UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, July 16, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

UK calls for urgent formation of institutions, fulfillment of Dialogue commitments (media)
Caretaker government: Supreme Court decision unfounded, biased, arbitrary (media)
LDK to submit Supreme Court ruling as evidence to Prosecutor’s Office (Kallxo)
Rohde: Constitutional Court cannot do the job of politicians (Dukagjini)
COMKFOR hosts Pierce, discuss security in Kosovo (RTK)
Osmani: Kosovo offers great potential for foreign investors (media)
“Caretaker ministers should resign, constitution violated with over 60 decisions” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic discusses investments and projects with EBRD’s Patrone (N1, Tanjug, media)
Great Britain's envoy Karen Pierce met with representatives across Kosovo Serb community (media, social media)
Petkovic reacts to Osmani’s remarks about Serbia attempting to destabilize Kosovo (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, media)
Cakolil: Supreme Court clarified Government has no mandate, all decisions void (media)
Pleskovic says he is not guilty for acts he is accused of (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
EFJ-IFJ warn of latest threats against N1 (N1)

International Media:

Inside Kosovo’s prisons: Rehabilitation programs aim to support resocialization (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

UK calls for urgent formation of institutions, fulfillment of Dialogue commitments (media)

The British Embassy in Pristina has summarized the visit of the UK’s Special Envoy to Kosovo Karen Pierce. She emphasized the urgency of forming a government that will promote the interests of all Kosovo people, alongside the need for Kosovo to fulfill its commitments within the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia.

As part of her visit to Kosovo, Pierce met with representatives of political parties to discuss the upcoming Berlin Process Summit, which in October will bring together the six leaders of the Western Balkans in London, the British Embassy in Pristina announced on Tuesday.

Additionally, during her visit, the British diplomat met with the Commander of the NATO Force in Kosovo, Enrico Barduani, where she reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s ongoing support for KFOR and praised its critical role in maintaining security in Kosovo.

Pierce also met with representatives of the Serbian community in Kosovo, encouraging Serbian political parties to participate in the upcoming local elections in October. Furthermore, she underlined the importance of Kosovo fulfilling its obligations toward the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Caretaker government: Supreme Court decision, unfounded, biased, arbitrary (media)

The caretaker government has issued a reaction following the Supreme Court's decision to annul the Administrative Instruction on fiscal cash registers, labeling it as arbitrary.

“This reasoning is unfounded in law and constitutes a one-sided and arbitrary interpretation of legal provisions. Specifically, Article 31 of the Law on the Government contains no prohibition concerning the issuance of sub-legal acts by an acting government or acting ministers. This article limits the activities of an acting government only in major matters, such as: international agreements requiring parliamentary ratification, constitutional amendments, new draft laws, strategies, and concept documents, but not in the issuance of implementing acts, such as the Administrative Instruction in question,” the statement reads.

The acting Government argues that the drafting procedure for this Instruction began on November 20, 2024, at a time when the Government had a full constitutional and legal mandate, which, according to them, grants the Instruction full procedural and substantive legitimacy.

“The Supreme Court’s decision is also weak from a logical and constitutional standpoint, because while it acknowledges the existence and functioning of an acting Government, it simultaneously denies its right to exercise a competence that is not prohibited by law. This constitutes a clear contradiction in its reasoning and undermines the principle of legal certainty and the continuous functioning of executive institutions,” the statement continues.

Regarding the claim of a possible functional conflict between the role of an acting minister and that of a member of Assembly, the caretaker government argues that no such conflict can exist as long as the new parliamentary composition has not yet assumed its constitutional role. In conclusion, the caretaker government announced that it will appeal this decision.

LDK to submit Supreme Court ruling as evidence to Prosecutor’s Office (Kallxo)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) reacted on Tuesday’s decision of the Supreme Court annulling the administrative instruction on the use of electronic fiscal devices, fiscal systems, and electronic fiscal software, reasoning that it was adopted by an acting government and an acting minister, who, according to the Court, lack the authority to issue sub-legal acts.

LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku stated that his party had already filed 17 criminal complaints with the Special Prosecutor’s Office against individuals acting simultaneously as ministers and members of parliament. However, he said, the Prosecutor’s Office had requested additional evidence in a formal letter. “Today, the Supreme Court of the Republic spoke clearly. With a final decision, it determined that holding both the position of MP and minister at the same time is illegal; and as such, constitutes a criminal offense. Tomorrow, LDK will officially submit this ruling to the Prosecutor’s Office. One more piece of evidence. A ruling that is now final,” Abdixhiku said. He added that LDK also expects international support in defending democracy and the rule of law in Kosovo.

“From those who don’t know whether they are ministers or MPs, we expect nothing. But from Kosovo’s Prosecutor’s Office, we expect action. This state and this society pay them, maintain them, and above all, entrust them with upholding the law. Let there be justice for all. I have also informed the QUINT ambassadors about this development. LDK expects international support for the protection of democracy and the rule of law in Kosovo,” Abdixhiku concluded.

Rohde: Constitutional Court cannot do the job of politicians (Dukagjini)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, urged political leaders to urgently resolve the ongoing institutional deadlock, stressing that the responsibility lies with politicians—not the Constitutional Court. He warned that continued inaction could harm Kosovo’s international relevance and reputation. Rohde echoed the call for compromise made by the French ambassador and criticized the current situation as a “circus,” citing blocked tenders, halted capital spending, and economic harm to people. He expressed frustration over political leaders’ failure to cooperate and noted that efforts to form the government have now failed 47 times.

The German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, has sent a clear message to political party leaders regarding the institutional deadlock, calling on them to act quickly to find a solution. Rohde stated that the responsibility to resolve this situation lies directly with the politicians, not with the Constitutional Court.

COMKFOR hosts Pierce, discuss security in Kosovo (RTK)

The Commander of the NATO-led mission in Kosovo, Major General Enrico Barduani, hosted on Tuesday the United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Karen Pierce, accompanied by the British Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves. According to a KFOR press release, the meeting focused primarily on the current security situation in Kosovo and on the EU-facilitated Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue. “In this context, Major General Barduani reiterated KFOR’s continued commitment towards a safe and secure environment for all communities.

He also praised the professionalism of the British contingent and expressed his appreciation for the long-standing British contribution to KFOR and to peace and stability in the region.

During the visit, Her Excellency Pierce conveyed her appreciation for KFOR’s ongoing efforts in maintaining security and supporting stability for all communities in Kosovo,” reads the KFOR communique.

Osmani: Kosovo offers great potential for foreign investors (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, during a meeting with the Latvian Chamber of Commerce, presented the potential that Kosovo offers for international investors, highlighting the key elements that, according to her, make Kosovo an attractive destination for foreign businesses. “In the meeting with the Latvian Chamber of Commerce, I presented the potential that Kosovo offers for foreign investors: free access to several international markets, a business climate based on the rule of law and innovation, a young and qualified workforce, and legislation fully aligned with European standards,” stated Osmani.

The President added that building new economic relationships with Latvia is one of Kosovo’s priorities. “We are open to building new bridges of partnership with Latvia, while economic cooperation remains one of our top priorities,” she said.

“Caretaker ministers should resign, constitution violated with over 60 decisions” (media)

Eugen Cakolli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), said that the Constitution of Kosovo has been violated and called for the resignation of caretaker ministers. He said that based on an analysis currently being conducted by KDI, there are over 60 decisions made by the government since March 27 that, based on the current interpretation, constitute constitutional violations. He also revealed that these decisions have a financial impact exceeding 60 million euros. “In a purely formal sense, it makes no sense for them to remain in those positions, but simply going to the office is not the biggest violation — the real issue is that they are signing decisions. In principle, neither the prime minister nor the ministers should be going to the office,” Cakolli said.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic discusses investments and projects with EBRD’s Patrone (N1, Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed investments and joint projects with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Vice President Mateo Patrone.

An Instagram post said they discussed projects that contribute to the economic development of the country. “We paid special attention to the areas of infrastructure, energy and innovation in which we see great opportunities for even more intensive cooperation”, it said. The post also said they discussed EBRD projects that are part of the Serbian budget including railway modernization, improving remote heating systems, developing science and technology parks.

“I emphasized the importance of flexibility in procedures and respecting the needs of investors, to ensure stability and predictability in conducting all phases of cooperation. I believe that through the partnership we will be able to further strengthen the development potential of Serbia”, Vucic was quoted as saying.

Great Britain's envoy Karen Pierce met with representatives across Kosovo Serb community (media, social media)

The British Embassy said in a Facebook post that the UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Dame Karen Pierce, met yesterday with representatives from across the Kosovo Serb community. She underlined the UK’s support for a democratic, multiethnic Kosovo and encouraged Kosovo Serb political parties to participate in the local elections in October. On a visit to Gracanica Monastery she met Archbishop Teodosije and discussed the importance of Kosovo implementing its commitments towards the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC).

Serbian List (SL) President Zlatan Elek and Vice President Dragisa Milovic had a meeting with Great Britain's Special Envoy Pierce, the party said in a Facebook post yesterday. They said the topic of the meeting was the difficult situation of the Serbian people in Kosovo, with a special emphasis on the daily challenges faced by Serbs in the context of security, institutional discrimination, and violations of basic human rights. Representatives of the SL informed the delegation about politically motivated arrests, excessive use of force by the Kosovo police special units, as well as with the pressures that the Serbian people suffer from the institutions in Pristina, Tanjug reported, citing the post.

KoSSev reported that one of the leaders of the Serbian Democracy party, Stefan Veljkovic expressed in a meeting with Pierce his concern about the increasing restriction of freedoms and the denial of individual and collective rights to the Serbian people in Kosovo. Veljkovic also spoke about "public targeting and increasingly pronounced police repression" towards this party, referring to the case of the leader of the Serbian Democracy, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, who was being sought by Kosovo authorities. Veljkovic insisted on this in his conversation with Pierce. He requested that the international community insist on guaranteeing a fair trial upon Arsenijevic's return to Kosovo, reported KoSSev.

Pierce also hosted civil society, i.e., representatives of non-governmental organizations ACDC, CASA and Aktiv.

"She also met with a group of Kosovo Serb non-governmental organizations to hear the opinions of the community", said the Embassy's post, reported KoSSev.

KoSSev recalled that after Pierce's arrival in Kosovo, another high representative from the West left Pristina, that is, an official of the State Department, Brendan Hanrahan, who before coming to Pristina stayed in Belgrade.

Petkovic reacts to Osmani’s remarks about Serbia attempting to destabilize Kosovo (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic in his reaction to the allegations of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani that Serbia constantly attempts to destabilize Kosovo, said “the policy of unilateral actions and human rights violations of the Serbs, consistently pursued by Pristina for years, is the biggest threat to stability of region”, adding that Osmani “has been lying big time when attributing any ill intentions to Belgrade”, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"Aggression up to this day is the main feature of Pristina’s provisional self-governance institutions’ functioning, and all attempts by Vjosa Osmani to shift the burden of responsibility for the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija to Belgrade represent the worst cynicism and foiling", Petkovic said. As he added “(Albin) Kurti has been implementing a reign of terror in Kosovo for years, while (Vjosa) Osmani and (Donika) Gervala have nothing to say about it, except of repeating like parrots nonsenses about Serbia as a zone of Russian influence in the Balkans".

Petkovic accused Pristina of not accepting participation in any regional initiative aiming at relaxation of relations in the region, nor did it with a single act demonstrated it was ready to back off policy of mistreatment and disfranchisement of the Serbian people in Kosovo.

Cakolil: Supreme Court clarified Government has no mandate, all decisions void (media)

Eugen Cakolli from Kosovo Democratic Institute said the Supreme Court finally clarified that former ministers, who received MP mandate after elections, cannot continue carrying out executive functions after March 27, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Cakolli’s post on Facebook.

As he said each decision they made after this date is void and contrary to the Constitution and division of powers principle. According to him, the current Kosovo Government has no mandate to pass decisions, while continuous actions of ministers, who are now MPs, represent violation of the Kosovo Constitution and are carried out without legitimacy and parliamentary oversight.

He opined this represents a ground for criminal responsibility and inflicts serious damage to institutions and people.

Pleskovic says he is not guilty for acts he is accused of (Radio KIM, KoSSev)

Milos Pleskovic, an internally displaced person from Prizren, accused of allegedly committing war crimes against the civilian population in Prizren, presented his defense remarks in a trial yesterday, Radio KIM reported.

Pleskovic’s defence lawyer Jovana Filipovic said her client described in detail all what happened in 1998. In particular, he claimed he was not involved in the murder of the three Albanians, a crime he is accused of.

“Milos confirmed what we had been saying since beginning, that he was not in Prizren at the time when three murders occurred, and therefore he could not have any information about these events”, Filipovic said, adding the prosecutor attempted to receive the replay he wanted to hear. “(…) we hope that the judicial panel after this hearing will be convinced that Milos was telling the truth”, she said.

Milos Pleskovic, was arrested on September 30, 2023 in Ugljare village, near Kosovo Polje, where he lived with his mother as an internally displaced person from Prizren. He remains in detention since attest. During previous hearings he pleaded not guilty for the acts he is accused of.

EFJ-IFJ warn of latest threats against N1 (N1)

The European and Internal Federation of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) expressed its full support to N1 following a threat which recalled the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack which left 12 people dead on Tuesday, N1 reported.

N1 received a letter recently recalling the Charlie Hebdo attack. “The independent television channel N1’s editorial staff, regularly threatened for their critical reporting, recently faced a frightening shift from online violence to offline threats within the newsroom. Among them, a threatening letter reminding N1 of the 2015 terrorist attack at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 journalists and media workers, was addressed to the staff”, the EFJ said.

“The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined their Serbian members in urging the Ministry of Interior for police protection of the independent television channel N1 whose security needs to be stepped up,” the statement said.

International Media

Inside Kosovo’s prisons: Rehabilitation programs aim to support resocialization (Prishtina Insight)

In the high-security facilities of Kosovo’s prison system, the Correctional Service of Kosovo has taken several steps toward creating programs to rehabilitate individuals convicted or suspected of terrorism and other offences.

In July, The Kallxo.com team visited two correctional centres where they became closely acquainted with the resocialisation programs offered to inmates. These programs range from anger management and deradicalisation initiatives to vocational training and psychosocial support.

Dubrava Prison and the High Security Prison in Gerdovc - the two largest correctional facilities in Kosovo - have implemented rehabilitation programs specifically designed for individuals associated with extremism, but also those convicted of other offences. These programs are all part of a larger initiative to reduce recidivism and promote reintegration.