• Osmani meets Hungarian President, calls for lifting of EU measures (media)
• EU ready to work with new government, mentions dialogue with Serbia (Koha)
• Orav welcomes smooth handover of local government in north (media)
• Kosovo’s parties prepare for showdown at 2025’s second general election (BIRN)
• COMKFOR Ulutas hosts Kurti, Maqedonci and Krasniqi (media)
• Osmani’s office reacts to AI-generated image circulating in social media (media)
• Online abuse is silencing women and undermining democracy, conference hears (PI)
• Closing arguments in trial of ex-KLA leaders in February next year (media)
• SL: New mayors dissolved all politically appointed municipal departments’ directors in northern Kosovo (Kossev)

Osmani meets Hungarian President, calls for lifting of EU measures (media)

All news websites report that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani hosted the Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok in Pristina on Monday. “During our bilateral meeting, I underscored that Hungary’s support for lifting the EU’s unjust measures remains indispensable. Advancing Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration is not only in the interest of our citizens, but also in the interest of regional stability and the broader European continent,” Osmani wrote in a post on X.

EU ready to work with new government, mentions dialogue with Serbia (Koha)

One day after Koha reported that the EU would not lift the measures against Kosovo after the handover of local power in the north, officials in Brussels said they were ready to work with Kosovo’s authorities after the December 28 parliamentary elections. They also mentioned progress in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

A spokesperson for the EU told the news website that the Commission expects Kosovo to return to the path of necessary reforms and to advance in the process of normalization of relations with Serbia – two key conditions for progress on the EU path. “The Commission has made the first steps to gradually remove the measures in May 2025. As it was said earlier, we aim to continue lifting these measures. We welcome the smooth handover of local power in the four northern municipalities and we expect the new mayors to represent the interests of all citizens … The EU is ready to work with Kosovo’s authorities as soon as they are elected and to continue to support Kosovo on its path toward the EU. We expect Kosovo to return to the path of necessary reforms related to the EU, for the good of its people, and by making progress in the normalization of relations with Serbia,” the spokesperson said.

Orav welcomes smooth handover of local government in north (media)

EU Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, met on Monday with the new mayors of the four northern municipalities in Zvecan, and welcomed the smooth handover of local government in line with Kosovo law. “He reiterated the need for constructive engagement between central and local authorities and EU’s support for realizing non-majority community rights as per the Kosovo Constitution,” the EU Office said in a Facebook post.

Kosovo’s parties prepare for showdown at 2025’s second general election (BIRN)

Political parties have made the final touches to their candidate lists for the December 28 parliamentary elections, hoping to better their results from February's inconclusive polls, which left the country in administrative deadlock.

With around 1,200 candidates on the lists, 24 Kosovo political entities are bracing for a looming snap election on December 28, after a year in which the country was plunged into a political crisis with a caretaker government and a non-functional parliament.

Sunday’s midnight deadline put an end to weeks of talks and rumours about possible pre-election coalitions and head-hunting by the various parties for new candidates to include in their ranks.

Vetevendosje, which was victorious in the last elections in February, has managed to maintain its coalition with two small parties, Alternativa and Guxo [Dare] while adding an unlikely ally in the Albanian Demo Christian Party, PSHDK, which has switched sides from its traditional ally, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/UKS4S

COMKFOR Ulutas hosts Kurti, Maqedonci and Krasniqi (media)

Most news websites report that the Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Ozkan Ulutas, met with Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Camp Film City, Pristina, together with caretaker Minister of Defense Ejup Maqedonci and caretaker Minister of Local Government Elbert Krasniqi. “They exchanged views on strengthening cooperation between KFOR and Institutions in Kosovo. General Ulutas highlighted KFOR’s steadfast commitment to continue contributing to security across Kosovo and the wider region,” KFOR said in a Facebook post.

A press release issued by Kurti’s office notes that they discussed current developments in Kosovo and the region, and the security situation. “The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of cooperation between Kosovo security institutions and the NATO mission in Kosovo,” it was said.

Osmani’s office reacts to AI-generated image circulating in social media (media)

Most news websites report that the Office of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani issued a reaction on Monday to an AI-generated image circulating in social media. “This photo is fake, a fabricated image built to create confusion and to damage the figure of President Osmani, which every day with seriousness, commitment and institutional integrity, defends Kosovo’s interests and represents our state with dignity on the international arena,” the reaction notes. Osmani’s office also called on Kosovo Police and relevant authorities to take action against the disinformation. The AI-generated image shows Osmani in the company of senior Serbian officials Marko Djuric and Ana Brnabic.

Online abuse is silencing women and undermining democracy, conference hears (PI)

At a moment when democracy is increasingly shaped and shaken by digital spaces, the 9th edition of the Conference on Information Integrity, DISICON 9, placed an urgent crisis at the centre of its agenda: the escalating online abuse targeting women in political life.

Opening the conference on Information Integrity, DISICON 9, Nancy Soderberg, NDI Senior Country Director, highlighted that, “across the region and the world, we are witnessing a surge of online violence, misogynistic narratives, deepfakes, and coordinated harassment designed to silence women and distort debate. These are systematic tactics.”

DISICON 9 launched in Prishtina on December 8, aligning with the global “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.” It brings together diplomats, politicians, journalists, researchers, and civil society leaders, under a unified message: gendered digital violence has evolved into a systematic, technologically sophisticated threat to democratic participation.

Christoph Fuchs, Charge d’Affaires from the Swiss Embassy in Kosovo, noted that: “Civil society must act as a watchdog, educator, and advocate empowering citizens and holding powerful actors accountable.”

From the EU Office in Kosovo, Eva Palatova stressed the need for law enforcement: “If online spaces are used to harass and intimidate women, the legislation is only meaningful if it is applied.”

German Ambassador Rainer Rudolph offered a framework for better resilience: “A clear policy framework, independent media, and leadership willing to uphold standards are essential.”

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

Closing arguments in trial of ex-KLA leaders in February next year (media)

Spokesperson for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Michael Doyle, in an interview with Front Online on Monday, said that the Trial Panel has adopted a new procedural order setting deadlines and guidelines for the remaining phases of the trial against former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The court has set January 19 next year as the deadline for the prosecution and the defense to submit their final trial briefs. The Trial Panel has also set 19 January 2026 as the deadline for the prosecution and defense to file their closing briefs, and for the Victims’ Participation Office to submit its statement. Doyle said that the closing arguments are scheduled for 9–13 February 2026, marking the end of the public part of the trial. After that, the Trial Panel will close the judicial proceedings and begin deliberations on the judgment. The verdict must be delivered within 90 days after the proceedings are closed. If circumstances require, the deadline may be extended by an additional 60 days.

SL: New mayors dissolved all politically appointed municipal departments’ directors in northern Kosovo (Kossev)

Newly elected mayors in four northern municipalities, who assumed their duties last Friday, have dissolved yesterday all politically appointed directors of municipal departments. The news has been confirmed by the Serbian List.

In a statement the Serbian List said that “mayors of Mitrovica North Milan Radojevic, Zvecan Dragisa Milovic, Zubin Potok Milos Perovic and Leposavic Zoran Todic took over duties in these municipalities and made decisions to dissolve all, politically appointed directors of the municipal departments”. Serbian List also said appointment of new municipal departments’ directors is expected to take place in coming days.

The four northern mayors also met yesterday with the Head of the European Union Office in Pristina, Aivo Orav and discussed with him the current situation mayors found in their municipalities upon taking over the duties.