• Osmani hosts Hargreaves, discuss early elections on December 28 (media)
• Kosovo Ombudsperson expresses concern over decision not to certify SL (media)
• Haradinaj: VV is endangering Kosovo; legal basis on Serbian List (AP)
• New election bar on Kosovo Serb party condemned (BIRN)
• UNMIK concerned about CEC decision not to certify Serbian List (Kossev)
• SL files complaints with ECAP against CEC decision (Radio KiM)
• Self: After elections, Serbia should recognize Kosovo’s sovereignty (Koha)
• Sekerinska highlights KFOR’s importance for security in Kosovo (TeVe1)
• EU urges all KPC members to jointly and fully implement reforms (media)
• UK on developments at KPC: We encourage all parties to respect procedures (media)
• Gutierrez calls on Kurti to end Kurteshi’s “smear campaign” (media)
• CEFTA adopts four key decisions under Kosovo chairmanship (RTK)
• Kosovo lags behind standards in integrating people with disabilities (PI)

Osmani hosts Hargreaves, discuss early elections on December 28 (media)

Most news websites report that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with UK Ambassador Jonathan Hagreaves on Wednesday and discussed the latest developments, including the process for the December 28 early parliamentary elections. Osmani highlighted the importance of these elections to be held in line with the highest democratic standards. Osmani and Hargreaves also discussed concrete steps to finalize the President’s initiative for strategic agreements with the United Kingdom in the areas of defense, security and trade economy.

Kosovo Ombudsperson expresses concern over decision not to certify SL (media)

Kosovo’s Ombudsperson, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed concern over the decision of the Central Election Commission not to certify the Serbian List for the upcoming parliamentary elections, on December 28. “This decision, which for the second time rejects the request of this political entity, has been taken without a solid legal basis and in contradiction with procedures prescribed by law. The Ombudsperson recalls that political suitability is determined by citizens through free voting, not through administrative decisions. The right to vote and to be elected, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and by international human rights instruments, constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of democracy. In this context, the state has the positive obligation to ensure equal conditions and fair procedures for all political contestants, guaranteeing that any restriction is necessary, proportionate, and grounded in law. Therefore, any unjustified interference that prevents the participation of a political entity violates this right and directly affects the integrity of the electoral process. Taking into account that all political entities submitted for the early parliamentary elections had undergone the legal procedures of verification and control, it had been established that all political entities met the conditions and the corresponding recommendations had been forwarded to the CEC. Therefore, it was the CEC’s obligation to establish the facts and to certify those entities that fulfill the legal requirements, guaranteeing legal certainty and respect for procedures in accordance with domestic legislation and international human rights standards. The Ombudsperson recalls that, according to international practice, measures that affect the existence or participation of a political party, including non-certification, must be based on a clear, accessible, and foreseeable law, and must fully respect the procedures prescribed by law. Preventive interventions are permissible only when they are based on concrete actions prohibited by law and on final court decisions, not on political positions. The Ombudsperson welcomes the reactions of domestic and international actors who emphasized that the arbitrary non-certification of a political entity undermines human rights, trust in the electoral process, and the principle of inclusiveness. The Ombudsperson calls on the competent institutions to review this decision and to act in accordance with the principles of legality, constitutionality, and the values of a democratic society, ensuring the effective protection of the right to vote and to be elected,” the statement notes.

Haradinaj: VV is endangering Kosovo; legal basis on Serbian List (AP)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj explained on Wednesday why his party’s representatives at the Central Election Commission (CEC) abstained from voting on the certification of the Serbian List for the December 28 parliamentary elections. “To vote against it there should have been a legal element brought to the table. You cannot, lacking a legal basis, raise your hand and say ‘they are chetniks or terrorists’. We are a state of law now. If they are ‘chetniks and terrorists’, why then for five years the Kurti government did not send their case to court?” he argued.

Haradinaj said that Vetevendosje’s actions are not honest. “They are doing this for show, claiming they are patriots. There is a saying in the people that a patriot never talks about patriotism. A brave person never talks about bravery. The same with a wise person, he who is wise does not say all the time ‘I am wise, I am wise’,” he said.

According to Haradinaj, Vetevendosje is suffering from the complex of patriotism. “These people are endangering Kosovo with these behaviors. They could have presented a legal basis, send the case to court, find the illegal acts that the Serbian List has done and send them to court, but not to make this decision in the CEC, because the CEC is not a court and there is no revoking there,” he said.

New election bar on Kosovo Serb party condemned (BIRN)

The Central Election Commission has again refused to accredit the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party for parliamentary elections, triggering harsh reactions from Western diplomats.

Kosovo’s Western allies reacted with criticism after election officials on Tuesday again barred the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party from participating in this month’s parliamentary elections, after similar bars in previous polls.

International missions and embassies in Kosovo responded after a vote in the Central Elections Commission (CEC) on Tuesday afternoon saw Srpska Lista barred from snap elections on December 28.

Only two CEC members voted in favour of the application, seven abstained and the two members belonging to the ruling party, Vetevendosje, voted against.

“VV’s [Vetevendosje’s] attempts to block certification for Srpska Lista to participate in Kosovo’s elections is shortsighted and divisive,” the US Embassy in Kosovo said in a statement on Wednesday.

“All Kosovo citizens should be able to exercise their democratic rights. Such actions undermine Kosovo’s stability and US interests, including restarting our strategic dialogue to advance opportunities for US and Kosovo businesses,” it added.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/BeTLc

UNMIK concerned about CEC decision not to certify Serbian List (Kossev)

The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said on Wednesday that it was concerned about the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) decision not to certify the Serbian List. “Electoral processes must be conducted in a transparent, inclusive, impartial manner & remain free from political considerations in order to uphold the principles of free & fair elections and the rights of all communities to participate in the conduct of public affairs in Kosovo. UNMIK calls on the CEC to ensure full respect for the integrity of the electoral process and to adhere to the applicable legal framework,” the mission said in a post on X.

SL files complaints with ECAP against CEC decision (Radio KiM)

The Serbian List has filed a complaint with the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel against the decision of the Central Election Commission not to certify this party for the December 28 parliamentary elections. SL leader Zlatan Elek told a press conference on Wednesday that the CEC decision “was illegal, illegitimate and anti-Serbian” and that he expects that it will be annulled. He said that ECAP will decide on their complaint in the next 72 hours and that the SL expects a positive decision.

Elek thanked international actors and embassies who reacted to the CEC decision. 

Self: After elections, Serbia should recognize Kosovo’s sovereignty (Koha)

Instability in the Balkans is fertile ground for Russia’s influence to incite interethnic tensions, it was said in discussions held at the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Europe Subcommittee Chairman Keith Self said that the Western Balkans is the most unstable region following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He also highlighted the lack of normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. “Even though since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the open conflict has quieted down, centuries of ethnic divisions, border changes and political distrust continue in the region, while different political crisis threaten the post-Yugoslav order. As an example, the unresolved dispute between Serbia and Kosovo is one of the main inciters of regional instability and it has created a strategic division which enables Russia to undermine the abilities of EU and NATO to strengthen the Balkan countries,” he said.

Self also said that the 2023 Ohrid agreement between Serbia and Kosovo which aimed to reduce immediate tensions and revive past agreements has stalled. “The election crisis in Kosovo has deteriorated this situation as a result of the Republic of Kosovo’s failure to form a government after the February elections, leading Kosovo to prepare for early elections on December 28. After the elections, if Kosovo forms a government, I sincerely hope that Serbia will finally recognize Kosovo’s sovereignty,” he said.

Sekerinska highlights KFOR’s importance for security in Kosovo (TeVe1)

NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska spoke on Wednesday about KFOR’s role in maintaining stability and security in Kosovo and about the importance of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. She said that the security situation in Kosovo remains a priority for the Alliance especially after tensions in the northern municipalities. “NATO remains committed to security in the Western Balkans, because the region is of strategic importance for us. We have a more noticeable present and a clearer commitment through our KFOR mission. It is the biggest mission of the Alliance and this is no coincidence because we think that security in the Western Balkans is important for the Alliance. The KFOR mission is there to guarantee peace and security for all in Kosovo, to guarantee free movement, and to offer the right environment for political leaders to move forward,” she said.

Sekerinska also said that “KFOR is there to support the political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The military presence cannot resolve challenges for long-term peace, only political dialogue and sometimes uneasy concessions can do this”.

EU urges all KPC members to jointly and fully implement reforms (media)

The European Union Office in Kosovo said in a statement on Tuesday that in a meeting with the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, it urged all its members “to jointly and fully implement the KPC reform, ensure the legality of their decisions, act with integrity & safeguard public trust in the justice system. The #RuleOfLaw is an essential 🇪🇺 #EU prerequisite”.

UK on developments at KPC: We encourage all parties to respect procedures (Koha)

The UK Embassy in Kosovo told Koha on Wednesday that “the recent developments in the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council are a major test of Kosovo’s ability to maintain its reputation as a country where the rule of law is respected and where the public can have confidence in the integrity of its justice institutions. We encourage all parties to respect legal procedures, to refrain from personal attacks, and to act in the interest of judicial integrity”.

Gutierrez calls on Kurti to end Kurteshi’s “smear campaign” (media)

Several news websites report that Ricardo Gutierrez, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, called on Kosovo caretaker Prime MInister Albin Kurti to “immediately put an end to the smear campaign being waged by a member of your party against journalists”. Gutierrez said in a Facebook post that “Sami Kurteshi has described our affiliate, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK), as an ‘alliance of criminal groups’. This comparison of a highly respected European journalists' organisation to a criminal group is both outrageous and undignified. AGK is a respected organisation that is simply doing its job, which is to defend journalists and journalism. Mr Kurti, by tolerating such outbursts, you are undermining journalists, their credibility and your country by allowing your own party, the VV, to denigrate anyone who dares to hold you and other policy-makers to account. Shame on your party! I urge you to put an end to this intimidation before it is too late. I have seen too many journalists suffer abuse and physical assault, very often after being publicly denigrated. You have a responsibility to put a stop to these mafia-like practices. Otherwise, you will be complicit in them”.

CEFTA adopts four key decisions under Kosovo chairmanship (RTK)

The news website reported on Wednesday that Kosovo caretaker Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, attended the CEFTA Joint Committee Meeting held in Pristina as part of the CEFTA Week titled “Trade Together, Towards Europe”. The meeting was chaired by Kosovo through MINT and included representatives from all CEFTA members and the DG ENEST of the European Commission. Four key decisions were adopted at the meeting, which are aimed at enhancing the facilitation of free trade in goods and services, support customs administrations and institutions responsible for market surveillance, with an emphasis on increasing security and efficiency while facilitating legitimate trade.

Kosovo lags behind standards in integrating people with disabilities (PI)

The absence of a strong legal framework has led to persons with disabilities in Kosovo not being integrated into society and it has limited their access to proper education or employment opportunities.

December 3 marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Around the world, this date is intended to serve as more than a slogan. It mainly marks a moment to reflect on commitments made, progress achieved, and rights still denied.

In Kosovo, despite annual conferences and polite applause in institutional halls, this day remains largely symbolic. Beyond the speeches and commemorative banners, the actual reality for persons with disabilities continues to be shaped by inconsistent policies, insufficient resources, and a striking lack of political urgency.

Data shows a truth no ceremony can mask. According to the Kosovo Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2025-2030, more than 337,000 citizens—roughly 21 percent of Kosovo’s population—live without functional laws and sustainable services designed to support them.

According to civil society organizations, persons with disabilities are less likely to attend school, more likely to face unemployment, and routinely excluded from public services and civic life.

Afrim Maliqi, the director of the Association of Paraplegics and Paralysed Children of Kosovo, HANDIKOS, told Prishtina Insight that, “persons with disabilities remain the poorest and most marginalized group in the country.”

“Despite efforts at both central and local levels, the situation remains difficult for the persons with disabilities, [who] live in difficult economic conditions, without institutional rehabilitation, adequate healthcare services, or meaningful access to public life,” he explained.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/NrM1x