UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 17, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

The Kosovo Assembly will continue the constitutive session today (media)
Rexhaj claims VV has enough votes for Assembly Speaker (Nacionale)
Kurti: Kosovo proud to once again be among hosts of Defender Europe (media)
Police find weapons and ammunition in a basement in Mitrovica North (media)
Kurti: Over half a million youth, Kosovo full of energy and potential (Indeksonline)
“Protests against increased energy tariffs will not stop” (media)
Kosovo and U.S. further cooperation in defense and security (RTK)
EU lists Kosovo among safe places in bid to speed up migrant returns (Koha/AFP)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian parliament elects PM Djuro Macut's government (Tanjug, media)
Vucic: FSB concludes that acoustic devices owned by the police were not used on March 15 (RTS, N1, media)
NUNS concerned over questioning of RTS staff (N1, KoSSev)
Office for KiM: Verdict against Milenkovic proof that the judiciary in Kosovo is a political tool for persecuting Serbs (Kosovo Online)
Milenkovic’s defense: First-instance verdict cannot stand; we will prove his innocence in the next stage of proceedings (Kosovo Online)
A session held to determine the custody of Milos Antovic (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, KiM radio )
Serbian List: Untrue claims about support for Kurti (KiM radio, KoSSev)

International:

After cycling to Strasbourg, Serbian students meet with EP and CoE representatives (EWB)

Albanian Language Media

The Kosovo Assembly will continue the constitutive session today (media)

All news websites reported on Wednesday that the Kosovo Assembly will continue its constitutive session today at 12:00. The first constitutive session on Tuesday failed after the opposition parties did not vote in favor of the report of the committee for the verification of quorum and mandates claiming that it was anti-constitutional. They said that members of the government did not submit their resignations to the Assembly.

Rexhaj claims VV has enough votes for Assembly Speaker (Nacionale)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Arber Rexhaj, said in a debate in Politico on Wednesday that they have the required number of votes to elect the Speaker of the Assembly, but did not say who the candidate is. “I think we will elect the Speaker of the Assembly on Thursday, and we have secured the required number of votes. NISMA voted in favor on Tuesday,” he said.

Kurti: Kosovo proud to once again be among hosts of Defender Europe (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Wednesday that Kosovo “is proud to once again stand among the 18 host nations for Defender Europe, the largest annual deployment by the U.S. Army in the European region. From May 26 to June 6, the 28th Infantry Division Command of the U.S. Army—responsible for leading all Balkan exercises—will be based at Gjakova Airport. This historic milestone underscores the deepening strength of our defense and security partnership with the United States. We eagerly anticipate welcoming allied and partner forces, fostering collaboration, and further enhancing our shared commitment to regional security”.

Police find weapons and ammunition in a basement in Mitrovica North (media)

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the north, Veton Elshani, confirmed on Wednesday that police units discovered weapons and ammunition in a basement in Mitrovica North. He said the operation was carried out after police received information from a person who expressed his suspicion about the presence of weapons at a specific location. The police confiscated eight magazines with bullets, one grenade launcher, and additional equipment for mounting on weapons for firing grenades. A suspect has been interviewed in the case.

Kurti: Over half a million youths, Kosovo full of energy and potential (Indeksonline)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Wednesday that with over half a million youths from 15 to 30 years old, Kosovo is full of energy, creativity and potential. He made these remarks during a reception organized by the German Embassy in Kosovo for the appointment of the new executive director of the German-Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Besnik Vasolli. “This potential grows further in a healthy ecosystem, with strong institutions, justice and partnerships built on mutual trust and objectives, same as our partnership,” Kurti said.

Kurti also said that Germany continues to be of Kosovo’s most important partners and allies. “We highly appreciate how our cooperation has grown from building peace and democratic development to shaping our economic progress together,” he said.

“Protests against increased energy tariffs will not stop” (media)

Luan Hasanaj from the initiative “Not a single cent more” said in an interview with TeVe1 on Wednesday that protests against increased energy tariffs will not stop. He said that they call for the dismissal of the dismissal of the board of the Energy Regulator Office and the appointment of another board that works in favor of the people’s interests. “Allow me to say that the protests will not stop. Our opposition is growing. Our requests are clear: we want this scandalous board to be dismissed and replaced with a board that serves the interests of the people, suspend the decision [for the increase of tariffs] and start a dialogue with all groups of interest,” he said.

The initiative “not a single cent more” said that on Saturday in downtown Pristina it will organize another protest against the ERO’s decision to increase energy tariffs.

Kosovo and U.S. further cooperation in defense and security (RTK)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, met on Wednesday in Pristina with Major General Stephen Osborn, the Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, and discussed Kosovo’s readiness to strengthen defense relations with the U.S. The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that preparations are ongoing for the joint deployment of units from the Kosovo Security Force alongside those of the Iowa National Guard in the United States. “As part of the State Partnership Program, both parties agreed to enhance cooperation through training, education, exercises, and other military activities,” the statement notes.

EU lists Kosovo among safe places in bid to speed up migrant returns (Koha/AFP)

The European Union on Wednesday published a list of seven countries it considers “safe”, in a bid to speed up migrant returns by making it harder for citizens of those nations to claim asylum in the bloc. The European Commission said it was proposing to designate Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia as “safe countries of origin”, KOHA reports referring to AFP.

The move is set to allow EU governments to process asylum applications filed from citizens of those countries more quickly -- by introducing a presumption that such applications lack merit. “Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for migration. EU candidate countries would also in principle meet the criteria to be designated as safe countries, exceptions being when they are hit by a conflict, the commission said.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian parliament elects PM Djuro Macut's government (Tanjug, media)

The Serbian parliament elected new PM Djuro Macut's government on Wednesday.

In a public, roll call vote, 153 of 199 MPs in attendance voted in favour of the new government, 46 voted against and 51 MPs were absent.

MPs of the ruling coalition - the Serbia Must Not Stop group, the Socialist Party of Serbia, United Serbia, the Party of United Pensioners of Serbia, the Social Democratic Party of Serbia and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians - voted for the government, while opposition MPs voted against.

The parliament session was not attended by the HOPE Coalition and the Democratic Party.

Vucic: FSB concludes that acoustic devices owned by the police were not used on March 15 (RTS, N1, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an address to the public yesterday that the FSB report has arrived and that they have concluded that acoustic devices of the Serbian police forces were not used on March 15.

Vucic said that he strongly condemns the blockades of RTS, which, as he said, are unconstitutional and illegal, although, as he pointed out, he thinks very badly of RTS's news program.

He announced major diplomatic activities, as well as pressure due to his trip to Moscow, but that he has not changed his decision.

"In the coming period, we will have pressure regarding the event in Moscow in which we announced our participation. I will most likely travel to the USA as well. A lot of that in the next two months," Vucic said. We also have summits in Seville and Tirana, Rome, the President said.

He said that Serbia experienced a huge drop in foreign direct investment inflows and a drop in domestic VAT.

"In this month alone, with a cut-off date of April 15, our domestic VAT is 5.5 billion lower, which is directly related to the violence of the blockaders and the terror that our country is going through. So, it is about people's fear, about people not feeling safe, not wanting to spend," said Vucic.

At the beginning of the press conference, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated the election of the new Government.

"With the support of each of us, the country will be freed from terror, so that people can be proud of their country," he said.

He also said that he had proposed that March salaries be paid earlier.

"We will do our best to start paying March salaries as soon as tomorrow, at my suggestion. For the police, the army, education, for those who worked, employees in healthcare, culture, state administration. About 209 thousand employees. The plan is to pay salaries on Thursday. That is good news for people, many will combine holidays, ours is to help people," said Vucic.

According to N1, Vucic announced a "reconciliation" with state faculties - money will be given to private ones, redistribution of money through the new law.

"I want to strengthen the private sector in Serbia, I want more students to have the right to budget funding at private faculties than is the case today," said Vucic announcing the new law "which would distribute money to faculties differently." He expressed his desire to ''strengthen the private sector'' in Serbia.

"With this, we will destroy the monopoly of state faculties, they will never be able to blackmail anyone again. If they want to survive, they will have to fight in the market in an incomparably more serious way, and our children will be able to study," he said among other things.

N1 reported that Vucic claimed that Telekom Serbia offered N1 and Nova S space on its networks, but that United Group (UG) refused.

“When we offered N1 and Nova S, when I publicly offered them an agreement with Telekom, to be on Telekom’s network and to be seen everywhere on those networks. But no, the criminal (United Group owner) did not want that because he wanted exclusivity for SBB, so that he could maintain a majority and stuff enormous amounts of money into his pockets from cable provider fees. He didn’t care about that at all. What was important was that that was the only way, which he considered, that exclusivity gave SBB an advantage,” he said, replying to a Euronews Serbia reporter’s request for a comment on the statement from UG about Telekom Serbia’s purchase of the Total TV platform.

Vucic referred to the time 5 years ago when Telekom removed N1 from those platforms after buying two cable operators. At that time, 300,000 households lost N1 and now the purchase of Total TV means that another 180,000 households are being denied access.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/49zc9vwj

NUNS concerned over questioning of RTS staff (N1, KoSSev)

The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) expressed concern after several state TV (RTS) staff were summoned for questioning by security agencies.

More than 50 RTS staff held a meeting in the parking lot outside the station’s headquarters to decide on possible more radical protests.

The NUNS press release said that at least 5 RTS staff members were ordered to report to inspectors for questioning hours after the meeting. “It’s especially indicative that the summons were sent to members of the informal Our Protest group of RTS staff who are demanding greater professional accountability and freedom of expression at the public broadcaster.

“The summons for questioning over the legitimate and peaceful expression of views raises serious questions about pressure on freedom of expression and union organization,” the NUNS said and called the competent institutions to provide an immediate explanation about the case. It warned that this would be a serious strike at media freedom if the interrogations turn out to be an attempt at intimidation following disagreements over editorial policy or union activities.

Office for KiM: Verdict against Milenkovic proof that the judiciary in Kosovo is a political tool for persecuting Serbs (Kosovo Online)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated that the Basic Court in Pristina’s sentencing of Dragisa Milenkovic to seven years in prison for an alleged war crime is a flagrant example of the dysfunctionality and political instrumentalization of the judiciary in Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online.

According to the Office statement, the proceedings against Milenkovic were nothing more than a political hunt and a fabricated campaign against an innocent man, who was convicted of a serious criminal offense without any material evidence, many years after the alleged crime was committed, despite the fact that during all that time, the convicted individual had been available to judicial authorities.

“As is often the case in proceedings of this kind, the hunt began with the slander of a neighbor with whom Milenkovic had a history of disputes, and the process was fabricated along the way to justify the unjust arrest of an innocent man. Yet again, the personal revenge or self-interest of an unreliable witness was used to destroy the life of an innocent person, and since this is not the first time similar anomalies have occurred within the justice system under Pristina’s control, we are inevitably led to conclude that the judiciary in Kosovo and Metohija is a political tool for persecuting Serbs,” the statement read.

They further noted that they would inform international organizations about the case in detail.

“We will continue to provide the necessary support to the victim of persecution, Dragisa Milenkovic from Kisnica near Gracanica, and his family, in the hope that the verdict will be overturned on appeal,” the statement concluded.

Milenkovic’s defense: First-instance verdict cannot stand; we will prove his innocence in the next stage of proceedings (Kosovo Online)

The defense team of Dragisa Milenkovic, who was sentenced today by the Basic Court in Pristina to seven years in prison for a war crime, stated that the first-instance verdict cannot hold and emphasized that they will do everything in the appeal process before the Court of Appeals to prove Milenkovic’s innocence.

Attorney Dejan Vasic stressed that the court had evidently placed its trust in the testimony of high-ranking political figures, which influenced the verdict.

“The defense believes that the court faced a choice—whether to believe the testimony of today’s high-ranking political figures in Kosovo, who did not speak the full truth and accused Dragisa of something he did not do, or to believe the defendant. It is clear that the court believed those witnesses, who likely carry a certain authority due to their positions and passed the sentence it did. We have no doubt whatsoever that in the next stage of the proceedings, through the appeal we will file with the Court of Appeals, we will succeed in proving Dragisa’s innocence, because this man is not guilty of what he was sentenced for today,” said Vasic.