Latest news with #AlbinKurti
Metro
2 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
Lawyer shaves his head in protest but misses a spot
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A lawyer brought out a shaver in front of reporters to protest his government's failure to constitute an assembly for the fiftieth time in a row. Standing in front of the Kosovo Assembly in Prishtina, attorney Arianit Koci defiantly shaved his white locks as onlookers filmed in awe. He said of his actions: 'They are a symbolic act. Our statehood in Kosovo is also being threatened. Friends and enemies are becoming convinced that we are not capable of maintaining a state.' Though his actions were done to make a point, it appears the passion of the moment caused him to miss quite a few patches of hair. It can always grow back, right? Koci has been met with support from Kosovans, who applauded his individual protest. One supporter wrote: 'You are the clear conscience of the nation! Every action of yours fills me with hope, and gives me the message that this country has no end.' Another added: 'Respect. Don't mess with these fools.' But the bizarre antics came as tensions in Kosovo continue to rise, as a political stalemate has persisted months after MPs were voted into office. The deadlock stems from the fact that outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti's party Vetevendosje, which topped February polls, did not win enough seats to have its choice for speaker installed. PM Kurti has been accused by other MPs of 'overthrowing constitutional order' in Kosovo by not forming an assembly 162 days after the elections. '162 days is not a lot for Albin Kurti because for him, this time is part of a plan. For the overthrow of the constitutional order, for the delegitimisation of democracy and institutions and for the undoing of the very DNA of our society. 'You will not succeed because this is not just a political crisis, it is a moral crisis, and we must stop it,' MP Vlora Çitaku said. Koci brought donkeys (notoriously stubborn animals) outside the parliament last month in another form of protest about the deadlock. Kosovo is no stranger to wild political moments. In 2023, chaos erupted when an opposition party member sprayed water at PM Kurti. The brawl became so heated that police got involved to separate the politicians. More Trending Kosovo declared independence in 2008 from Serbia. The country's independence has continued to be threatened by Serbian nationalists. The war between Kosovo and Serbia in the late 1990s saw thousands of ethnic Albanian Kosovars murdered by Serbian troops in what many dubbed a genocide. The war ended when NATO intervened by beginning air strikes in March 1999, lasting a total of 78 days, which resulted in forces withdrawing from Kosovo. By the end of the conflict, nearly 90% of Kosovo's Albanian population had been displaced. Many fled to neighbouring countries, including Albania and Macedonia. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Ragtag Zohran Mamdani protest likened to Netflix comedy sketch MORE: Deaths, fires and prison breaks: The mystery behind the eerie Annabelle doll MORE: Burglar takes 30 seconds to steal rare Pokémon cards worth £80,000 from shop
Euronews
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
European Commission takes no position on Kosovo-Telekom Serbia dispute
Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti has launched a renewed attack on Serbia's largest telecom operator, Telekom Serbia, accusing it of waging what he called 'a hybrid war' against Kosovo, with the company responding by saying it has been a frequent target for the authorities in Pristina. A false bomb alert triggered the evacuation of the Kosovo parliament in Pristina last week, prompting Kurti to share a Facebook post by Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla, who claimed that the phone number behind the threat was registered in Serbia and belonged to Telekom Serbia's mobile operator MTS. Kurti praised the Kosovan authorities for their 'prompt response' in the investigation and repeated his past claims that the incident reaffirmed the existence of Serbia's ongoing hybrid war against Kosovo. The company's management stated that it has been subjected to repeated attacks and pressure from Kosovo leaders in recent times. Vladimir Lučić, CEO of Telekom Serbia, strongly rejected the bomb threat incident accusations in a statement to Euronews Serbia, describing them as 'an absurd and shameful attack on a company that has long been a thorn in the side of the Pristina authorities for two years." He said the attacks are taking place almost daily as a form of wider political pressure, including a failed attempt to shut down its presence in Kosovo two years ago, which was stopped after the international community's intervention. Lučić added that Telekom Serbia operates in accordance with the law and international agreements, including the Brussels Agreement, according to which the company has 28 base stations in areas where ethnic Serbs live in Kosovo, while its headquarters and technical infrastructure are located in Belgrade. Brussels chooses not to step in A former province of Serbia, Kosovo declared independence in 2008, which Belgrade has so far refused to recognise. More than 100 countries have recognised its independence — but not the likes of Russia, China and five EU member states. Since 2011, Brussels has facilitated a dialogue between the two countries designed to decrease tensions and resolve bilateral issues — which is also one of the requirements for both countries' progress along their path toward full-fledged EU membership. However, the two leaders — Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić — have failed to participate in trilateral meetings with EU representatives since May 2023, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the Brussels dialogue as a means to find solutions to outstanding issues. When asked by Euronews for a reaction to the Kosovo leader's statements on Telekom Serbia and the operator's claims of repeated attacks, the European Commission chose not to address the developing political implications but instead referred to the technical framework. "Compliance with the Kosovo regulatory framework is the responsibility of the independent regulatory authority for electronic and postal communications," the European Commission said in a statement to Euronews. Anouar El Anouni, a spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS), said that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of Kosovo's national authorities and that telecommunications compliance is the exclusive responsibility of Kosovo's independent regulatory authority. El Anouni also recalled that under the EU-facilitated dialogue, agreements on telecommunications were reached in 2013 and 2015 to normalise operations. These agreements enabled MTS to operate legally in Kosovo. Big hopes from Washington Meanwhile, the CEO of Telekom Serbia is counting on US support to obtain a third 5G licence in Kosovo, which was agreed upon by Pristina as part of an international deal but was then repeatedly refused. Serbia has been hoping that US President Donald Trump can decrease regional friction by promoting economic cooperation and growth — something Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić said last week officials in Pristina have failed to adopt. At the same time, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani praised Trump for his role in de-escalating tensions between Kosovo and Serbia in recent times. "We have the continued support of the United States, and President Trump was very clear that he was the person who stopped Serbia from continuing its efforts," she said at a recent event at Johns Hopkins University in Washington. "I am very convinced that (war) has been stopped thanks to America's role and its direct involvement in preserving and protecting peace," Osmani added. Meanwhile, these and other similar statements have sparked a reaction from Richard Grenell, the former US special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations, who said Osmani was misinterpreting Trump's remarks, making it seem as though Serbia was about to go on an offensive against Kosovo. "Shame on Vjosa Osmani for manipulating President Donald Trump's words," Grenell said in a post on X.
26-06-2025
- Politics
Kosovo's top court asks lawmakers to end their political stalemate and elect a speaker in 30 days
PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Kosovo's Constitutional Court on Thursday asked the country's newly elected lawmakers in Parliament to end three months of political stalemate and elect a new speaker within 30 days. The court's move came at the request of 11 lawmakers, and it was not clear what would happen if lawmakers fail to abide by the court's wishes. The Parliament has failed to elect a speaker since its first session on April 15 because other parties have been unwilling to work with that of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose left-wing Self-Determination Movement, or Vetevendosje!, won only 48 out of 120 seats in the Feb. 9 election. That is down from 58 seats in 2021. Kurti's party has failed in 37 rounds of votes to receive the 61 votes needed to elect a new speaker. Without a speaker, Kurti cannot be formally nominated as prime minister and form a Cabinet. If the situation continues, the president can turn to any of the other parties. If no party can form a Cabinet, the country will face another parliamentary election. Kurti and the three main opposition parties have all ruled out working together in a coalition. The center-right Democratic Party of Kosovo, or PDK, won 24 seats, the conservative governing Democratic League of Kosovo, or LDK, 20 seats, and the right-wing Alliance for Kosovo's Future, AAK, eight seats. Ten seats are reserved for Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority and 10 others belong to non-Serb minority members of Parliament. A new Cabinet is needed not only to run the economy and other services, but also proceed with the 14-year-long normalization talks with Serbia, which have stalled. Kosovo holds municipal elections Oct. 12. Around 11,400 people died, mostly from Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority, in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo, which was formerly a province of Serbia. A 78-day NATO air campaign ended the fighting and pushed Serbian forces out. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most Western nations recognizing its sovereignty, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China don't.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kosovo's top court asks lawmakers to end their political stalemate and elect a speaker in 30 days
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo's Constitutional Court on Thursday asked the country's newly elected lawmakers in Parliament to end three months of political stalemate and elect a new speaker within 30 days. The court's move came at the request of 11 lawmakers, and it was not clear what would happen if lawmakers fail to abide by the court's wishes. The Parliament has failed to elect a speaker since its first session on April 15 because other parties have been unwilling to work with that of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose left-wing Self-Determination Movement, or Vetevendosje!, won only 48 out of 120 seats in the Feb. 9 election. That is down from 58 seats in 2021. Kurti's party has failed in 37 rounds of votes to receive the 61 votes needed to elect a new speaker. Without a speaker, Kurti cannot be formally nominated as prime minister and form a Cabinet. If the situation continues, the president can turn to any of the other parties. If no party can form a Cabinet, the country will face another parliamentary election. Kurti and the three main opposition parties have all ruled out working together in a coalition. The center-right Democratic Party of Kosovo, or PDK, won 24 seats, the conservative governing Democratic League of Kosovo, or LDK, 20 seats, and the right-wing Alliance for Kosovo's Future, AAK, eight seats. Ten seats are reserved for Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority and 10 others belong to non-Serb minority members of Parliament. A new Cabinet is needed not only to run the economy and other services, but also proceed with the 14-year-long normalization talks with Serbia, which have stalled. Kosovo holds municipal elections Oct. 12. Around 11,400 people died, mostly from Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority, in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo, which was formerly a province of Serbia. A 78-day NATO air campaign ended the fighting and pushed Serbian forces out. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most Western nations recognizing its sovereignty, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China don't.
Winnipeg Free Press
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kosovo's top court asks lawmakers to end their political stalemate and elect a speaker in 30 days
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo's Constitutional Court on Thursday asked the country's newly elected lawmakers in Parliament to end three months of political stalemate and elect a new speaker within 30 days. The court's move came at the request of 11 lawmakers, and it was not clear what would happen if lawmakers fail to abide by the court's wishes. The Parliament has failed to elect a speaker since its first session on April 15 because other parties have been unwilling to work with that of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose left-wing Self-Determination Movement, or Vetevendosje!, won only 48 out of 120 seats in the Feb. 9 election. That is down from 58 seats in 2021. Kurti's party has failed in 37 rounds of votes to receive the 61 votes needed to elect a new speaker. Without a speaker, Kurti cannot be formally nominated as prime minister and form a Cabinet. If the situation continues, the president can turn to any of the other parties. If no party can form a Cabinet, the country will face another parliamentary election. Kurti and the three main opposition parties have all ruled out working together in a coalition. The center-right Democratic Party of Kosovo, or PDK, won 24 seats, the conservative governing Democratic League of Kosovo, or LDK, 20 seats, and the right-wing Alliance for Kosovo's Future, AAK, eight seats. Ten seats are reserved for Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority and 10 others belong to non-Serb minority members of Parliament. A new Cabinet is needed not only to run the economy and other services, but also proceed with the 14-year-long normalization talks with Serbia, which have stalled. Kosovo holds municipal elections Oct. 12. Around 11,400 people died, mostly from Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority, in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo, which was formerly a province of Serbia. A 78-day NATO air campaign ended the fighting and pushed Serbian forces out. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most Western nations recognizing its sovereignty, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China don't.
