UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 2, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

New Kosovo Assembly not constituted even after ninth attempt (RFE)
Murati: PDK, LDK and AAK refused to unblock the process (media)
Abdixhiku: It is in national interest to refuse VV’s political approach (media)
LDK: Secret voting, an arbitrary and anti-constitutional step (media)
Krasniqi: Albulena Haxhiu does not pass (media)
Tahiri rules out coalition with VV: We can’t make Kosovo better with them (Klan)
KDI: Change of voting during session, an arbitrary session (media)
Kurti reacts to explosion in car of University Clinical Center (media)
War Veterans: New convictions of KLA leaders, grave alarm for justice (media)
Osmani visits Malaysia, will open Kosovo’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic: Serbia's territory is being taken in violation of UN Charter, while same in Ukraine is called a crime (Kosovo Online, media)
Lawyer: Supreme Court terminated detention of four Serbs arrested in Djakovica (KoSSev, media)
Closure of Serbian institutions in Leposavic further endangers social welfare recipients (Kosovo Online)
Bumpy road to child allowances in Kosovo: From social services to Statistics Agency – and then what? (KoSSev)
Monument without a dedication? North Mitrovica proposes €7,000 project with no clear subject (KoSSev)
Memorial on 30th anniversary of operation in Croatia (N1)
Students, unions protested in front of Serbian Government (N1)
Tribute paid to victims in Novi Sad (N1)

International Media:

Kosovo Ombudsperson urges suspension of electricity price hike (PI)

Albanian Language Media

New Kosovo Assembly not constituted even after ninth attempt (RFE)

Members of the Kosovo Assembly failed to constitute the new legislature on Thursday after a proposal by session chair Avni Dehari to have a secret vote on the Assembly Speaker did not pass. The MPs will meet again on May 3 to try and constitute the new Assembly.

Murati: PDK, LDK and AAK refused to unblock the process (media)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Hekuran Murati, said on Thursday that by refusing to have a secret vote on the Kosovo Assembly Speaker, the PDK, LDK, and the AAK proved that they are against unblocking the process of constituting the new Assembly. He told reporters after the failed session that a secret vote to constitute a new Assembly is made possible by a ruling of the Constitutional Court in 2014. “PDK, LDK, AAK and the Serbian List, however, refused to unblock the process,” he said.

Abdixhiku: It is in national interest to refuse VV’s political approach (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku said in a Facebook post on Thursday that the Vetevendosje Movement acted in full arbitrarily fashion when it proposed to change the voting procedure for the Assembly Speaker. “This policy needs to end! The LDK will bring it to an end! It is in our national interest to refuse such a political approach and not to submit to it. I hope that the other parties will understand this as soon as possible,” he said.

LDK: Secret voting, an arbitrary and anti-constitutional step (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Hykmete Bajrami said on Thursday that by “arbitrarily trying to change the manner of voting” in the Kosovo Assembly, the Vetevendosje Movement made another constitutional and legal violation. “The regulation of the Assembly determines the manners of voting … This is determined at the start of the process. Never in history were there attempts to change the [voting] process and it is a violation to try and change the manner of voting after the process has started," she argued.

Bajrami also said that the LDK did not take part in a meeting called by VV leader Albin Kurti, “because we don’t want a political agreement with them”.

Krasniqi: Albulena Haxhiu does not pass (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi said after the failure of the ninth attempt to constitute the new Assembly that Kurti’s Vetevendosje Movement is continuing to ridicule the people of Kosovo. He argued that by proposing to change the manner of voting, Vetevendosje made a clear constitutional violation.

Krasniqi reiterated his party’s position against Vetevendosje’s candidate for Assembly Speaker, Albulena Haxhiu. “Albulena Haxhiu does not pass and that is it,” he said. According to Krasniqi, Kurti thinks that Haxhiu is more important than the Assembly of Kosovo.

Tahiri rules out coalition with VV: We can’t make Kosovo better with them (Klan)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Abelard Tahiri categorically ruled out any possible political cooperation between the PDK and Kurti’s Vetevendosje Movement or an eventual coalition after elections. “We are certain that a coalition with VV cannot make this country better. For two years now we have been under EU sanctions, and we have outstanding differences in governance. Our answer is clear: no. We want to send the Vetevendosje Movement to the opposition,” he said in an interview with Klan Kosova. “With VV you cannot increase salaries and pensions, and you cannot lift the sanctions. How are we supposed to govern with them?”

KDI: Change of voting during session, an arbitrary session (media)

The Pristina-based Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), which monitors the work of the Assembly and promotes transparency, accountability and democratic standards in decision-making, said in a statement on Thursday that it was deeply concerned about the manner in which voting took place during the continuation of the Kosovo Assembly constitutive session.

KDI argued that changing the voting procedure in the middle of the session by the session chair and without respecting the rules of procedure constitutes a violation of procedural principles and presents a dangerous precedent for the functioning of the Assembly. “This action not only contradicts the standards of a democratic legislature but also undermines public confidence in the regularity and integrity of parliamentary processes,” the statement notes.

Kurti reacts to explosion in car of University Clinical Center (media)

Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti reacted to the explosion in the car of Acting Head of the Clinical University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK) Osman Hajdari calling it a criminal act. He said in a Facebook post that organized crime and acts with terrorist elements will not stop the government in its efforts for reforms. “Yesterday’s attack against Mr. Hajdari is proof that we are facing structures whose close interests that have been installed for over 20 years are being affected. But such acts [referring to the explosion] will not stop us, on the contrary, they will make us even more adamant on our path,” Kurti argued. “Reforms that we have started in every public institution are deep and are focused on protecting the public interest and providing more qualitative services for the people. These processes will continue without any compromise”.

War Veterans: New convictions of KLA leaders, a grave alarm for justice (media)

The Organization of the War Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army said in a Facebook post on Thursday that concerns about new convictions against the heads of the Kosovo Liberation Army are a grave alarm for justice and for Kosovo. They argued that these warnings confirm a constant fear that the court proceedings in the Hague are not aimed at revealing the truth but to politically persecute those that led Kosovo’s war for freedom. The war veterans also said that the Specialist Chambers don’t want to try certain individuals but rather “to damage the legitimacy of the Kosovo Liberation Army and the statehood of Kosovo”.

Osmani visits Malaysia, will open Kosovo’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has travelled to Malaysia where she will meet senior leaders and open Kosovo’s embassy. “Touchdown in Kuala Lumpur. A profound honor to be warmly welcomed for an official visit to Malaysia, at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. As one of the first countries to recognize our Republic, Malaysia holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Kosovo,” Osmani wrote in a post on X.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: Serbia's territory is being taken in violation of UN Charter, while same in Ukraine is called a crime (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, currently on a visit to the United States, said yesterday that double standards were unacceptable - that international public law and the United Nations Charter are upheld in the case of Ukraine, but not when it comes to Serbia, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“In my conversation with Rudy Giuliani, I emphasized two key points. You cannot apply a double standard - to claim respect for international public law and the UN Charter, and then bomb Serbia with 19 countries without a UN Security Council decision, and seize 13 or 14 percent of Serbia’s territory in violation of that same Charter. And when something similar happens in Ukraine, you call it a crime and say it is the first time since World War II. It is neither the first time, nor has it happened only to Ukraine - you did it to Serbia”, Vucic told reporters.

He stressed that such double standards are particularly relevant for European countries, noting that Republicans in the U.S. understand this well.

“You cannot go to Sarajevo and constantly claim that Kosovo is independent, and then say that [Milorad] Dodik is a criminal for seeking something else. You cannot prosecute the leadership of the Republic of Srpska for verbal offenses or for disagreeing with someone imposed from the outside. That does not exist in any country”, Vucic pointed out.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/gNSC0

Lawyer: Supreme Court terminated detention of four Serbs arrested in Djakovica (KoSSev, media)

Kosovo Supreme Court has terminated the decision on one-month detention of four Serbs arrested at the beginning of April in Djakovica, their lawyer Predrag Miljkovic confirmed to KoSSev portal.

As Kosovo prosecution said back then the vehicle carrying four Serbs was pulled over on April 5, 2025 over a speed issue. Prior to their arrest the four Serbs were visiting Serbian Orthodox Church monasteries in Kosovo. Kosovo police said they found “cold weapons” in the trunk of their vehicle, while defense lawyers claimed they had no “cold weapons” but rather “orchard tools”. Upon being detained for 48 hours, they were sent to 30-day detention. The Kosovo Government claimed that one of the arrested Serbs was a Serbian police lieutenant and that the other was the Army of Serbia captain. Lawyers said one of the arrested Serbs worked as a police inspector, while the other one was a dentist at Military Medical Academy in Belgrade.

Lawyer Predrag Miljkovic appealed the initial decision on detention, and almost a month later, the Supreme Court ruled that detention should be terminated. "With this decision, the Supreme Court confirmed the position of defence that there was no reasonable doubt that mentioned items were cold weapons. With the same decision, the detention was terminated", Miljkovic told KoSSev.

Closure of Serbian institutions in Leposavic further endangers social welfare recipients (Kosovo Online)

More than two months after Kosovo police closed the Centre for Social Welfare in Leposavic, the situation for social welfare recipients has become increasingly difficult. Eight days ago, the offices of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO Fund) and the National Employment Service were also shut down, and an eviction notice was issued to Kopaonik Put company which provides meals to over 20 displaced persons, as well as to the Serbian Bureau for Health Protection and Health Insurance – Belgrade, branch for Mitrovica district, Kosovo Online portal reported.

Around 1,500 social welfare recipients are now facing problems obtaining the necessary documentation, and many are forced to travel more than 50 kilometres to access their rights. Among them are single mothers, such as Svetlana Tomic, whose son suffers from diabetes, and Ana Vulicevic, a mother of three whose husband is unemployed and who herself cannot work because she cares for her sick mother.

“I have a seven-year-old son. I’m a single mother with a sick child - he has diabetes and is on insulin. It wasn’t so hard until now, but since he got sick, it’s been extremely difficult. First, I have to go to Raska to pick up his therapy, insulin. Life in general has become hard. Since the institutions were closed, it’s been extremely difficult to renew social assistance and child benefits. I live off social aid, pay rent, and provide a special diet for my son”, Tomic said. Ana Vulicevic, a mother of three, says she lives on social welfare because she cannot work because of her youngest child and also because she takes care of her sick mother. Everything has become more expensive, including bus fares. It’s hard to spend an entire day just collecting documents for social welfare, she asserted.

Natasa Nastic, Director of the Center for Social Work, emphasized efforts are being made to help the users, but the difficult working conditions and the inability to conduct field visits further complicate the situation, especially for handicapped and elderly persons. She expressed hope that a solution will soon be found so that social welfare users do not have to bear additional costs on top of their already low income.

Kosovo Online portal said attempts to contact Albanian mayor of Leposavic, Lulzim Hetemi for response were unsuccessful by the time the article was published.

Bumpy road to child allowances in Kosovo: From social services to Statistics Agency – and then what? (KoSSev)

In Kosovo, applying for a child’s right to public support has turned into a complex bureaucratic maze. Instead of a straightforward process, some parents have found themselves caught between social services, post offices, and even the Kosovo Agency of Statistics - with no clear path to reinstating their child benefit payments.

KoSSev has spoken to several parents from North Mitrovica who shared their frustration and failed attempts to reclaim the child allowances they had long received without interruption. Their accounts reflect a growing pattern of administrative opacity, inconsistent procedures, and a lack of clear guidance.

The vague notices gave no reasons for the suspension. Parents were told they now had to verify whether they and their children still resided in Kosovo. Some were instructed to go to the local Center for Social Work. One father of two from North Mitrovica told KoSSev that he was asked to submit his children’s vaccination records and birth certificates. But when he did, officials rejected the documents, claiming they were issued by “parallel institutions” - a euphemism for Serbian-run services.

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

Memorial on 30th anniversary of operation in Croatia (N1)

A memorial service was held at Belgrade’s Saint Marks church for the Serb victims of a Croatian military operation in 1995 on Thursday. The service was in memory of the people who died in Operation Flash in the Western Slavonia area of Croatia at the end of the war. It was served by priests from St Marks Church and other churches under the jurisdiction of the Belgrade offices of the Belgrade-Karlovac Archbishopric of the Serbian Orthodox Church, N1 reported.

Associations of the families of the dead and missing persons also laid wreaths in the nearby Tasmajdan park at a monument to the Serb victims of the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

Operation Flash was launched by Croatian forces to take control of the Western Slavonia area which was part of the breakaway Republic of Serb Krajina. The area was under UN protection at the time. According to the Croatian Serb Veritas Centre, 15,000 Serbs were expelled, 283 killed (including 114 civilians and children) in just 36 hours, N1 recalled.

Students, unions protested in front of Serbian Government (N1, media)

Thursday’s protests in Belgrade ended at the Serbian Government headquarters where students and union officials addressed participants, N1 reported.

The protests started in central Belgrade’s Nikola Pasic square, very near the fenced off area where supporters of the authorities were present. The protesters, including union activists, students and their supporters, then marched to the government headquarters. A part of the crowd walked back to the square to make noise at the supporters of authorities, some of whom have been living in tents for weeks. The tents were initially put up in the park in front of the presidency building but were expanded into the street between the presidency and parliament. Tables and chairs were set up earlier this week.

An N1 reporter said some of the authorities’ supporters started leaving after the protest. Earlier, posts on social media alleged these people were bused in from other parts of Serbia. The two groups were separated by a metal fence, police officers and security guards.

Tribute paid to victims in Novi Sad (N1)

A large group of people from across Serbia stood in silence at Novi Sad railway station on Thursday to pay tribute to the people killed in the November 1 collapse of a concrete awning, N1 reported.

The crowd stood for 21 instead of the now traditional 16 Minutes of Silence to pay homage to 5 people who died in a farming accident in Topola a day earlier. Candles were lit and flowers laid at the railway station for the victims. The railway station was recently reconstructed when the awning fell exactly 6 months earlier.

A memorial plaque was erected saying Novi Sad Remembers and the date of the tragedy. Serbian war veterans wearing berets and identical T-shirts laid a flower basket and saluted. They were followed by student monitors in yellow vests carrying a wreath with ribbon saying Students Remember.

A large cloth banner saying We Didn’t Reconstruct the Awning was draped over a nearby billboard. Immediately after the tragedy, some public officials claimed that the concrete awning had not been reconstructed along with the rest of the station. The crowd then marched from the railway station through the centre of the northern Serbian city to the Freedom Bridge across the Danube River.

International

Kosovo Ombudsperson urges suspension of electricity price hike (Prishtina Insight)

Kosovo’s Ombudsperson has called on the Energy Regulatory Office to suspend its recent decision to increase electricity tariffs, citing concerns over the impact on citizens’ rights and the lack of institutional coordination during the decision-making process.

Kosovo’s Ombudsperson urged the Energy Regulatory Office, ERO, to suspend its recent decision to raise electricity tariffs by 16.1 percent, which will be implemented starting on May 1. He warned that the decision was made during a period of institutional instability that threatened citizens’ basic rights and placed a burden on vulnerable groups.

In a public statement on Wednesday, the Ombudsperson said that the decision to raise electricity prices, which the ERO approved on April 16, poses a direct threat to fundamental human rights.