• CEC does not certify Serbian List candidates for Dec 28 elections (RFE)
• Hargreaves: ECAP members should not be subject to political pressure (Sinjali)
• Kurti: Accused for Iber-Lepenc explosion were linked to state of Serbia (RFE)
• Osmani thanks Terras for calling for immediate removal of EU measures (media)
• “Return of Kosovo-US Strategic Dialogue remains a top priority” (Indeksonline)
• Haradinaj reacts to northern mayors removing Kosovo symbols (Zeri)
• Hoxhaj: I see the Trump administration as a golden opportunity (Nacionale)
• Murati denies reports about a 13th salary: “Fake news” (Dukagjini)
• Osmani inaugurates exhibition organized on Human Rights Day (media)
• Winners of 2025 Annual Journalism Awards presented (media)
• Vicentijevic admits 120 people from north trained in Serbian army grounds (Koha)
• Sadriu invited to White House at Summit hosted by Melania Trump (Telegrafi)
• Djuric: We are deeply grateful for China’s firm position on Serbia’s territorial integrity (Kosovo Online)
• Ognjen Gogić winner of the "White Peony" (Alternativna)

CEC does not certify Serbian List candidates for Dec 28 elections (RFE)

Most news websites report that Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) did not certify candidates of the Serbian List for the December 28 parliamentary elections. Representatives of the Vetevendosje Movement in the CEC, Sami Kurteshi and Alban Krasniqi, voted against the certification of SL candidates, while representatives of other Albanian political parties abstained from voting. The Office for the Registration of Political Parties called for the certification of SL candidates saying that their names do not fall in contravention with the law on elections. “The list of candidates was verified based on the law on general elections. From the data we received from the country’s institutions, no candidate is in violation of the law on elections,” office chief Besnik Buzhala said. The Serbian List can appeal the decision at the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP).

Hargreaves: ECAP members should not be subject to political pressure (Sinjali)

UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, visited Kosovo’s Election Complaints and Appeals Panel on Wednesday and said that their work is vital to upholding the integrity of Kosovo’s electoral processes according to the law. “Panel members should not be subject to political pressure or attacks. This afternoon I met Chairman Zenel Leku and Acting Head of Secretariat Tefik Mahmuti from ECAP to thank them for their efforts,” Hargreaves said.

Kurti: Accused for Iber-Lepenc explosion were linked to state of Serbia (RFE)

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Wednesday that intelligence data show that the three Serbs accused by the prosecution for the explosive attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal in the north of Kosovo “were closely linked to Serbia's state structures” and that “the attack came from Serbia, our northern, aggressive and hostile neighbor”. Kurti said that evidence has been provided that the three accused were on the scene on the night of the attack and he thanked the relevant institutions of Kosovo and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their professional work carried out in this case.

Kurti also said that the trial in the case “will prove that the accused were part of Serbia’s illegal structures, closely linked to [Serbian President Aleksandar] Vucic's friend, terrorist Milan Radoicic, and other Serbian state structures that planned and ordered the terrorist attack”.

“Despite the fact that official Belgrade denied responsibility and strongly engaged through hybrid actions in disinforming the public, raising various suspicions about those responsible or the motives of the terrorist act, the indictment filed and the epilogue of the case, without a shadow of a doubt, will confirm the data and assessments of Kosovo institutions,” Kurti said.

Osmani thanks Terras for calling for immediate removal of EU measures (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, in a post on X on Wednesday, thanked the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Kosovo, Riho Terras, for his “staunch support in calling for the immediate removal of the EU’s unjust measures against the people of Kosovo”. Osmani also said she looks forward to working together toward our shared goal: Kosovo in the EU.

“Return of Kosovo-US Strategic Dialogue remains a top priority” (Indeksonline)

Chief of Staff of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Learta Hollaj, together with the senior advisor on foreign policy, Rejhane Vuniqi, and political advisor Donika Kadaj-Bujupi, hosted this week US State Department for Western Central Europe, Lyn Debevoise, most news websites report. A statement issued by the Presidency notes that the meeting focused on the strategic partnership between Kosovo and the United States, bilateral relations and the need for further cooperation in key areas like security, economy and foreign policy. “The delegation of the President highlighted the irreplaceable role of the US for the security and stability of Kosovo, adding that the return of the Strategic Dialogue between Kosovo and the US remains one of the top priorities in advancing shared interests,” the statement notes.

Haradinaj reacts to northern mayors removing Kosovo symbols (Zeri)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, congratulated all mayors of municipalities for swearing in, especially the five mayors from the AAK and encouraged them to work for the interests of the people and always in line with the laws and the Constitution. Haradinaj also said that “at the same time I am extremely outraged that mayors of the Serbian List in the northern municipalities have removed the symbols of the Republic of Kosovo and the photograph of the President, and I urgently ask for them to be restored. I also call on the International Community, the EU and the US, to use their influence so that mayors of municipalities from the Serb community to respect the Constitution and the laws of Kosovo and to work in harmony with them”.

Hoxhaj: I see the Trump administration as a golden opportunity (Nacionale)

Candidate for MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj said on Wednesday that Kosovo needs to focus more on strengthening security and defense, by increasing the capacities of the Kosovo Security Force, modernizing equipment and intensified training. He argued that a strong approach in this regard would open the path to Kosovo’s membership in NATO. “Security and defense should be a top priority before foreign policy … with the goal of making Kosovo a member of NATO, and in this regard I see the Trump administration as a golden opportunity,” he said.

Murati denies reports about a 13th salary: “Fake news” (Dukagjini)

Kosovo caretaker Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, reacted to a media report circulating on Wednesday according to which the government would pay a 13th salary this year. He said that fake news does not pass. “The 13th salary has been foreseen in the budget law for 2026, but as everybody knows, the budget law for 2026 was not voted on by PDK/LDK/AAK/Nisma. It is regrettable that in the absence of a genuine program, everything that the opposition and their media outlets are left with are constant lies, hoping that something will stick and that they will generate dissatisfaction with the government,” Murati said in a Facebook post.

Osmani inaugurates exhibition organized on Human Rights Day (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Wednesday that on Human Rights Day, they inaugurated the exhibition “Truth, Memory, Justice,” organized by the Office of the President through the Regional Center of Excellence for Women, Peace and Security, and in cooperation with the Institute for crimes committed during the war in Kosovo. “We honored the memory of all those who were killed and all those who suffered during the war, and we were reminded of the pain that every mother, every father, every child and every survivor continues to carry to this day. Today’s exhibition reaffirmed our shared obligation to defend the truth, to strengthen our collective memory and to pursue justice without pause,” Osmani said in a post on X.

Winners of 2025 Annual Journalism Awards presented (media)

Most news websites report on the announcement of the winners of the Annual Journalism Awards 2025. The Association of Journalists of Kosovo said in a press release that the jury reviewed all 101 applications, evaluated them based on professional criteria, and made the final decision for each of the 2025 awards.

Journalist of the Year 2025: Agon Sinanaj, Buletini Ekonomik

Agon Sinanaj was awarded Journalist of the Year 2025 for his in-depth investigation into Kosovo’s electricity imports during 2025. Over the course of an entire year, his research revealed abuses by KESCO and the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO), including the unlawful selection of a single company (NoaEnergy Trade), price manipulation, and black-market energy trading. The investigation prompted public reactions and investigations by the Special Prosecution Office and ERO. His dedication to bringing transparency to a complex sector and his strong impact on public debate make him a deserving winner of this award.

Read full press release at: https://shorturl.at/PyK9i

Vicentijevic admits 120 people from north trained in Serbian army grounds (Koha)

The news website reports that Jovan Vicentijevic, who is one of the people charged with carrying out the terrorist attack on the Iber Lepenci water canal in the north of Kosovo, told Kosovo’s institutions that he took part in a nine-day military training in one of the renowned army training grounds in Serbia. “As he was transported from Mitrovica North to Pristina on December 2, 2025, and as he was being sent to the detention center on December 3, 2025, in conversation with police officials, he disclosed information about his illegal activities and also about other people involved in similar activities, claiming that he took part in drills at the Serbian army training ground called ‘Pasuljanske Livade’ in Serbia. He stayed there and was trained from September 14, 2023, until September 23, 2023. He said that around 120 people from the north of Kosovo, of Serb nationality, were trained there,” one part of the indictment against Vicentijevic notes.

Vicentijevic, whose brother is also accused of the attack, told the Kosovo prosecution that one day before the attack in Banjska they went in organized fashion to municipalities that are closer to Kosovo.

Sadriu invited to White House at Summit hosted by Melania Trump (Telegrafi)

First Gentleman of Kosovo, Prindon Sadriu, has received an official invitation from the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Melania Trump, to participate at the international summit to be held at the White House in March. The summit will be dedicated to First Lady Melania Trump’s initiative “Fostering the Future Together,” which Kosovo joined in September of 2025, a press release issued by the Office of the Kosovo President notes. “This global White House initiative will make advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, available to support children, parents, and educators, while ensuring the protection of young people from online threats. The world’s largest technology companies have pledged to provide these tools at no cost or at very low cost to Kosovo and other participating countries. First Lady Trump’s initiative also ties in with President Osmani’s priorities to protect children’s rights from digital threats and to develop the information technology sector in line with the interests of children. The Presidency of Kosovo will contribute with concrete commitment to supporting this initiative, through plans that have already been presented to President Trump’s Administration. Kosovo’s participation at this summit underscores our commitment to strengthening the alliance with the United States of America, to advance the well-being and development of the new generation, and to further strengthen the strategic partnership with the United States of America,” the statement notes.

Djuric: We are deeply grateful for China’s firm position on Serbia’s territorial integrity (Kosovo Online)

Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Djuric, stated yesterday that relations between Serbia and China have reached the highest level in history and can be described as more than friendly. He expressed gratitude to Beijing for its firm, principled, and consistent policy regarding Serbia’s territorial integrity.

Opening the exhibition “Belgrade – Beijing: 70 Years of Friendship and Cooperation Between the Peoples of Serbia and China” at the Archives of Yugoslavia, Djuric said he was pleased to inaugurate a selection of archival documents whose careful curation testifies to the long and rich tradition and history of relations between the two countries and the development of their cooperation. He noted that today’s gathering evokes the famous Chinese saying that “a journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step.”

Djuric stressed that Serbia was proud to be China’s first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe and the first European country to build with China a “community of shared future in the new era,” the highest form of cooperation any European state has with China.

“We are proud that Serbia and China support each other on issues of vital national interest, which primarily refers to respect for the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, as well as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Serbia is deeply grateful for the firm, principled, and consistent policy of the People’s Republic of China regarding our territorial integrity—an issue of the highest national importance for our country. For its part, Serbia will continue to consistently support the ‘One China’ principle and the ‘one country, two systems’ framework,” Djuric emphasized among other things. 

Ognjen Gogić winner of the "White Peony" (Alternativna)

Political scientist from Belgrade Ognjen Gogić is the recipient of the "White Peony" award for excellent cooperation with the media. The recognition for the worst cooperation went to the Central Election Commission of Kosovo.

Ognjen Gogić is a frequent interlocutor of media reporting in the Serbian language in Kosovo. It was they who nominated him and chose him for this annual recognition of the UNS in Kosovo.

The "White peony" award was presented to Gogić by the president of the UNS in Kosovo, Ivana Vanovac.

"Thank you very much for the award. It's been seven days since you told me and I can't take the smile off my face. I'm not from Kosovo and I don't have family ties in Kosovo, but I feel like a part of the Serbian community in Kosovo. Somehow I voluntarily joined that community. You accepted me, I would say. To some extent, I share the misfortunes of the Serbian community," he said.

He added, among other things, that every time he comes to Kosovo, and he comes often, he worries about whether he will be stopped and returned from the crossing between Kosovo and Serbia, reported Alternativna.