim, identified as D.S. (born in 1948), was bitten on Sunday around 2:00 PM. His daughter, Ivana Đelošević, told KoSSev that the attack took place in the heart of the town and that her father, who suffers from serious health issues, sustained severe injuries.
„He was attacked by multiple dogs, and at least one of them bit him on both legs. I do not know if it was a purebred dog,“ she stated.
Following the attack, he received first aid at the Leposavic Health Center, but due to the severity of the wounds, he was transferred to a hospital in North Mitrovica. According to Đelošević, he has since been discharged, but his condition remains critical due to pre-existing health complications.
Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yxhtduwd