Vetevendosje

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Thursday that he has sent a proposal to France's President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the statute of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities in Kosovo - a move that was not well-received by the Pristina authorities.

Media unions and opposition parties have accused Kosovo's ruling party, Vetevendosje, of the capture of the public broadcaster, RTK, after the board announced that Rilind Gervalla was appointed Director of Television on Tuesday.

Kosovo police used pepper spray against ex-fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA who tried to enter parliament on Monday during a protest to demand that war veterans be included in draft legislation that will guarantee a minimum wage.

Congressman Colin Allred said on Tuesday that he has introduced a resolution urging justice for wartime rape survivor Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman and calling for "all those responsible for sexual violence during the Kosovo war" to be investigated and prosecuted.

Montenegrin Interior Minister Sergej Sekulovic at a press conference in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Taking Stock

Kosovo Acting President, Vjosa Osmani, L), and leader of Vetevendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, R), give a joint victory speech after the preliminary results of February 14 snap parliamentary elections showed Vetevendosje won by a landslide. Photo: BIRN/ Urim Krasnii

Extraordinary local elections held in the municipalities of Podujeve/ Podujeva and North Mitrovica are seen as sending two signals; in one, they confirmed the growing popularity of Kosovo's biggest opposition party, Vetevendosje - and, in the other, Belgrade's continued influence in the Serb-majority north.

Movement driven by protests from the start:

Kosovo's parliament will vote on Wednesday morning on whether to endorse a new government led by Avdullah Hoti, the deputy head of the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, only four months after the same chamber voted in a government led by Albin Kurti.

The Constitutional Court of Kosovo on Thursday ruled that President Hashim Thaci did not make an unconstitutional decision when he gave a mandate to a new prime minister to form a new administration without holding fresh elections.

He took this action after the outgoing ruling party, Vetevendosje, did not nominate anyone for the role.