Kosovo

Kosovo’s legislature on Saturday swore in the 120 lawmakers who will sit in the newly elected Assembly, or Parliament, after procedural disputes between the political parties but failed twice to elect a new speaker, a process which may take the country into a prolonged legislative crisis.

The Security Council met today to consider the role of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, with some members advocating for its restructuring or gradual drawdown, while others emphasized its ongoing relevance in supporting regional stability and facilitating dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. … the Russian Federation’s delegate questioned the European Union’s role as an “honest broker”. 

Kosovo’s 2025 parliamentary election campaign was marred by unprecedented hate speech and disinformation from local and foreign actors, raising concerns about the integrity of future elections unless significant action is taken, a new BIRN report, launched on Wednesday, concluded.

A month after elections in Kosovo took place, Prime Minister Albin Kurti says he cannot even start talks with potential coalition partners until the result of the February 9 vote is formally certified.

Kosovo's prime minister again ignores summons to testify in a probe about the alleged about misuse of state reserves, accusing the prosecutors of abusing their freedom in order to 'fight the government and not crime'. 

Kurti’s Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party again came first, but its share of the popular vote shrank from 50.2 per cent in 2021 to 41 per cent. After four years of ruling alone, it faces the prospect of having to strike a deal with one of three bitter rivals – the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, which came second, with some 22 per cent, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, which won 17.6 per cent, or the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, which won 7.5 per cent.

US envoy Richard Grenell denounced the imprisonment and Hague trial of Hashim Thaci for war crimes and blamed Europeans and Kosovo's own institutions for "failing to bring this injustice to an end".

Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Vetevendosje party came first in Sunday's parliamentary elections, but it will need to forge a coalition with one of the opposition parties in order to form a new government.

The Council today appointed Mr. Peter Sørensen as EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. … Mr. Sørensen is a Danish diplomat with extensive experience, including from the Western Balkans’ region.

NATO and the European Union are beefing up their resources in Kosovo amid rising tension in the Balkan nation ahead of February 9 parliamentary elections.