Local elections in Kosovo will be held on Sunday. More than two million voters are eligible to participate, including around 100,000 who live outside Kosovo.

Mayors are elected through a two-round majority system: a candidate winning more than 50% of the vote in the first round is declared the winner. If no candidate reaches this threshold, a second round is held between the two candidates with the highest number of votes. Simultaneously, municipal assembly members for 38 local councils are elected using a proportional system.

The elections are taking place amid an institutional crisis in Kosovo, triggered by parliamentary elections held in February this year.

Although the party of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Vetëvendosje, received the most votes, seven months later, no parliamentary majority has been formed. After 56 attempts, parties in the Kosovo Assembly managed to agree on the Speaker of the Assembly, and two days before the local elections, on Friday, the Assembly was finally constituted.

Given the political context, the local elections are being seen as a mini-referendum on Vetëvendosje, the party led by Albin Kurti.

Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), and the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA), hope voters may punish Kurti for the prolonged institutional deadlock.

The previous local elections in 2021 also served as a test for Kurti’s newly formed government, with the LDK winning the most votes and the mayor’s office in the capital of Pristina. Candidates of the PDK were elected mayors of the second and the third largest cities of Kosovo.

Serb List returns to the elections

This time, the Serb List, the ruling party of Kosovo Serbs, will participate in the regular local elections. The party had boycotted the previous extraordinary local elections in four Serb-majority municipalities: Zubin Potok, Leposavić, North Mitrovica, and Zvečan.

Due to the boycott, these municipalities have since been led by mayors from Albanian parties, a move that has sparked tensions in Serb-majority areas.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić urged citizens in Kosovo to vote for the Serb List.

“We do not hide calls to vote for the Serb List, because it is a responsible list representing the interests of the Serbian people, not taking orders from Kurti or any other embassy,” Vučić said in a national address on Thursday.

In addition to the Serb List, 11 other candidates from Serbian parties and initiatives outside the Serb List will participate in elections in ten municipalities.

Prime Minister Kurti this week accused Serbia of interfering in local elections by offering jobs and financial benefits to Serbs in the north. He called on the European Union to condemn Belgrade’s interference and impose sanctions.

Serbian-language media denied accreditation

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Kosovo did not accredit several media outlets to cover the local elections on Sunday, mostly those reporting in Serbian from Kosovo and Serbia. Some CEC members argued that these outlets are “known for propaganda and slander against Pristina”, Radio Free Europe reported on Friday.

The Kosovo Journalists’ Association expressed concern over what it called a “precedent” set by the CEC’s decision.

“Discussions among commission members suggest the rejection was political and ethnic in nature,” the statement read.

The Association described the CEC’s decision as “unacceptable and contrary to Kosovo’s democratic values and press freedom.”

The Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS) and its Kosovo branch also called the decision discriminatory, urging a prompt response from the European and International Federation of Journalists, as well as the international community.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo also expressed disappointment over the decision by some CEC members to deny accreditation to Serbian-language media.

BELFAST – On 8 and 9 October, the Foreign Ministers of the Berlin Process met in Belfast to discuss the important topics, such as reconciliation, security, regional economic integration and migration, as well as the EU path of the Western Balkans countries.

Ministers discussed the importance of building resilience in the Western Balkans to combat the constant flood of Russian hybrid threats aimed at destabilising the region, and fanning ethnic tensions.

This meeting will be followed by the summit of heads of state and government in London on 22 October.

Launched in 2014, the Berlin Process aims to promote regional cooperation with the six Western Balkan countries.

In addition to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, the format includes several EU member states, the United Kingdom and EU institutions.

The host of the high-level meeting, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, affirmed the UK’s commitment to stability in the Western Balkans

Cooper announced £4 million in funding to help combat Russian threats aimed at “destabilising the region” and “fanning ethnic tensions,” the Foreign Office stated.

In addition, she promised £10 million investment for schemes aimed at tackling people-smuggling in the Western Balkans and other key regions.

“It is in all our interests to protect security and stability in the Western Balkans, and we must be alive to the full range of threats that our partners in the region are facing, from Russian efforts to revive ethnic tensions, to vile people-smuggling gangs trading in human lives”, Yvette Cooper stressed.

In a similar vein, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul noted that “the Berlin Process is the catalyst in the EU accession process of the Western Balkan countries”.

“This mechanism is more important than ever. After all, people are beginning to lose confidence that they will be part of the EU in the near future. We cannot afford to let that happen because we would then run the risk of a return to the old days of hostility and a bigger role for Russia and China”, Wadephul remarked.

PRISTINA – Members of the Kosovo Assembly have elected Nenad Rašić as one of the Assembly’s vice presidents representing the Serbian community, after nine deputies from the Serb List failed to secure the required number of votes.

In today’s session, Rašić received 71 votes in favor, nine against, and 24 abstentions. Unlike previous sessions, this time Rašić also received votes from LDK deputies

The Serb List strongly opposed the move, claiming it violated constitutional provisions. Despite their objections, Assembly Speaker Dimal Basha declared the Assembly constituted.

The inaugural session took place following a ruling by the Constitutional Court. The failure to constitute the Assembly after the elections held on February 9 plunged the country into a political crisis.

The next step is the formation of a new government.

President Vjosa Osmani is legally obliged to nominate the winning party or coalition , in this case, the coalition led by the Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination) Movement, together with Guxo and Alternativa, to form the government.

BELGRADE – Serbian officials reacted with strong condemnation to the recent delivery of Turkish-made “Skydagger” combat drones to Pristina, the acquisition which will significantly bolster the capabilities of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). On the other hand, Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo, claimed that Türkiye contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the region.

The timing of the drone delivery and Serbia’s reactions also coincided with the recent assumption of command of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) by Turkish Major General Özkan Ulutaş.

The Serbian Defense Ministry stated that General Milan Mojsilović, Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF), held an urgent phone call Major General Ulutaş to address Kosovo’s ongoing arming, including the recent delivery of Turkish drones, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić even suggested that Türkiye is once again “dreaming of reviving the Ottoman Empire”.

Kurti: Kosovo is modernizing its military force

The arrival “of thousands of” Turkish drones was confirmed by Kosovo’s Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti on 8 October. He stated that it “significantly strengthens Kosovo’s defense capabilities and modernizes its military force”.

Kurti clarified that the drones, manufactured by the Turkish defense company Baykar, arrived three months ahead of their originally scheduled January delivery.

He described the Skydagger drones as combat drones equipped with explosive payloads designed for precision strikes against both moving and stationary targets.

According to Kurti, these new unmanned aircraft would operate alongside Kosovo’s existing fleet of Baykar TB2 Bayraktar and U.S. Puma systems, “contributing to the ongoing effort to build and modernize the military through new technologies and contemporary combat tactics”.

Vučić: Türkiye is destabilizing the Western Balkans

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić echoed Đurić’s sentiments. On 8 October he accused Türkiye of violating international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and “actively destabilizing the Western Balkans”.

Vučić even suggested that Türkiye is once again “dreaming of restoring the Ottoman Empire,” a rhetorical tactic often used in the Balkans.  He also highlighted what he perceived as a double standard, given Serbia’s own efforts to modernize its military through cooperation with countries like Russia and China.

Vjosa Osmani called Vučić’s statements “shameful and hypocritical”, having in mind Serbia’s own military ties with Russia, China, and Iran. 

However, in the media address on October 9 Vučić somehow altered his rhetorics, and called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “a great leader”.

In addition, Serbian President announced that he would talk to his Turkish counterpart about the drones that had been delivered to Pristina.

“Last year I begged Erdoğan to stop arming Pristina… I also asked the Americans to stop doing it”, he said.

BELGRADE – The Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) announced today that a special license by the US Treasury Department, which would allow the company to operate smoothly, has not been extended, but for now it has secured sufficient oil supplies and will continue to work on overcoming the situation caused by the sanctions.

According to NIS, which is majority-owned by Russia, sufficient oil supplies for processing are provided for the time being, and gas stations are neatly supplied with all types of petroleum products.

NIS stressed that regular supply of oil products to the domestic market as well as social stability of employees are secured.

“NIS has provided sufficient oil supplies for processing at the moment, while gas stations are duly supplied with all types of petroleum products”, it was stated.

The USA has placed NIS on the sanctions list on 10 January, due to the so-called “secondary risk”, i.e. majority Russian ownership. The sanctions are aimed, among other things, at preventing the financing of the war in Ukraine, through money coming from Russian energy companies.

In the meantime, the ownership structure of NIS has been changed several times, but it is still majority in the hands of Russian companies. Gazprom withdrew from the ownership of NIS in September, and one of the significant owners became another company managed by Gazprom-the St. Petersburg – based company Intelligence.

The joint-stock company Intelligence now owns 11.3 percent stake in the company, according to data published on the website of the Belgrade Stock Exchange on 21 September.

The largest share in NIS is still held by Gazprom Neft, a subsidiary of Gazprom (44.9 percent), while the state of Serbia has 29.9 percent of the share. The rest are small shareholders.

In September 2025, NIS submitted an amended request to the US authorities for removal from the sanctions list.  Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on 7 October that the Serbian authorities will discuss the issue of sanctions on NIS with Russia.

“The United States has managed to imposed their will on others, and Europe will support the sanctions”, Vučić noted.

STRASBOURG – The European Parliament will once again debate the political crisis in Serbia during a plenary session in Strasbourg, scheduled for 20-23 October. At the end of the debate, Members of the European Parliament are expected to adopt a new resolution on the situation in the country, which, according to announcements, will address the deepening polarization and growing repression in Serbia, one year after the tragedy in Novi Sad.

The debate and the new resolution were added to the agenda at the initiative of the political groups of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Renew Europe and the Greens (Greens/EFA), with the support of the European People’s Party (EPP).

However, as Savremena Politika has learned from sources in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party initially had certain reservations regarding the adoption of a separate resolution. The EPP insisted that the term “polarization” be included in the resolution’s title, which ultimately led to a compromise among the political groups allowing the resolution to move forward.

This will be the third debate on Serbia in the European Parliament since the beginning of the year. In early September, MEPs discussed the wave of repression against protesters, civil society, and the media, while in February the focus was on the ongoing political crisis. Both of those debates concluded without the adoption of a resolution.

From the beginning of this year, political groups have twice attempted to include the issue of Serbia on the Parliament’s agenda. In March, the European People’s Party blocked a proposal to hold a debate on the situation in Serbia, shortly after a large student protest took place in Belgrade on March 15.

The last resolution, prepared by EP rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula, was adopted in May, when MEPs expressed serious concern over the deterioration of democratic standards, the lack of progress in EU integration, and the state of media freedom. The resolution emphasized the need for the Serbian authorities to implement the OSCE’s recommendations, ensure free and fair elections, and strengthen institutional accountability.

Since the onset of the political crisis in Serbia, which escalated following the collapse of a canopy structure in Belgrade and subsequent mass civic protests, the European Parliament has emerged as the EU institution most actively responding to developments in the country. Through its debates, resolutions, and initiatives, MEPs have repeatedly called on the European Commission and the Council of the EU to reassess their approach towards Serbia.

The upcoming debate in Strasbourg will take place only a few weeks before the publication of the European Commission’s annual report on Serbia’s progress, giving it additional political weight and signaling that European institutions will continue to closely monitor the situation in the country.

BRUSSELS – Albania and North Macedonia began fully implementing the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) system on 7 October while Moldova Montenegro achieved full operational readiness for SEPA the day before.

Albania and Montenegro became part of the SEPA geographical scope in November 2024, followed by Moldova and North Macedonia in March 2025.

The geographical scope of the SEPA now covers 41 countries. When it comes to the Western Balkans Six, Serbia also joined it, in May 2025, though the full implementation and operational readiness for Serbian banks to join the SEPA payment schemes is expected to occur in May 2026. 

The Single Euro Payments Area is a unified zone for euro transactions that allows for fast, efficient, and standardized payments across member countries.

SEPA treats cross-border euro payments the same as domestic ones, simplifying transactions within Europe.  It currently includes all EU member states, along with several non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Monaco.

BELGRADE – “The people of Serbia are not asking Brussels to solve all their problems. What they are asking is not to be left alone in their fight. But today’s passivity, and the mixed signals coming from Brussels, only make it harder for citizens to once again see the EU as their flag of hope”, said MEP Irena Joveva for Savremena politika, a newly launched portal on Serbian politics.

She said that during the protests against Milošević regime, EU flags were omnipresent because for citizens, after years of international isolation, the Union symbolized hope.

“Hope for democracy, rule of law, freedom, and better future. That hope has since faded, not least because of the EU’s unfulfilled promises, the constant moving of the goalposts in the accession process, and the unresolved normalization with Pristina”, she said.

According to Joveva, today’s passivity and the the mixed signals that are coming from Brussels, only make it harder for citizens to once again see the EU as their flag of hope.

“But if you ask me, I am sure the people on the streets are aware that the EU as such is the best alternative for them – just not with this regime they have at the moment. The versatility of the protestors, especially their diversity in values, beliefs, and ideologies, is one of their greatest strengths. While nationalism is certainly not unique to Serbia. we see it everywhere, it is an ideology that demands we remain shackled to old grievances. I believe it is far better to look toward the future we can build together, rather than the past that has kept us apart”, Joveva said.

Answering questions about the fact-finding mission that three political groups in the European Parliament requested, Joveva assessed that the fact-finding mission is needed.

“Just think of the protests from March the 15th, when some kind of sonic weapon was used against the protestors, and then swiftly covered up by the authorities. People in Serbia deserve an independent and credible account of what is happening, not just the government’s version of (sur)reality”, Joveva said.

She added that a fact-finding mission would establish the facts, but it would also send a strong signal that Europe is watching, that transparency is not optional, and that abuses of power will not be ignored.

Joveva assessed that European institutions today are far more aware of what is truly happening in Serbia than they were before the escalation of violence and the blatant instrumentalization of the police to secure the regime’s grip on power. “This is something the EU simply cannot and must not ignore”, she added.

She said that the recent debate in the European Parliament on the police brutality in Serbia illustrated that the largest political groups are willing to condemn the violence and demand independent investigations into every single case of abuse.

“The more repression President Vučić unleashes against his own citizens, the weaker his protection will be within the Commission”, MEP Irena Joveva said.

She underlined that the real question now is whether the EPP will finally reassess its stances and its ties with ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and whether the EU will take actions against the regime beyond rhetoric.

“Let me remind you that the EPP has in the past suspended Viktor Orbán’s party, ironically or not, a close ally of Aleksandar Vučić, precisely over the rule of law violations. Now, with SNS, they have opened an internal scrutiny process for reasons concerning the rule of law, yet in the same breath they emphasized that this is not, at least not yet, an official suspension procedure”, said Joveva.

According to her, ssuch hesitation is a warning and suggesting that the outcome of this process risks becoming yet another half-measure, while the seriousness of the situation in Serbia has long passed the point where half-measures are acceptable.

“Nevertheless, sooner or later, the EPP leadership must make a choice: to stand decisively with European values, or side with those who undermine them”, Joveva added.

Asked about media freedoms in Serbia and what steps the EU could take to help safeguard independent and professional journalism, Joveva said that it’s long past time for the EU to move from words to action.

“Media freedom is one of the cornerstones of Serbia’s EU accession process, which is why Brussels is right to demand a swift response to the pressures and attacks some journalists have faced or are facing. Yet the truth is that media freedom in Serbia has been eroding for years. Ten years ago, it was worrying, today it is deeply alarming”, Joveva concluded.

The full interview is available on Savremena politika.

DURRËS – At today’s 14th Brdo-Brijuni Process Leaders’ Summit meeting, the heads of state discussed the European perspective of the region, the strengthening of regional cooperation and common challenges such as climate change, digital security and brain drain. Disagreements could be heard on the sidelines.

The Brdo-Brijuni process includes EU Member States Slovenia and Croatia, and six candidates and potential candidates for EU membership from the Western Balkans.

The host of this year’s summit, Albanian President Bajram Begaj, stated that the strategic goal of his country is to open the final negotiating cluster by the end of this year.

“Albania’s aspiration to join the European Union is not just a political goal, but a national mission. Albania aims to complete technical negotiations by 2027 and become a full member by 2030,” Begaj said.

The presidents of Slovenia and Croatia disagree over the unanimity rule

The Slovenian President and co-chair of the Brdo-Brijuni Process Nataša Pirc Musar said this initiative “builds a space for dialogue” and called for faster and more efficient integration of Western Balkan countries into the EU, Hina reports.

The EU rule is that every step in the enlargement process requires consensus, meaning any member state can veto at any time. Pirc Musar said that Slovenia, together with Germany, advocates for the use of a qualified majority to open specific negotiating clusters or chapters.

“I hope all 27 member states will understand the need to accelerate the process. It takes two to tango,” said Pirc Musar, to which her Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanović Milanović responded with disagreement.

“This initiative by Slovenia and Germany and some other countries, as far as I know, does not have the support of the Croatian government, nor mine,” said Milanović.

“To me, this is instinctively a way for small countries to defend themselves from much, much larger countries that do not understand us or see us. I see nothing wrong or malicious in the Slovenian idea, but what Germany’s motives are – that’s a topic for another conversation,” the Croatian president said.

Tensions between Osmani and Vučić

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani stated after the summit that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić attempted to disrupt the meeting by using insults and arrogance.

“In the end, we managed to unanimously adopt a joint declaration and, of course, for every piece of propaganda Vučić intended to present to the participants, we as the Republic of Kosovo had strong arguments on the side of justice, strengthened and supported by international law through decisions of the International Court of Justice,” Osmani said, as reported by Koha.

Osmani emphasized that Vučić had objections to the Kosovo-Albania-Croatia agreement in the field of defense.

“He received our joint confirmation that this represents cooperation aimed at our defense. My response was that in our entire history as a nation, we have never attacked anyone, never occupied anyone, but have always defended ourselves and will continue to defend ourselves and our territorial integrity,” Osmani said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić told the media that there was a clash with the President of Kosovo during the discussion on territorial integrity, which, in his words, everyone interprets as they wish, Radio Free Europe reports.

“Imagine Vjosa Osmani coming and talking about territorial integrity and defending territorial integrity. It makes your stomach turn, and everyone hears it and nods their heads… So I reminded her of her tourism days at the United Nations, wished her more tourism in her life, and that’s it,” Vučić said.

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