Kosovo

The Kosovo Constitutional Court ruled on 25 March that President Vjosa Osmani’s decree on the dissolution of the Assembly does not produce legal effect, and specified that the deputies have a deadline of 34 days to elect a president.

At the launch of a BIRN report on Russian and Serbian disinformation in Kosovo, speakers said the country's media and institutions are struggling the respond to fake news, which is becoming increasingly hard to detect due to AI.

Albin Kurti's ruling Vetevendosje party pledges to appeal to the Constitutional Court against President Vjosa Osmani's dissolution of parliament, which was triggered by MPs failing to vote for her successor.

The deadline for MPs to elect a new head of state expires soon, and a fresh election looms if they do not compromise on a name – or grant Vjosa Osmani a second term. … March 5 is the last day when parliament can assemble to vote for a new President but, while the clock is ticking, no new name has been confirmed, even though many have been floated since the new President emerged as the main topic on the political agenda.

Closing statements in the trial of Hashim Thaci and three other former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders have reignited controversy over allegations that the Hague-based war crimes court is effectively prosecuting the guerrilla force’s armed struggle. 

MPs elect Albin Kurti as Kosovo's new Prime Minister – as Brussels urges new government to resume stalled reforms and restart the EU-led dialogue with Serbia.

Kosovo’s election complaints panel called the Central Election Commission’s decision not to authorise the general election results achieved by the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party ‘unjustified’. … The decision was also criticised by Kosovo’s Western allies.

The Kosovo Central Election Commission, CEC, on Monday decided to recount votes cast at all polling stations in all 28 municipalities, after a recount in ten municipalities, which included 36 per cent of the 2,557 ballot boxes, showed manipulation of the votes cast for MP candidates in the first count. 

Hopes of a swift conclusion to Kosovo’s December 28 snap election took a blow on Tuesday after the Central Election Commission, CEC, said 36 per cent of 2,557 ballot boxes will undergo a recount over alleged irregularities in the first count. Ten municipalities will undergo a full recount while 28 others will see up to 10 per cent of the boxes reopened for a review. 

The move could potentially resuscitate the Balkan country's EU hopes, allowing this to be the year its EU membership application, submitted in late 2022, can finally be assessed by the European Commission. It may also allow for a restart of the Brussels-facilitated dialogue with Serbia after a two-year hiatus.