Latest Analysis from Kosovo
PTK Buyer Spies Gold in Call Centres
Telecom could become lead player in small but burgeoning industry in Kosovo, which is tapping the low-wage, multilingual workforce.
Kosovo Prepares to Legalize Organ Transplants
Bill offers hope for patients who must go abroad for new organs – but concerns remain about granting licenses to private medical centres in the light of the Medicus case.
Captive Brown Bears Gain Fresh Start in Kosovo
NGO wants to relocate animals living at restaurants and small zoos, but some owners aren’t sold on the idea.
Bad Loans Soar as Kosovo Economy Stumbles
A 30-per-cent spike in non-performing loans points to a decline in the country’s overall economic health.
Turks Bewitch The Balkans With Their Addictive Soaps
Turkish soaps have replaced Latin American shows as must-sees for many TV viewers in the Balkans - tapping into nostalgia for a system of family values that people in the region have lost, and lament.
Serbs Face Phased Transition to Kosovo Rule
Kosovo's authority will be introduced to Serb-run northern Kosovo in three stages, BIRN can reveal, as Kosovo Serb leaders warn the EU-backed plan may prompt them to emigrate.
Kosovo Officials Under Pressure to Stop Moonlighting
Anti-Corruption Agency wants to outlaw the widespread practice of officials taking outside employment.
Serbian Deputy PM Blamed for Kosovo Stalemate
While Alexander Vucic is in the spotlight over the failed talks with Kosovo, broader disunity on the Kosovo issue within Serbia’s ruling coalition has also been blamed.
PDK Keeps Donations a Secret
If Hashim Thaci’s party flagrantly flouts the country’s law on financing, it is far from alone in doing so.
Deadly Toll of Yugoslav Brigade’s Kosovo Attacks Revealed
A Yugoslav Army brigade’s military assaults on eight Kosovo villages that killed 885 people in 1999 have now been fully documented, but Serbia may never prosecute its commander.
Kosovo Mulls Power and Phone Concessions in North
Chief negotiator says government supports having a Serb company administer power bills, and may legalise rogue phone operators.
Hardline Kosovo Muslims Battle for Party Status
A hardline Islamic movement aims to become a political party, though some human rights groups say its aims are unconstitutional.
Kosovo MPs’ Medals Plan Comes Under Fire
Plans to hand out a new medal, the Order of Independence, on the fifth anniversary of Kosovo’s independence, have raised a number of tricky questions.
Kosovo Party Keeps Elections Finances Secret
Kosovo’s ruling party is refusing to disclose all the funds it spent on internal polls, which observers say is par for the course.
EU ‘Watching’ Kosovo’s Handling of Gay-Bashing
Diplomats in Kosovo are warning that the country’s reactions - or lack of them - to cases of homophobic violence are being monitored, and could impact on Kosovo’s hopes of European integration.
