- Explosion in northern Kosovo: Pristina and Belgrade blame each other
The explosion occurred about 7 p.m. in the village of Varage (the Zubin Potok municipality, northern Kosovo) on November, 29, 2024, which damaged the Ibar-Lepenac canal. The water supply was stopped. There was also a risk of stopping the production of energy electricity, as this canal’s water cools the turbines of the thermal power plants of the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK JSC).
“This is a criminal and terrorist attack on our critical infrastructure,” said Prime Minister Albin Kurti. “The attack was carried out by a well-organized gang from Serbia,” he stressed.
From November 30 to December 1, Kosovo police made eight arrests and seized weapons and ammunition during raids at ten locations. Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla said that people arrested were related to two groups operating in the Serb-majority north of Kosovo. They are Civilna Zastita (“Civil Protection”) and Brigada Sever (“Brigade North”), which Kosovo has considered terrorist organizations.
A Pristina court has arrested some of the suspects, ethnic Serbs, for 30 days on suspicion of carrying out a terrorist attack.
At the same time, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has denied Serbia’s involvement in the Zubin Potok explosion, blaming the Kosovo authorities instead. In a speech on December 1, Vucic said that he could accuse Albin Kurti of ordering the attack for domestic political reasons, but would wait until Serbia’s investigation was completed.
Western diplomats have condemned the attack on Kosovo’s critical infrastructure and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
On December 1, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller condemned the attack on Kosovo’s water pipeline. “We will support efforts to find and punish those responsible, and appreciate all offers of support to that effort,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier said at a briefing on December 2 that it was not yet clear who was behind the Ibar-Lepenac canal explosion. “At the moment, the United States is not in a position to say who is behind the sabotage. Still too early to and these things need to be thoroughly investigated. We have offered our support to the Kosovo authorities. We cannot exclude any country, particular group or anything else,” said Hovenier.
After the explosion, Kosovo increased security at critical infrastructure sites such as bridges, electrical substations, water reservoirs and canals. Pristina’s request to allow the deployment of Kosovo Security Force soldiers in the north was rejected by NATO KFOR in Kosovo.
- Albanian opposition demands a transitional government ahead of elections
On November 26, a massive “civil disobedience” campaign, led by the opposition, took place in the Albanian capital. Clashes broke out between protesters and police. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters.
Opposition parties and their supporters are demanding the resignation of the government and the appointment of a transitional oneto prepare and hold parliamentary elections on May 11, 2025.
Protesters accuse the government (led by Prime Minister and Socialist Party leader Edi Rama) of corruption, manipulation of previous elections, usurpation of power and persecution of the opposition.
The leaders of Albania’s two largest opposition parties, former Prime Minister Sali Berisha (the Democratic Party) and former President Ilir Meta (the Freedom Party), are accused of corruption. The opposition believes that these are politically motivated cases. Meta is imprisoned, while Berisha was under house arrest. The day after mass protests in Tirana, a court released Berisha from house arrest. This was considered as an agreement between the authorities and the opposition. But in his first speech after his release, Berisha called on Rama to form a technical government, otherwise the civil disobedience would continue.
- EU expects North Macedonia to amend its Constitution regarding Bulgarians
The new EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, expects North Macedonia to amend its Constitution and add the Bulgarian community in the preamble. This will really speed up the process of European integration, she said.
Kos made the statement while answering journalists’ questions immediately after the European Parliament approved her appointment to the new European Commission.
According to the agreements reached between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, which were supported by the European Union, the Macedonian parliament was supposed to adopt constitutional amendments, according to which Bulgarians would be included to the Constitution of North Macedonia as a state-forming people. The previous center-left government of North Macedonia agreed to add a reference to the Bulgarian ethnic minority in the Constitution in order to lift the Bulgarian veto on the EU accession talks, but there was no parliamentary majority to put it into effect.
After the change of power in North Macedonia, the current government, formed by the VMRO-DPMNE party, refused to implement the previously approved agreement. In order to unblock the country’s European integration, the North Macedonian government proposes to introduce constitutional amendments “with a delay” in the performance, so that they would enter into force only when North Macedonia becomes a full member of the EU. This should guarantee new conditions for the EU accession are not imposed on the Macedonians, who have already changed the name of the country at the request of Greece.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski emphasized on November 27 that they have identified red lines and would not violate it.
Meanwhile, according to the Macedonian press, the EU does not support the idea of introducing constitutional amendments with a delay. Brussels is allegedly working on other “creative solutions” to overcome the North Macedonia’s European integration blockage by Bulgaria. According to the European Union, a possible option is to give Skopje certain guarantees that Bulgaria would not use its veto right after the adoption of constitutional amendments.
- BiH Foreign Ministry sends a Protest Note to Croatia over Croatian Parliament Speaker’s statement
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a Protest Note to Croatia following the statement by Croatian Parliament Spokesperson Gordan Jandroković that BiH would not exist unless there was equality between the three constitutional peoples of BiH.
“If there is no constitutionality and equality, Bosnia and Herzegovina will no exist,” Jandroković said during a visit to BiH in late November.
The Croatian Parliament Spokesperson made this statement in response to a journalist’s question about whether BiH would have to abandon the principle of constitutionality of peoples in its EU’s accession process.
“Those who do not understand Bosnia and Herzegovina” can propose the abolition of the constitutionality of peoples, Jandroković stressed. He believes this principle, on the contrary, will be strengthened on the country’s path towards the EU. “I believe that the European path will further strengthen this concept and these principles, it won’t hurt the sovereignty and functionality of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but on the contrary. I believe that by strengthening this concept, the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be strengthened,” he said.
At the same time, official Sarajevo has expressed indignation at Jandroković’s statements.
The statement of the President of the Croatian Parliament “does not contribute to building trust and further strengthening friendly relations,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has emphasized that “Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the oldest countries in this part of the continent, and its future is beyond doubt.”
As is known, according to the Dayton Peace Agreement and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country is defined as a single country with two autonomous entities (integral parts), the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, and three equal constitutional peoples – Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. At the same time, there are decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) about discrimination against citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who do not belong to the three constitutional peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Montenegrin citizens detained in Kosovo for writing “Kosovo is Serbia”
The Kosovo police detained three Montenegrin citizens for having a “Kosovo is Serbia” sticker on their vehicle near the Visoki Dečani Monastery (Kosovo) on November 24, 2024. The court ruled on a preventive measure in the form of keeping them in police custody for up to 30 days. The Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office accuses them of “inciting hatred and intolerance.”
Three days after they were taken into custody, Montenegro’s Defense Minister Dragan Krapović reported that two of the three individuals arrested in Kosovo were active servicemen of the Montenegrin Army. “According to my information and the words of their leaders, they are good, exemplary members of the Montenegrin Army,” he said, noting that both servicemen are officially on medical leave.
“We need to establish all relevant facts and circumstances, after which we will inform the public with all the details,” the Minister said.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro, Andrija Mandić, and the Mayor of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević (both from the New Serbian Democracy party), separately the New Serb Democracy party and the Eparchy of Budimlja–Nikšić of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro has condemned the actions of the Kosovo authorities and appealed to the Montenegrin authorities to protect citizens.
On December 2, a rally was held in front of the Montenegrin Parliament with the participation of several representatives of the Orthodox Youth Organization in support of citizens arrested in Kosovo.
As is known, Montenegro recognized Kosovo, but the pro-Serbian parties of Montenegro, even those that are members of the ruling coalition, and the Serbian Orthodox Church, do not recognize its independence, considering it part of Serbia.
- The majority of the population in the Western Balkans trusts the EU – except Serbia
Only 38 % of Serbian citizens tend to trust the EU, while 56 % tend to distrust the European Union. Thirty-two percent of people believe that EU membership would be a good thing, for 30 % – it would be a bad thing, and 38 % consider it neither good nor bad.
This is evidenced by the Eurobarometer survey, which was conducted in September-October this year in the countries of the European Union and candidate countries.
The highest level of trust in the EU is in Albania, at 81 %. In addition, 83 % of Albanian citizens believe that EU membership would be a good thing.
The next is Montenegro, where 75% of people tend to trust the EU, and 71 % believe that EU membership would be a good thing. In Kosovo, 70 % of respondents tend to trust the EU, and 65 % believe that EU membership is a good thing.
In North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 56 % of people tend to trust the EU. 63 % of North Macedonians believe that EU membership would be a good thing, while, 55 % of people express the same opinion in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The survey has once again showed the presence of strong anti-European, anti-Western sentiments in Serbian society, despite many EU programs and projects there.
