• The Big Inversion (Koha Ditore)
• Kosovo governing party loses capital in runoff mayoral vote yesterday (AP News)
• Kosovo’s opposition wins the run-off election for Mayor of Prishtina (Exit News)
• The punitive spirit of the local elections (Radio Free Europe)
• Palokaj: No guaranteed votes in Kosovo (Koha)
• Albanian PM congratulates Rama on victory in Prishtina (media)
• Shpend Ahmeti congratulates Perparim Rama on winning (Euronews.al)
• EU Council to discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue today (Koha)
• Borrell: A Strategic Compass for Europe (media)
• "Kosovo to be invited to Biden's democracy summit" (media)
• Kurti: It is our task as leaders to advocate for more equality and justice (media)
• Vela: Vucic doing all to block reconciliation with neighbours (media)
• Rama: Serbia to recognise Kosovo as a sovereign and independent country (Kallxo)
• COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Survivors of sexual violence and the transmission of trauma (Kosovo 2.0)

The Big Inversion (Koha Ditore)

The daily reports on its front page this morning that the runoff elections for mayors on Sunday produced an electoral drama and an inversion of results. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the biggest number of municipalities among Albanian political parties (9), including the city of Prizren. It is followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) which won in the capital of Prishtina and in six other municipalities. Third is the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) which won in five municipalities. Meanwhile the ruling Vetevendosje Movement (VV) which won over 50 percent of the total vote in the February parliamentary elections, has won only four municipalities.

Kosovo governing party loses capital in runoff mayoral vote yesterday (AP News)

Kosovo’s governing party suffered a heavy blow Sunday by losing the capital’s mayoral post in runoff municipal elections held in almost two-thirds of the country after center-right opposition parties dominated in the first round.

About 1.26 million voters in the small Balkan nation were eligible to cast ballots in the second round to elect mayors in 21 out of 38 municipalities. Preliminary turnout was 38% Sunday.

The voting was peaceful. Police reported minor incidents not affecting the vote.

The governing left-wing Self-Determination Party, or Vetevendosje!, of Prime Minister Albin Kurti lost the race in Pristina where it had nominated its former health minister, Arben Vitia. It won in four other communes, one more than 2017.

The center-right Democratic League of Kosovo won in Pristina. The league, the center-right opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo of former independence fighters and the Alliance for Kosovo’s Future together won 21 mayoral seats.

The Srpska List party of Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority, which is close to the Serbian government in Belgrade, won one more mayoral post, adding to nine it won in the first round in the northern Kosovo districts.

Dukagjin Gorani, an independent analyst, said a landslide loss for the governing party could have a negative impact “on the overall legitimacy of both the political party and the government.”

“One might also expect early parliamentary elections, sometimes next year,” Gorani added.

A European Union team was monitoring the election.

Kosovo’s opposition wins the run-off election for Mayor of Prishtina (Exit News)

Perparim Rama, the candidate of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), will be the next mayor of Prishtina after defeating Arben Vitia of the ruling Vetevendosje Party (VV) in the run-off mayoral elections.

Vitia conceded before the counting was over, as it became clear that he would lose to Rama.

The result comes as a surprise because VV’s Vitia was widely considered the favourite. Vitia came first in the first round, which did not produce a majority winner, but seems to have failed to win the voters of the candidate that did not make it to the second round.

Vitia’s defeat is a major blow for Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who came to power eight months ago, winning an outright majority in Kosovo’s parliament.

LDK returns to the governing seat of Prishtina after 8 years of Vetevendosje’s rule.

The punitive spirit of the local elections (Radio Free Europe)

According to political commentators, Donika Emini and Agon Maliqi, the results of the latest local elections in Kosovo reflect a punitive spirit against political parties but also the individual assessment of candidates in certain municipalities. In the latest local elections, opposition parties scored a victory against the ruling Vetevendosje Movement, which won over 50 percent of the vote in the February 14 parliamentary elections. The biggest winners of the local elections are the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) which won nine municipalities and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) which won seven municipalities. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) won five municipalities while the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) won four municipalities.

Emini and Maliqi argue that the results of these elections are a reflection of the citizens toward the political parties in general, but also a reflection of the opposition parties which got a clear message in the February 14 parliamentary elections.

Donika Emini, executive director of CiviKos platform, told Radio Free Europe that Vetevendosje is the biggest loser in these elections, failing to win in the bigger cities, except for Gjilan. “Losing Prishtina and Prizren is a defeat not only in the strategic aspect but also because of the fact that the Vetevendosje Movement used to govern with these municipalities,” she said.

Emini added that at the central level the Vetevendosje Movement is still relatively strong as the leading party but not at the local level.

Agon Maliqi, political commentator, said in an interview with the news website that the local elections marked the comeback of opposition parties in the biggest cities such as Prishtina and Prizren. He said that voters also showed that they evaluate candidates more than political parties, such as the case in Gjilan where the Vetevendosje candidate won against the LDK candidate.

Maliqi also said that these elections reflect a positive assessment by the voters about changes within the opposition parties and at the same time about the candidates of these parties. He said that the elections also reflect a punitive spirit against the Vetevendosje Movement and a call for this party to reflect at the central level of government.

Palokaj: No guaranteed votes in Kosovo (Koha)

Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj writes in an opinion piece that the local elections in Kosovo proved there is political emancipation among the citizens and the political parties and that proof of this are the speed of counting the votes and the immediate recognition of results by those that lost in the elections. "Three elements are key: there are no guaranteed votes for anyone, in local elections candidates are more important than the parties, and changes within the political parties give their results," Palokaj writes.

Albanian PM congratulates Rama on victory in Prishtina (media)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama congratulated LDK’s mayoral candidate in Prishtina, Perparim Rama, for his victory in the Sunday runoff election. “Very curious about the impact that a mayor architect will have in Prishtina, interesting innovation in a challenging reality! Congratulations Përparim Rama and good luck to him and all the newly elected mayors of Kosovo,” Rama tweeted.

Shpend Ahmeti congratulates Perparim Rama on winning (Euronews.al)

The incumbent mayor of Prishtina, Shpend Ahmeti, has congratulated Perparim Rama, expected to take over his post. “I wish Perparim success in the upcoming term and of course I will be at his disposal in case he needs any information or clarifications. I also wish that he fulfills his promises”, said Ahmeti.

In addition, he also congratulated Arben Vitia, the candidate of VV, for his campaign.

“In a night like this, it is easy to strike the person who lost the elections. But, tonight I will congratulate Arben for the work, campaign, and election results, Knowing him, I am certain that this is not the end of his public engagement”, he added.

The incumbent mayor of Prishtina asserted that he will begin preparations to hand over his post as soon as the result is certified.

EU Council to discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue today (Koha)

European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss today the situation in the Western Balkans, as well as the dialogue process between Belgrade and Pristina under a discussion document prepared by the European External Action Service ‑ EEAS.

The document stated that there has been no progress in the dialogue in the last months and that the overall atmosphere is "still complicated." "The focus should turn on implementation of yet unfulfilled obligations from the dialogue, the atmosphere should be improved through concrete positive movements and work should be undertaken on progress towards a comprehensive agreement on normalisation, and as a result the European future of Kosovo and Serbia," the document is reported to say.

EU member countries are expected to be asked to continue support for the EU facilitators Josep Borrell and Miroslav Lajcak and for a "high level dialogue with Belgrade and Pristina."

Borrell: A Strategic Compass for Europe (media)

Opinion piece by EU High Representative Josep Borrell, which originally appeared on Project Syndicate.

The European Union is at risk of "strategic shrinkage," owing to geopolitical, economic, and ideological pressures from all sides. Safeguarding European citizens, interests, and values will require new thinking about the EU's security and defense responsibilities and the capacities it needs to fulfill them.

A compass helps one find one’s way, and the “Strategic Compass” that I have drafted at the behest of the European Council will serve as an operational guide for the European Union’s development and decision-making on security and defense. It is now heading to EU foreign affairs and defense ministers for discussions next week.

The compass is designed to answer three questions: Which challenges and threats do we face? How can we better pool our assets and manage them effectively? And what is the best way to project Europe’s influence as both a regional and global actor?

Our overall threat analysis shows clearly that Europe is in danger. The EU risks what I have called a “strategic shrinkage.” This can be perceived from three points of view. First, our economic reach is becoming increasingly circumscribed. Thirty years ago, the EU represented one-quarter of the world’s wealth; in 20 years, it will account for just over 10%. Our demographic shrinkage develops similarly: By the end of this century, Europe will account for less than 5% of the world’s population.

More fundamentally, some of our economic competitors hold values that are very different from ours, thus posing a threat to our normative power. The EU must integrate this fact into its policymaking, recognizing that the competition for global standards is already playing out in the race for mastery over artificial intelligence, cloud computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology.

Second, the EU’s strategic theater is increasingly contested, owing to challenges by new ambitious actors, demonstrations of military force, and destabilization strategies featuring cyber warfare and disinformation. Gone are the days when peace and war constituted two clearly distinct states. We are and will increasingly be confronted with hybrid situations that require a broad range of defensive assets.

Finally, the EU’s political sphere is being squeezed, and our liberal values increasingly contested. In the “battle of narratives,” the idea that universal values are really just Western constructs has been gaining traction. The old assumption that economic prosperity would always lead to democratic development has been refuted.

In navigating this increasingly competitive strategic environment, the EU must become a provider of security for its citizens, protecting our values and interests. But to do that, it will need to act faster and more decisively when managing crises. That means anticipating fast-changing threats and safeguarding its citizens against them; investing in the necessary capabilities and technologies; and cooperating with partners to achieve common goals.

Such measures will increase our capacity to deter attacks, and to react to one if it comes. The main value of military force is not that it allows us to solve problems, but that it can help to prevent problems being solved to our detriment. That is why the Strategic Compass proposes an EU capacity for rapid force deployment across the entire spectrum of actions envisaged by EU treaties.

Past attempts to deploy EU forces swiftly have met with only limited success. But the Strategic Compass aims to make such deployments more readily operational and effective in three ways. First, it would follow a modular approach, with its composition defined by concrete scenarios and reinforced by joint training, rather than being pre-positioned as a permanent force.

Second, there would be clear guidelines stating that it is the mission that determines the type and size of the force, not vice versa. And, third, we could step up our efforts to overcome various shortcomings that have long hampered our operational capabilities, with clear actions that should receive priority.

All of this will require both legitimacy and flexibility. Who decides, and how should decisions be implemented?

Without calling into question the principle of unanimity, it is possible to act creatively by activating certain provisions such as constructive abstention or Article 44, which allows for the creation of coalitions approved by the European Council. Above all, we need political will (without which nothing is possible) and operational efficiency (without which everything is pointless).

But the EU should of course not limit its actions to the deployment of military forces. The Strategic Compass also focuses on cyber, maritime, and space security. To anticipate threats, it proposes boosting intelligence capacities and expanding the suite of tools for countering hybrid and cyberattacks as well as foreign disinformation and interference. It also sets targets for investment to equip our armed forces with the necessary capabilities and innovative technologies, to fill strategic gaps, and to reduce technological and industrial dependencies.

Finally, let me emphasize that this effort in no way contradicts Europe’s commitment to NATO, which remains at the heart of our territorial defense. This commitment should not prevent us from developing our own capabilities and conducting independent operations in our neighborhood and beyond, especially at a time when US policymakers’ attention may be focused elsewhere (not least on the Indo-Pacific). European strategic responsibility is the best way to reinforce transatlantic solidarity. This concept is at the heart of the new dialogue on security and defense between the United States and the EU.

But all Europeans should understand that the Strategic Compass is not a magic wand. It is for the EU member states to determine whether today’s geopolitical shifts will be yet another unheeded wake-up call, and the renewed debate on European defense yet another false start. The Strategic Compass is an opportunity to meet Europe’s security responsibilities directly, in front of our citizens and the rest of the world.

"Kosovo to be invited to Biden's democracy summit" (media)

Several online media outlets reported, quoting sources, that Kosovo will after all be invited to take part in the Summit for Democracy, hosted by the U.S. President Joe Biden.

Koha, Telegrafi, Kallxo reported that the U.S. administration has confirmed to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, who visited the U.S. last week, that representatives from Kosovo would be invited to the event, scheduled to take place early December.

Kurti: It is our task as leaders to advocate for more equality and justice (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said in his remarks at the Paris Peace Forum that it is the duty of leaders, scientists and activists to be “progressive, to embrace and shape the change by advocating for more equality and justice worldwide.”

Kurti said that the recent advancements have managed to pull our billions of people from poverty but at the same time, "brought about new dangers, such a climate change and deepened the inequality gap between the rich and the poor." "All we need is a growth in harmony with nature centred on peace, equality and prosperity for all," he said.

At the margins of the Peace Forum, Kurti met the French President Emmanuel Macron, European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, President of the European Council Charles Michel. Kurti also met the United States Vice President Kamala Harris. "Was an honor and a pleasure to meet @VP of the United States, Kamala Harris and her husband @SecondGentleman, Douglas Emhoff. Her trailblazing story of breaking barriers is an inspiration to us all!," Kurti wrote on Twitter.

Vela: Vucic doing all to block reconciliation with neighbours (media)

Blerim Vela, chief of staff to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of "encouraging Fascist movements.

"#Vučić is doing everything to block reconciliation with its neighbors through glorification of convicted war criminals, not implementing the ICTY rullings and encouraging #Serbia’s fascist movements: Srpska Čast, Narodne Patrole, Zavetnici & Levijatan. True face of a radical!," Vela wrote on Twitter.

Rama: Serbia to recognise Kosovo as a sovereign and independent country (Kallxo)

Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, said in an interview with France 24 that Serbia should recognise independence of Kosovo.

"We still don't have lasting peace in the Balkans because there are still unresolved problems, particularly the problem between Serbia and Kosovo which is an independent, sovereign country that should be recognised by Serbia," Rama was quoted by the Tirana-based Top Channel. Rama argued that all countries in the region should join the Open Balkan initiative, without any preconditions.

COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)

14 new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. Six persons recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 428 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Survivors of sexual violence and the transmission of trauma (Kosovo 2.0)

For many survivors of sexual violence, the long-term effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be just as serious as was the traumatic experience itself. Many people develop PTSD after being exposed to major traumas, such as war experiences. Since the end of the war in Kosovo, activists for sexual violence survivors, war victims and their families are insisting on the importance of addressing this issue at a societal level.

While there is wide documentation about the need and significance of providing support and treatment to anyone who went through torture and traumatic events during the war — as is the case with survivors of sexual violence — there is less knowledge of the long-term effects that could be transmitted to the next generations.

In recent years, the Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (KRCT), a leading organization in protecting and promoting the rights of survivors of sexual violence during Kosovo’s war, has been trying to include in public debate the topics of intergenerational trauma and the transmission of trauma from one generation to the next.

KRCT and the Danish Institute against Torture in Denmark (DIGNITY), supported by the University Hospital of Copenhagen and the University of Monash in Australia, published a wide epigenetic research report about intergenerational trauma in Kosovo. The study shows possible mechanisms that explain how the effects of trauma can be transmitted from one generation to the next. The study emphasizes the importance of early examinations for the children of women who experienced sexual violence during the war, especially those showing symptoms of PTSD during pregnancy.

Read full article here: https://bit.ly/30qI5v9