Albanian Language Media:

• Meeting between Osmani and political leaders concludes, Kurti declines comment (media)
• Government approves €4 billion Draft Budget for 2026, plans 13th salary, increased allowances and pensions (media)
• Krasniqi: Kurti’s decisions on budget, vote-buying for elections (media)
• LDK: Approval of the Budget by the caretaker government, unprecedented (media)
• Haradinaj promises €600 minimum wage and higher allowances if he gains mandate (media)
• NGOs: Approval of draft budget violates Constitution and Legislation (media)
• Kurti appeals to “logic and rationality” for approval of 2026 Budget in Parliament (media)
• Bajrami: VV has usurped govt offices, is leading Kosovo toward collapse (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Selakovic: Serbia committed to preserving cultural heritage and to int'l cooperation (Tanjug, media)
• Trajkovic reacts to northern Albanian mayors’ ‘dilemma’ whether to handover documents to incoming authorities: There are no sensitive documents unless they are illegal (KoSSev)
• Trial for tear-gas discharge adjourned, Svecla did not appear at hearing (Kosovo Online)
• SNF: ''Get out of the column of dishonor'' (KiM radio, Beta, N1, Danas) 
• Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival: "The march of Serbs from Kosovo to Novi Sad is a political performance, not the voice of the people" (KiM radio) 
• RSF’s Pavol Szalai to ANEM: Two messages for President Aleksandar Vucic (N1)

International:

• No accountability, no trust: Serbia, one year after the Novi Sad disaster (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Meeting between Osmani and political leaders concludes, Kurti declines comment (media)

The meeting between President Vjosa Osmani and political party leaders has concluded. After the meeting, the leader of the Vetevendosje Movement and caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, refused to speak to the media. “I have to leave quickly,” he reportedly said.

Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), spoke after the meeting with President Vjosa Osmani. He stated that there is no parliamentary majority to form a new “It became clear in this meeting that there is no parliamentary majority. It is now up to the President to decide by Wednesday, the 5th, whether a majority exists or not. Kurti suggested that it perhaps should be tried at least once again,” Abdixhiku said.

Government approves €4 billion Draft Budget for 2026, plans 13th salary, increased allowances and pensions (media)

The acting government has approved the €4 billion Draft Budget for 2026, which includes provisions for a 13th salary, increased allowances and pensions, as well as a higher minimum wage. Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the 2026 budget as one “full of novelties,” presenting the budget allocation plans to the cabinet. He stated that the total budget will amount to €4 billion. “This budget brings many novelties. First, it’s a €4 billion budget, with one-fourth, about €1 billion, allocated for capital investments. A major novelty will be the introduction of a 13th salary for public sector employees. It also includes the implementation of an annual 0.5% base salary increase for each year of work experience, unlike the previous system, which applied only a 0.25% increase for the first 15 years,” Kurti said.

He added that the 2026 budget also includes increases in pensions, child and maternity allowances, payments for adults and women involved in the “Superwork” program, as well as the completion of social assistance reform and other support measures. “With this budget, support for essential medicines increases, as does support for culture and sports,” Kurti noted.

He also announced changes for the private sector and pensioners. “We have good news for the private sector: a proposal to increase the minimum wage, which will affect around 150,000 employees. There’s good news for pensioners too: pensions will rise from €120 to €150. I also promised good news for mothers, starting in November, child allowances will increase by 50%. Since the Assembly has now been constituted, we will also submit the municipal budgets for Prishtina, Gjilan, and Zubin Potok to the Assembly,” Kurti said.

Krasniqi: Kurti’s decisions on budget, vote-buying for elections (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, has reacted to the recent decisions of the acting Government, which today approved the 2026 draft budget, along with increases to the minimum wage, pensions, and child allowances.

The leader of the Democratic party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi has reacted to today’s decisions of the caretaker government, which approved today the 2026 Draft Budget, along with increases of the minimum wage, pensions, and child allowances. “The sack of lies from a ‘Santa Claus’ who was never there for the citizens of Kosovo, despite promising every year for five years, cannot restore the lost trust of the people, nor achieve the goal of buying votes for the runoff or parliamentary elections. Everything that was said today in the last meeting of this government and was not done for five years in a row, will be done: better, more, and faster, but with the next government, without Albin Kurti and without Vetevendosje. Electoral deception will not pass. You don’t drink muddy water twice!” wrote Krasniqi.

LDK: Approval of the Budget by the caretaker government, unprecedented (media)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has reacted after the approval of the 2026 budget by the caretaker government, calling this move an unprecedented political and institutional act, which it considers an attempt at “vote buying and manipulation of the electoral process.” In a statement published on its official Facebook page, LDK emphasized that the decision was made by a “government without mandate and legitimacy,” only a few days before the second round of local elections and the early parliamentary elections. “In the Government building, a group of MPs who act as if they were the executive, in violation of the Constitution and recent rulings of the Supreme Court, have approved a document with no legal value,” the statement reads.

According to LDK, such an action represents a “usurpation of state competences and a blatant misuse of public funds for narrow party interests.”

“No acting government can make such major and long-term decisions that seriously affect the financial stability and the future of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo,” LDK stressed.

The statement further says that the use of the state budget as an electoral instrument is unacceptable, and that any attempt to exploit public resources for political gain “undermines citizens’ trust in the democratic process and the integrity of elections.” “No euro of the budget can be turned into a tool for buying votes, and no financial plan can serve as a shield for governmental failures,” the party’s statement continues.

In conclusion, LDK calls for institutional responsibility and transparent governance, emphasizing that social welfare and economic development must be based on sustainable policies, not on “last-minute populist spectacles.”

“Kosovo deserves honest institutions, governance with responsibility and transparency, not desperate improvisations and misuse of public money,” the LDK statement concludes.

Haradinaj promises €600 minimum wage and higher allowances if he gains mandate (media)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, called the recent increase in the minimum wage and child allowances “too late.” Haradinaj stated that these increases should have happened many years ago. “Too late, too little. Shameful! This increase should have happened many years ago. In the first meeting of our government, the basic pension will be €200, and the minimum wage will be €600. Allowances for all children aged 0–16 will see a significant increase. Mothers with two children will receive €100, while mothers with four children will receive €300 per month,” he wrote on Facebook.

NGOs: Approval of draft budget violates Constitution and Legislation (media)

Fifteen non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have stated that the caretaer government’s decision to approve the 2026 draft budget conflicts with legal requirements set out in the Law on the Government and the Constitution. They noted that the vote was cast by individuals certified as MPs. The NGOs emphasized that for the process to be legal, the signatories of the draft budget needed to comply with legislation, and the proposers should have been the deputy prime minister, ministers, or deputy ministers who do not hold a parliamentary mandate.

“The Draft Law on the Budget of the Republic of Kosovo for 2026 could be proposed by the caretaker government in accordance with the Law on the Government. However, as we have emphasized in our letter, this process should have been carried out in full compliance with the Constitution, the law, and Supreme Court rulings. These clearly stipulate that a person cannot simultaneously hold two positions, as a member of the Government and as an MP,” the NGOs stated.

According to the organizations, any action that bypasses the law and Constitution undermines the validity of the budget law. They stressed that the way the government applied the process on Friday fundamentally violates the Constitution, legislation, and existing court rulings. “In this sensitive political phase, respecting the constitutional order and judicial decisions is essential to maintain institutional stability and to ensure that the budget approval process remains lawful. Any attempt like today’s to bypass the Law on the Government, Supreme Court rulings, and the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo harms not only the budget approval process but also the very principle of the rule of law in Kosovo.”

Furthermore, regarding the draft law and proposed packages, the NGOs noted that they appear to have been prepared without an inclusive institutional approach, “further deepening the political crisis in the country and ultimately preventing its approval through consensus among all political parties.”

“Such an approach seriously undermines the principles of democracy in the country, as it is being done during the period of municipal elections and the announced general elections,” the statement concluded.

Kurti appeals to “logic and rationality” for approval of 2026 Budget in Parliament (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti told the media that he appeals to the logic and rationality of all political parties for the approval of the 2026 Budget in the Kosovo Assembly. “As for consensus, I appeal to logic and rationality. Consensus implies logic, which allows for universal aspects of thought, and on the other hand, rationality, through which I hope we will jointly achieve a situation where this increased and solid budget will pass in the Assembly. I have no other weapon to achieve consensus except logic and rationality,” Kurti said at a press conference following the government meeting.

During the press conference, he was asked about today’s meeting called by the President Vjosa Osmani with the leaders of the political parties, following the failure to elect a new government. He said he would attend the meeting with full optimism. “The meeting that we will have at the Office of the Presidency, I believe, will focus on the topic for which we have been invited, since the formation of the government was not achieved the first time. And I want to go there with optimism,” Kurti said.

Bajrami: VV has usurped govt offices, is leading Kosovo toward collapse (media)

LDK MP Hykmete Bajrami has reacted after Kosovo’s caretaker government approved the 2026 Draft Budget, accusing the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) of usurping government offices. “The Vetevendosje parliamentary group, which has usurped the Government’s offices, approved today the 2026 budget. There is a possibility for this budget to reach €8 billion, with salaries and pensions increasing several times over, all at a time when a decision on calling early elections is expected,” Bajrami wrote on Facebook.

She further claimed that VV is driving Kosovo toward collapse. “The Special Prosecution could have stopped this charade. Now, it’s up to us to stop it with our votes, and we will stop it with our votes,” Bajrami stated.

Serbian Language Media 

Selakovic: Serbia committed to preserving cultural heritage and to int'l cooperation (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Culture Minister Nikola Selakovic said at the UNESCO General Conference session in Samarkand on Friday that Serbia remained strongly committed to preservation of cultural heritage, development of education and innovation, as well as to strengthening UNESCO's role in promotion of dialogue, peace and international cooperation, and appealed to the organisation to help to protect and preserve the Serbian cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reported.

At the session, which brought together representatives of nearly 200 countries, Selakovic said that, in the modern world, characterised by numerous challenges and growing divisions, it was necessary to preserve the original UNESCO values - multilateralism, mutual respect and "intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity".

He noted that Serbia attached great importance to protecting its own cultural and religious heritage, especially in Kosovo, where, for a long time now, centuries-old Serbian holy sites have been facing pressure, attacks and attempts to create a false historic identity.

Trajkovic reacts to northern Albanian mayors’ ‘dilemma’ whether to handover documents to incoming authorities: There are no sensitive documents unless they are illegal (KoSSev)

“There are no sensitive documents in public administration, unless they are illegal”, this is how Serb politician Rada Trajkovic and President of European Serb Movement from Kosovo commented on some Albanian language media reports that return of Serbian List to power in northern municipalities left current Albanian mayors in “dilemma” as to how transition of power will be done, and expressed concerns that, as they said, some municipal documents could be misused. As it was further said, the current Albanian mayors are waiting for instructions from the Kosovo Government on how to handle “sensitive” documents prior to handing over duties to the mayors from the Serbian List.

Trajković: “Shocking collapse of the system”

Rada Trajkovic was among the first to react to those statements. She believes that such actions are a "shocking collapse of the system by the outgoing mayors".

Trajkovic also said there are no sensitive documents in the public administration: Unless they're illegal, she emphasised. 

On the other hand, she argued these documents should not only be available to new mayors, but also to ordinary residents. "Decisions of public officials must be available not only to new mayors but also to ordinary citizens, in accordance with the Law on Access to Public Documents”, she argued. 

Trial for tear-gas discharge adjourned, Svecla did not appear at hearing (Kosovo Online)

Kosovo caretaker Interior Minister Xhellal Svecla did not appear at the courtroom today, thus promoting the hearing of the case of tear-gas discharge in the Kosovo Assembly to be adjourned. Svecla did not appear in a hearing today, despite the court issuing an order that he be brought to the court room escorted by police. As the judge Sabit Sadikaj said Svecla justified his absence from the court today.

Others involved in this case, Sali Ziba, Fitore Pacoli and Drita Milaku appeared in a hearing, however it was adjourned. The judge Sadikaj said that due to Svecla’s absence there are no conditions in place for the hearing to happen.

On June 6, 2024, the court upheld indictment against Svecla, Milaku, Ziba and Pacoli-Dalipi over tear-gas discharge in March 2018, in the Kosovo Assembly. The decision of the Basic Court was then upheld by the Court of Appeals. In a first hearing, held on March 26, 2024, the four of them pleaded not guilty to the charges they are accused of. They are also accused of “obstructing official persons in carrying out official duty”, however a statute limitation applied to this act, as the judge Sadikaj informed. 

SNF: ''Get out of the column of dishonor'' (KiM radio, Beta, N1, Danas) 

The Serbian National Forum (SNF) from Gracanica strongly condemned, as they say, "manipulation of young people from Kosovo and Metohija" who, under the slogan of support for President Aleksandar Vucic, set off on foot towards Novi Sad.

They emphasized that this action cannot be considered a patriotic act, but "another organized manipulation of the Serbian List (SL) and the regime of Aleksandar Vucic", with the aim of covering up "the complete defeat of the state policy in Kosovo and Metohija", reported KiM radio, citing SNF press release. 

"At the moment when Albin Kurti unilaterally and illegally shut down the institutions of Serbia, the SL remained silent, without any resistance, thereby betraying the national interests of the Serbian people", it was stated.The statement added that “regime is now using the emotions and poverty of young Kosovo Serbs, instead of providing them with a dignified life and security". SNF called on young people "not to be a tool of propaganda, but a force that seeks freedom, truth and responsibility", saying that the Serbian people "can only support those who walk the path of freedom and truth, not those who blindly follow orders from Belgrade".

In the announcement, they also recalled the tragedy in Novi Sad, where a commemoration will be held on November 1 for the 16 victims of reconstructed railway station canopy collapse. SNF said this tragedy was "a symbol of corruption and irresponsibility of the authorities", stressing that no one has been held accountable for the accident to date.

"What Albin Kurti with his police and repressive apparatus did to young Serbs in KiM — stifling every form of free thought and assembly — is what the Aleksandar Vucic regime has been trying to implement in Serbia for a year now. Through threats, intimidation and abuse of institutions, the government is trying to stifle the libertarian spirit of young people who want democracy, justice and system reform, not obedience and fear", it said.

The SNF calls on young people from Kosovo to "get out of the column of dishonor" and "deliver a decisive blow to the manipulators of the tragic fate of the betrayed people". KiM radio recalled that a group of 60 Serbs from Kosovo set off on foot towards Novi Sad on Wednesday.

Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival: "The march of Serbs from Kosovo to Novi Sad is a political performance, not the voice of the people" (KiM radio) 

The Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival said yesterday the march of a group of about 60 Serbs from Kosovo to Novi Sad, in support of President Aleksandar Vucic and the national gathering, was a "political performance" and not a statement of the real interests of the majority of Serbs living in Kosovo.

"This group does not speak on behalf of the majority, and their march is a spectacle tailored for the camera and the media moment, and not the expression of the real problems and needs of the Serbian people in Kosovo", the announcement said. The party pointed out that citizens of Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo fight every day for the basic conditions of life - safety, work and education - and not for "political greetings and banners".

"Organizers and promoters of such actions often instrumentalize people: they use them as a prop to create an impression of mass and loyalty that does not exist in reality. It is a cheap propaganda tactic that makes real voices and real problems meaningless. Instead of seriously discussing life's issues, the audience is served posturing and theatrical support for a policy that does not solve anything", the party said in a statement, adding there were indications that “some participants receive daily wages and material incentives”, which, as they stated, "further calls into question the sincerity of their intentions and turns 'patriotic campaigns' into paid political performances".

"False representation is not without consequences. When a small number of people declare themselves to be the 'voice of all', it confuses the public and often creates a perception of intolerance on the part of free citizens of Serbia. Let's not allow them to manipulate us with sensationalism and scenery instead of arguments and real actions", the statement also said.

The party concludes that support for one person or party cannot be a measure of patriotism, but that true patriotism is shown by "responsibility, work for the community and the fight for the rights of all citizens".

"We appeal to look deeper than the spectacle. Do not accept that the steam operation of a small number of people represents the fate and attitude of the Serbian people in Kosovo! They have the right to their opinion and the right to express it, but they do not have the right to present themselves as the only voice of the Serbs from Kosovo. The Serbian people are diverse and dignified; we must not allow it to be reduced to performance and political use", For Freedom, Justice and Survival party concluded in a statement.

RSF’s Pavol Szalai to ANEM: Two messages for President Aleksandar Vucic (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic accused journalists of provoking violence. He reacted to the statement from the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS/IAJS) regarding their efforts to provide protective equipment for journalists reporting from the protests. Pavol Szalai, Head of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) European Union-Balkans Desk, told the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) that he has two messages for President Vucic.

“The first is that the truth will come to light regarding who is perpetrating violence against whom. We have recorded 89 physical attacks on journalists reporting from protests since November 1, 2024. That is a record number. I am confident that one day justice will be served for all these cases, which were not provoked by journalists but by the police and pro-government activists,” Szalai told ANEM.

The second message, he added, is that they are very proud to assist NUNS in distributing equipment and supporting Serbian journalists. According to him, Reporters Without Borders has provided financial and technical support to Serbian journalists so they can work more safely.

“And finally, I want to appeal to the international community that now is the time for mobilization to ensure justice is served for the crimes committed against journalists and to allow journalists to report safely from protests. Financial, diplomatic, and political support from all democratic forces around the world is needed to support Serbian journalists,” Szalai said.

He emphasized that RSF stands with journalists in Serbia, no matter what happens next.

On October 29, Reporters Without Borders said that since November 1, 2024, media professionals in Serbia have been victims of at least 89 physical attacks. The total for 2025 stands at 82 cases, which is the highest number of annual cases since 2008. About half of the violence was perpetrated by police officers who, moreover, turn a blind eye when pro-government activists attack journalists.

“We pay tribute to Serbian journalists who heroically report on protests while facing the institutionalization of violence by the regime of President Aleksandar Vucic. We call on the international community to provide financial, legal, and political support so they can work safely and so that their attackers are brought to justice. Press freedom in Serbia is at stake, as is our right to be informed about events in this country, which is a candidate for European Union (EU) membership, including respect for the right to assemble by the authorities,” stated Pavol Szalai, director of the RSF bureau in Prague, in the press release.

International

No accountability, no trust: Serbia, one year after the Novi Sad disaster (Balkan Insight)

The Novi Sad railway station disaster last November cost 16 lives and sparked the biggest protest movement in Serbia for a quarter of a century. But despite the public outcry, the judiciary hasn’t managed to hold anyone accountable yet.

November 1, 2024 was set to be an ordinary day for Veljko Drljaca, a journalism student at the Faculty of Philosophy in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad. He was finishing his work and getting ready to travel down to the capital, Belgrade.

He was supposed to travel with some colleagues, but missed the train that they took, so he was catching the one departing around noon. He had to buy a ticket with cash, so he went to the counter to get it. It was his first time in the recently-renovated entrance hall of Novi Sad railway station. It was Friday, so it was busy.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/6k2WJ