UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 27, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

22nd attempt to constitute new Assembly fails (media)
Kurti: Formation of Assembly, responsibility of all MPs (media)
Haxhiu: We see Nisma as partner in government (RTK)
Citaku: Blockade thanks to Kurti's stubbornness and Haxhiu's ambition (Koha)
Abdixhiku: LDK doesn't have “magic bag” to solve the crisis (Koha)
Quni: Vetevendosje with special focus on two of our MPs (Koha)
Symbolic action of civil society on the eve of Assembly session (media)
U.S. KFOR commander: Quiet but fragile situation in the north (media)
KFOR opens ‘Women, Peace and Security’ conference in Thessaloniki (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

Martinovic, Mitrovic: Svecla's statements tendential and extremely irresponsible (Tanjug, RTV, Kosovo Online)
Barduani opened the "Women, Peace and Security" conference in Thessaloniki (KiM radio)
The KP and the municipality of Leposavic took over the sports hall (KiM radio)
What people do not know about the 2013 Brussels Agreement? (N1, Danas)
NGOs from north raise alarms over police’s public disclosure of teen’s photo after incident (KoSSev, media)
NGO Aktiv published brochure “Know your rights: Citizens’ Rights and the Powers and Responsibilities of the Police in Kosovo” (social media)
Stefan Veljkovic on threats against Serbian Democracy (social media)

Opinion:

Physically visible, legally invisible (newsicialinitiative.org)

Albanian Language Media

22nd attempt to constitute new Assembly fails (media)

All news websites report that the 22nd attempt to constitute the new Assembly of Kosovo has failed. Another attempt to form a committee that would oversee a secret vote for the new Assembly Speaker did not pass today. The next session has been scheduled for Thursday.

Kurti: Formation of Assembly, responsibility of all MPs (media)

The caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, told reporters that the formation of the Assembly is the responsibility of all MPs, while the winning party is responsible for forming the government. "There is an acting government, I am the acting Prime Minister, what Kosovo lacks is the new Assembly of the Republic. The Assembly is not constituted by the winner, but by everyone. As the winner of the elections with 48 MPs and 9 MPs from minorities who have joined us, we have the responsibility to form the government."

Kurti further said that the MPs are making a mistake by preventing the quorum for the secret ballot. “However, this issue of secret ballot is also addressed to the Constitutional Court and I hope and wish for a speedy response”, Kurti said.

Haxhiu: We see Nisma as partner in government (RTK)

Acting Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, criticized the MPs of the opposition political parties for not participating in the vote for the secret ballot committee. “They come to the Kosovo Assembly and do not participate in the vote at all. So here the question arises as to ‘what are they coming for? If they come and do not vote, they are not fulfilling the duty of a MP”, she said.

Regarding the eventual cooperation between LVV and Nisma, Haxhiu said that they see the latter as partners. “We have stressed that we see them as our partners. There have been several meetings about this. Discussions continue for this purpose, and we hope that they will be concluded as soon as possible. But, before the government is the Assembly”, Haxhiu said.

“It is extremely important that the Assembly be constituted, because we have many plans in the Kurti 3 government, therefore it is very important that the Assembly be constituted,” she said.

“Regardless of personal positions and what has happened in the past, we are very open to cooperating with political entities, but we will never accept their unreasonable, unjustifiable demands, which do not coincide with either the Constitution or the Constitutional Court’s judgment,” said Haxhiu.

Asked by journalists about their May salaries, Haxhiu confirmed once again that they will be paid as ministers.

Citaku: Blockade created thanks to Kurti's stubbornness and Haxhiu's ambition (Koha)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP, Vlora Citaku, has accused the leader of the Vetevendosje Movement Albin Kurti and the party's MP Albulena Haxhiu of the blockade in the Assembly. She said that it is Kurti's duty to ensure a parliamentary majority.

Despite this, she said that the PDK has shown itself to be constructive. “The PDK throughout this period has been correct and constructive, and we have offered a way out of this state of blockade in which we have entered, exclusively thanks to the stubbornness of Mr. Kurti and the ambition of Ms. Albulena Haxhiu,” Citaku said on her way to the continuation of the 22 constitutive session of the Assembly.

“Today, once again, we invite them to reflect, Kosovo is much bigger than each individual name in that hall. We are ready for solutions, we have given our proposals, we hope that Kurti will reflect today,” she said.

Abdixhiku: LDK doesn't have “magic bag” to solve the crisis (Koha)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku said today the delay in forming the new institutions is shameful. After another failed attempt in the Assembly, Abdixhiku said the Vetevendosje Movement is responsible for the political deadlock. “It is up to the first party to find a solution. The other parties don’t have the votes, and it seems that the first party doesn’t have them either. We gave a proposal to come together and get out of the crisis, because what is happening is a shame. The LDK cannot do more than that. The LDK does not have a magic bag to solve all problems. A compromise is needed,” he said.

Abdixhiku also talked about an upcoming meeting with NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj. “We will discuss many issues of cooperation. The local elections are coming. The LDK is working on the local elections now. We cannot find a solution in a parliament where the first party with 48 MPs does not want to find a solution,” he argued.

Quni: Vetevendosje with special focus on two of our MPs (Koha)

The Democratic League of Kosovo MP Anton Quni has said that two MPs of this party are in a special focus of the Vetevendosje Movement. After the failure of the session for the constitution of the Assembly, Quni said that they are often contacted by LVV, but they are stable in their positions. “A party, in this case the first party cannot secure the necessary votes, it is meaningless to continue with the same agenda. When they are not in a rush to offer a solution. Vetevendosje should offer the solution. ... I can say that all the MPs were contacted in different forms. I was also contacted. We are contacted by Vetevendosje officials and their mediators. Two LDK MPs are in special focus. We have the information, we have the content of the conversation of all the MPs who are most often contacted by Vetevendosje, but they are stable and stand by it... The forms of pressure are different, one of them is this form that you highlighted... by offering benefits for their family businesses", he said.

According to Quni, the situation recently created in the Assembly shows that LVV does not have the votes to form the government either. "When they are not capable of offering a solution, Vetevendosje should accept the solution," he added.

Symbolic action of civil society on the eve of Assembly session (media)

Representatives of the civil society have organized a symbolic action today in front of the Kosovo Assembly, to express their dissatisfaction regarding the failure to constitute the institutions after the parliamentary elections held on February 9. Several seats with symbolic inscriptions such as: “Enough!”, “We have a state, but we do not have institutions” and “Your game, our consequences” have been placed in front of the entrance to the Assembly, where MPs are to gather today for the 22^nd session.

As part of this action, representatives of civil society have also placed timed clocks, from which an alarm has sounded – a symbolic act to alert the MPs regarding the urgent need to constitute the Assembly. This action represents a public call for reflection and action by elected representatives, with the aim of overcoming the institutional deadlock and establishing the democratic functionality of the Assembly.

U.S. KFOR commander: Quiet but fragile situation in the north (media)

Commander of the KFOR Regional Command East, Peter Helzer, said in an interview with TeVe1, that the situation in the north of Kosovo is quiet but fragile. “It is a region prone to unexpected escalations because of unresolved issues and a series of challenges often exacerbated by inciting rhetoric and disinformation,” Helzer said.

Helzer also said that NATO earlier deployed 1,000 additional troops in Kosovo and “we stepped up our presence in the north of Kosovo”. “This was the biggest increase in the presence of our mission in a decade. Currently, KFOR numbers over 4,700 troops from 33 countries including NATO allies and partners. The commander of KFOR has the flexibility to use KFOR assets and address any possible threat in the most effective way,” he said.

KFOR opens ‘Women, Peace and Security’ conference in Thessaloniki (RTK)

The Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Enrico Barduani, opened today, in Thessaloniki, Greece, the KFOR conference “Women, Peace and Security”. The conference, which will last today and tomorrow, is held in honor of the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR) on ‘Women, Peace and Security’.

Through a press release, KFOR announced that over 60 participants are participating in this conference, representing NATO allies and partners, while in this event, in addition to international organizations, non-governmental organizations, institutions in Kosovo are also participating.

“In its important security role, KFOR is proud to enhance the critical contribution of women in strengthening regional cooperation, through an impartial and comprehensive approach,” emphasized the KFOR Commander.

The conference was attended by the Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Ambassador Caroline Ziadeh, who recalled the genesis of UN Resolution 1325 and UN best practices for its implementation.

Serbian Language Media

Martinovic, Mitrovic: Svecla's statements tendential and extremely irresponsible (Tanjug, RTV, Kosovo Online)

President and Acting Director of the Coordination Body Service of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, Aleksandar Martinovic and Nenad Mitrovic, today strongly rejected the accusations made by the Minister of Internal Affairs in the Technical Government of Kosovo, Xhelal Svecla, through social networks, regarding the alleged violation of human rights and the ethnic cleansing of members of the Albanian community in those municipalities.

The announcement of the Coordination Body said that Serbia remains firmly committed to the policy of full integration of all communities, respect for human and minority rights and provision of equal opportunities for all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity.

"Accordingly, in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia ensures the functioning of multi-ethnic police structures, in which members of the Serbian, Albanian and Roma communities are equally represented," the announcement states.

They added that the Ministry of Internal Affairs on several occasions announced public competitions for the recruitment of new members of the police, but, unfortunately, the interest of candidates from the Albanian community remained very low.

"Calls for the introduction of international sanctions on the Republic of Serbia, based on unfounded allegations of ethnic cleansing, are unfounded, tendentious and extremely irresponsible statements that can seriously threaten peace and inter-ethnic trust in the south of central Serbia. Such statements are in complete contradiction to the facts and represent an attempt to politicize issues that are dealt with responsibility, transparently and inclusively in the institutions of the Republic of Serbia," the statement read.

The Coordination Body points out that nothing similar happens in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, happening to Serbs in Kosovo under Albin Kurti's regime.

"The police do not open fire on civilians during religious holidays, do not mistreat high school graduates, or violate basic human rights. Not a single member of the Albanian community in these municipalities is exposed to the kind of terror that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija suffer daily. On the contrary, human rights are respected, institutions do their job, and all citizens enjoy freedom of movement and expression," the statement said.

In Pristina, the statement read, Albin Kurti and Svecla fail to cover the catastrophic situation in which Kosovo is, while the inability to constitute the Assembly testifies to complete institutional chaos.

"While Kurti's regime sinks into arbitrariness and violence, Serbia remains committed to the rule of law, respect for all citizens and building a society where there is no place for discrimination," read the statement.

Yesterday Svecla on FB accused Serbia of discriminating against Albanians in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja and of conducting ethnic cleansing, stating, among other things, that no Albanian was accepted at the Serbian police competition in the municipalities in that part of Serbia, recalled Kosovo Online.

Barduani opened the "Women, Peace and Security" conference in Thessaloniki (KiM radio)

Commander of KFOR, Enrico Barduani, today opened a conference "Women, peace and security" in Thessaloniki, Greece. The event will take place today and tomorrow and will mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, KiM radio reported.

More than 60 participants, representing NATO allies and partners, institutions in Kosovo, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and the academic community, are attending this event.

In his opening address, Barduani emphasized that this event brings together key international and regional actors to strengthen the dialogue on peace and security.

He highlighted the key role of women in various fields, adding that women are crucial for the promotion of different perspectives in dialogue, crisis prevention and conflict resolution. "KFOR, in its key security role, proudly supports the critical contribution of women in strengthening regional cooperation, through an impartial and inclusive approach," Barduani pointed out.

Caroline Ziadeh, the head of UNMIK in Kosovo, is also participating in the same conference. She recalled the origin of Resolution 1325 and the UN's best practices for its implementation.

Former President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga emphasized the role of women in crisis situations and shared her personal experiences as the founder of the JAHJAGA Foundation, which since 2018 has been dedicated to empowering marginalized communities, encouraging inter-ethnic reconciliation and advocating social justice.

The host of this event is Lieutenant General Athanasios Garinis, Commander of the NATO Corps from Greece.

The KP and the municipality of Leposavic took over the sports hall (KiM radio)

The KP and municipal officials entered the sports hall in Leposavic and took it over today, reported KiM radio.

The police and authorities in the municipality took down the flag of the Republic of Serbia from the entrance to the building and removed the board with the inscription and then installed a board with Kosovo symbols.

During the action, the mayor of Leposvic, Lulzim Hetemi was also present.

This building was built with funds from the budget of the Government of Serbia, and its construction began in 2008.

What people do not know about the 2013 Brussels Agreement? (N1, Danas)

According to Dragisa Mijacic, coordinator of the working group of the National Convention on EU Chapter 35, there were two important things that have not been fully explained to the domestic public.

Mijacic said that “Serbia recognized the constitutional and legal order of Kosovo in its entire territory by accepting the Brussels Agreement in 2013’’, adding that “this means Serbia recognized to the independent republic of Kosovo that it can constitute all its institutions in the entire territory of Kosovo, including the north, and recognized the right of Pristina to participate in regional organizations. This is where the shutdown of institutions comes from, and this was made possible especially by the withdrawal of Serbs from these institutions", he said.

"Another important thing is that with the French-German agreement, Serbia recognized Kosovo's international subjectivity, and allowed Kosovo to be admitted to international organizations," Mijacic told N1's Newsnight Show.

When asked what can still be defended in Kosovo, he said:

"There is a lot left to defend, but the fact is that Serbia got lost with its policy towards Kosovo and its priorities, if it had any. The president promised to come out with a platform for Kosovo, but we have not seen that platform, nor have we been able to recognize it in Serbia's actions, which are now more reactive, because there is no strategy and no tactics regarding what Serbia wants to achieve in the process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina," said Mijacic.

He added that the key thing will be in the next few months, until local elections are organized in Kosovo in October.

"The vacuum until the elections will be used by the institutions in Kosovo to shut down all the local institutions in the north that are financed from the Serbian budget. Great pressure will be exerted," he told N1.

He recalled "the public in Kosovska Mitrovica is very polarized, that on the one hand there are Serbs who do not feel at home in their city, and on the other hand you have ethnic Albanians, members of the Kosovo police who react selectively and quite contrary to the police code of conduct". However, Mijacic said, in the case of the incident with the high school student in that city, it was not the action of the Kosovo police but an individual, a police officer.

"If you look at the video carefully, you will see that only that police officer reacted so aggressively, and that the other policemen calm him down, not the boy. Then after that we have the scandalous situation of the director of the Kosovo police, who published pictures of a guy in a negligee, and that is the subject of a reaction from both international and Kosovo actors. Unfortunately, they still perceive the three-finger display as a provocation," Mijacic said.

He also said that the boy was taken into custody that day, he was photographed, but that it is not known whether any legal action will be taken against him, and how the policeman's reaction would be justified.

"It is positive that the head of EULEX immediately spoke about the incident and asked for an investigation, but we will see if this will produce additional reactions. Immediately after him, the minister of police, the director of police and the deputy director of the north regional police spoke out and all defended the behavior of that policeman, but it can be seen that it was not the action of the Kosovo police, but of one policeman," Mijacic said.

Commenting on the statement of Ivica Dacic, who announced that the Serbian Insterior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for the police officer in Pristina, Dylot Brahimi, who on Friday physically attacked and injured a Serbian high school student in North Mitrovica, Mijacic said: "Dacic's statement is more aimed at calming the public than it can have major legal consequences. I would not be surprised if that policeman finds himself in central Serbia and gets detained, but I do not believe that he will be prosecuted."

NGOs from north raise alarms over police’s public disclosure of teen’s photo after incident (KoSSev, media)

Five non-governmental organizations from northern Kosovo have jointly appealed to the Kosovo Ombudsperson and UNICEF, condemning the Kosovo police’s decision to publicly display photos of a teenager during a recent press conference. The move came days after an incident in North Mitrovica involving alleged excessive use of force by a police officer against a high school senior, KoSSev portal reported.

The NGOs - New Social Initiative (NSI), Center for Affirmative Social Action (CASA), Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC), Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTer), and Aktiv - issued a formal letter raising concerns about what they described as a “deeply concerning” act, particularly in terms of the young person’s privacy and dignity.

Their appeal follows a May 25 press briefing by Kosovo police director Gazmend Hoxha, during which multiple images of the incident and its aftermath were presented to the media. These included photos of the student, his face clearly visible, being restrained by police, as well as images taken at the police station - one reportedly showing the young man partially undressed.

Although in some of the images the students’ face was obscured to reportedly protect his identity, others revealed his face clearly, raising questions about the adequacy of measures taken to protect his privacy.

“Public Exposure Raises Ethical Concerns”

The civil society organizations argue that even the partially obscured photos are insufficient to guarantee anonymity in a small community like North Mitrovica, where the teenager resides. They warn that such exposure could lead to stigmatization and long-term psychological harm.

“In an attempt to dispute claims that the student had blood on his neck - claims the student himself had already clarified in media statements - the police director displayed to the media a photo of the student, taken during police questioning, in which the student appears partially undressed“, the NGOs stated in their letter.

They stressed that publishing such an image, particularly before determining the legality of police conduct, raises serious ethical and legal concerns. “Publicly showing such photos, especially involving a young person, cannot be justified by any legitimate public interest“, they added.