- The Kosovo Parliament failed to elect a president. The President dissolved the Parliament
On 5 March, the Kosovo Parliament failed to vote on the election of a new president due to the lack of a quorum. Only 66 deputies were present in the hall instead of the 80 required for the vote to be held. According to the Constitution, the President of Kosovo is elected by a two-thirds majority (80 votes) in the first two rounds or by 61 votes in the third round, but 80 deputies must still be present in the hall for the session to be held.
The presidential election failed after the opposition parties left the session, refusing to support the candidates for the presidency from the ruling party “Vetëvendosje” (Vetëvendosje, LVV). The opposition insisted on nominating a compromise figure, but the previous negotiations between Albin Kurti and the two main opposition parties, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (Partia Demokratike e Kosovës, PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës, LDK), regarding an agreed candidate were unsuccessful.
On 6 March, the day after the failed attempt by parliament to elect a president, the incumbent President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani issued a decree dissolving parliament and calling new early parliamentary elections. Osmani explained her decree by saying that 5 March had been the final deadline for electing the new President of Kosovo, since her mandate expires on 4 April, but the deputies failed to comply with the established deadlines.
However, Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated on the same day that the dissolution of parliament can take place only after the completion of three rounds of voting for president, in the event that all three fail. “Last night we only began the first round, and we definitely did not complete the third round,” Kurti emphasized.
On behalf of the government, the Prime Minister appealed to the Constitutional Court with a request regarding the constitutionality of the President’s decree dissolving parliament.
Having begun consideration of the appeal, on 9 March the Constitutional Court introduced an interim measure until 31 March regarding the President’s decree dissolving parliament. By this decision, the Court prohibited any actions by the president to implement the decree, including the announcement of the date of early elections, and, at the same time, prohibited any actions by parliament to continue the procedures for electing the country’s president.
- The Parliament of Montenegro adopted controversial laws on the MUP and the ANB
On 6 March, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted two laws that caused acute discussion — the laws amending the Law on Internal Affairs and the Law on the National Security Agency (ANB).
The Law on the National Security Agency caused serious controversy because it grants the ANB broader access to the databases of state bodies and institutions, in some cases even without a court decision, which is considered a threat to the privacy of citizens and reduces control over the work of the secret service.
In the Law on Internal Affairs, one of the new provisions allows, in certain cases, employment in the police without a public competition, which was interpreted as creating opportunities for recruitment on a party basis. In addition, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was granted the authority to dismiss police officers without disciplinary proceedings, solely on the basis of existing information about so-called “security obstacles” (primarily, information about alleged links with crime).
On the eve of the parliamentary vote on these laws, the European Commission acknowledged that the laws do not comply with EU requirements for candidate countries, but that these provisions can be amended taking EU norms into account either before the laws are adopted in parliament, or afterward, but before Montenegro joins the EU.
“The Commission was consulted on the two draft laws, and it considers that the data protection provisions in both texts are still not fully aligned with the EU acquis, in particular with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Law Enforcement Directive. To this end, Montenegro should align these provisions with the EU acquis either before the adoption of the laws, or adopt the laws and subsequently align the provisions before the conclusion of the accession negotiations,” said the spokesperson for the European Commission. According to him, the European Commission will closely monitor the implementation of the legislation.
“The Commission also expects that the authorities will recruit police personnel on the basis of merit and establish appropriate procedural safeguards. It also expects Montenegro to ensure that any dismissals are based on justified grounds and that the persons concerned have access to all available legal remedies,” the European Commision’s spokesperson emphasized.
Because of the adoption of the controversial laws, the ruling “Europe Now” Movement (PES) lost one deputy in parliament — Miodrag Laković left the PES parliamentary group and announced that he would continue to work as an independent deputy.
Deputies from Montenegro’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), resigned from the posts of chairs of parliamentary committees in protest against the adoption of the laws. Ivan Vuković resigned from the post of chair of the parliamentary Committee on European Integration, and Jevto Eraković resigned from the post of chair of the Anti-Corruption Committee.
Vuković stated that he was doing this because of the adoption of the Law on Internal Affairs and the Law on the National Security Agency, which, in his assessment, are politically motivated, contrary to the Constitution, and will hinder European integration. Eraković stated that the adopted laws “turn Montenegro from a democratic state into a repressive and police state.”
Meanwhile, representatives of the government insisted that the amendments to the laws on internal affairs and the ANB contribute to the more effective functioning of the country’s security sector, above all in the sphere of fighting crime. The laws were “a necessary means of correcting the criminal legacy that we found in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Directorate. This is our duty under the constitution, the law, and before the citizens,” stated Minister of Internal Affairs Danilo Šaranović.
Meanwhile, the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović returned one of the laws to parliament for reconsideration — the Law amending the Law on Internal Affairs. “The fact that during the previous regime parts of the security sector were criminalized further obliges us to carefully choose the legal mechanisms for improving the system, while respecting the Constitution of Montenegro and the democratic standards that apply in the member states of the EU,” the explanation of the President sent to parliament states.
- Serbia will hold joint military exercises with NATO
The NATO Allied Joint Force Command in Naples announced the holding of joint military exercises with Serbia in May of this year.
“The exercise will take place at the Serbian Borovac training ground, which the Serbian Armed Forces widely use to prepare units for international missions, including United Nations peacekeeping operations. This activity will be conducted at Serbia’s invitation and in full respect of its declared policy of military neutrality. Joint exercises improve interoperability, strengthen practical cooperation, and support stability in the Western Balkans. NATO values its partnership with Serbia and looks forward to cooperating during these exercises,” the Naples command said in a post on the X network.
Serbia is a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme, but emphasizes its military neutrality.
The announcement about the exercises was made public after Admiral George Wikoff, Commander of NATO Allied Joint Force Command Naples, who is also Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, visited Belgrade, where he met with Serbia’s military and political leadership.
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, after the meeting, reported that he had had an “important meeting” with Wikoff on strengthening cooperation with NATO while preserving Serbia’s military neutrality.
Serbian Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić, during the meeting with the Commander of NATO Allied Joint Force Command Naples, emphasized that Serbia “remains committed to military neutrality and to building relations with all interested parties” and is “firmly determined to maintain an appropriate level of cooperation within the Partnership for Peace programme.”
- Albania and Croatia were included in the Serbian list of dangerous countries
In response to the war in Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia updated its travel advisory system, dividing the countries of the world into four levels of risk. In a publication on the website of the Serbian MFA, countries are divided into four categories — green (free travel with normal precautions), yellow (travel with additional precautions), orange (travel in cases of extreme necessity), and red (travel is not recommended).
Neighboring Croatia was included in the list of countries that should be visited only “in cases of extreme necessity.” The Serbian foreign policy department explains Croatia’s status as follows: “In view of frequent incidents, tensions, and unfavorable security circumstances, citizens of the Republic of Serbia are advised to exercise particular caution while staying in Croatia.” Citizens are advised to avoid mass gatherings and to “be restrained in communication.”
Nevena Jovanović, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, stated that the categorization carries no political message, but that Serbian citizens must be presented with all possible risks they may face and warned about possible incidents that may occur. “It is no secret that in the previous period we faced quite a few incidents directed against our citizens, and in general against representatives of the Serbian people living in the Republic of Croatia,” said Jovanović.
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia called such a classification unfounded: “Croatia is one of the safest countries in the world, as confirmed by Eurostat data. We are part of the Schengen zone, and the security of our guests is a priority. Such warnings look like a political gesture, not a real assessment of risks.”
In addition to Croatia, Serbia also strengthened warnings regarding another neighboring country — Albania. Albania was included in the list of countries to which one should travel “with additional precautions.” Official Tirana refrained from comment.
