Kurti calls for correction of the verdict against former KLA leaders and accountability for the murder of Arlinda Zekaj

Prime Minister Albin Kurti spoke at the 64th meeting of the General Council of the Vetëvendosje Movement about the case of Arlinda Zekaj, the verdict against former KLA leaders, political developments in Albania and Serbia, and Kosovo’s budget for 2027.

Regarding the murder of Arlinda Zekaj in Peja, Kurti said that she had reported the violence, sought protection from the institutions and warned in writing that her life was at risk, yet she was still killed. According to him, the case shows that following the steps recommended to women by institutions does not always guarantee their safety.

The prime minister warned that accountability would be sought for every official who had failed to fulfill their duties, including disciplinary and criminal liability. He said that every institutional link must be investigated and that negligence or breaches of legal obligations must be followed by appropriate measures. Kurti recalled that one day earlier, the course of the case, the identified shortcomings and the lack of cooperation between institutions had been made public.

He also addressed the impact of the patriarchal mindset, which, he said, treats women as property and views their departure from a relationship as a challenge to male authority. To change this approach, Kurti called for sustained work in families, schools, institutions and political entities.

Kurti said that education on equality, respect and the nonviolent resolution of conflicts must begin in childhood. He questioned the models that encourage girls to be obedient and patient while encouraging boys to be dominant, calling for these models to be examined in school textbooks and in the education of children as well.

According to the prime minister, the fight against femicide requires educational, economic and social policies that empower women and enable them to be independent. He stressed that gender equality must be reflected in the distribution of family responsibilities, the guarantee of property rights, decision-making and the policies being implemented, as well as in the protection of women when their lives are at risk.

Kurti described the verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi in The Hague as legally and morally unjust, as well as historically and factually inaccurate. He called for the decision to be changed and corrected as soon as possible by the Appeals Chamber.

He announced that the government had approved the creation of a working group to draft and harmonize the state strategy concerning appeal proceedings before the Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The group includes representatives of institutions and parliamentary political entities, and is headed by the first deputy prime minister and minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Glauk Konjufca.

Speaking about the elections, Kurti said that after the February 9, 2025 vote, which LVV won convincingly following a full term in office, political blockades prevented full institutional stability. According to him, the election of the speaker of parliament was obstructed, followed by that of the prime minister and, most recently, the president. He added that the results of the electoral processes had repeatedly confirmed LVV as the largest political entity in the country and in the Assembly, and thanked citizens in Kosovo and the diaspora for their support.

Kurti also mentioned the election of the president on October 6, thanking the 62 deputies from his coalition who took part and voted for Justina Shiroka Pula.

According to Kurti, the draft law on the 2027 budget will be approved on Monday at the next government meeting. He said that the amount allocated for capital investment would exceed one billion euros for the first time and that the budget would focus on capital projects, accelerating economic growth and creating jobs with better wages.

He said that the investments would include roads, railways and dams. A total of 908 million euros has been earmarked for municipalities, which, according to Kurti, represents a 2/3 increase compared with the inherited budget.

Kurti also spoke about European integration, saying that Kosovo meets the conditions for candidate-country status and for opening accession negotiations with the European Union. In 2026–2027, the country is expected to receive 180.5 million euros from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance funds. This year, he said, Kosovo also secured 119 million euros in grants from the Western Balkans Investment Framework.

Kurti also mentioned 61.8 million euros in pre-financing from the Growth Plan and the request for the release of 153 million euros for reforms implemented by June. He added that the SEPA law, adopted on October 15, is expected to save around 55 million euros a year on bank transfers. The government, he said, is also negotiating Kosovo’s inclusion in the European Union’s roaming zone, which would reduce telephone costs for citizens and businesses traveling to EU countries.

Regarding the protests in Albania, Kurti denied that the Vetëvendosje Movement had organized or incited the protesters. He said that the party was in government, not in a protesting opposition, adding that even when LVV had protested, it had openly stood at the forefront of the demonstrations. According to him, the entity had neither instrumentalized others nor allowed itself to be instrumentalized.

Kurti said that Kosovo is not and will not become a rival of Albania, which he described as an inseparable part of the national being. He said that developments there were being followed with concern, care, responsibility and affection, while Albania’s democratic progress was a national historical responsibility. The prime minister said he was pleased with Albania’s progress toward the European Union and its achievements in the economy and tourism, and hoped these would expand through joint projects.

According to Kurti, the protests in Albania had been peaceful for around four months, while in October they were also accompanied by more serious clashes between protesters and security forces. He said that the injuries and violence were concerning, but stressed that, alongside criminal responsibility, the causes and circumstances that turn disagreements into clashes must also be analyzed. Public order and the freedom to protest, he emphasized, must be protected simultaneously.

Kurti also called for young people to be included in decision-making and for opportunities to be created for them to build a dignified future in Albania. He said the goal should be a country where democracy outlasts governments, institutions are stronger than the forces of injustice, and social justice gives meaning to national freedom.

Regarding the parliamentary elections in Serbia, Kurti described the result of the Albanian Coalition, which received 27,670 votes and won two seats, as historic. According to him, this figure is 1,233 votes more than in 2020 and represents the highest result achieved by Albanians since 2000. He attributed the success to the unification of Albanian political entities and the prioritization of the common interest over party interests.

Describing developments after the October 25 elections, Kurti said that the Student List came first, Aleksandar Vučić’s coalition lost its parliamentary majority, while Ivica Dačić’s list did not enter the Assembly. He added that although it was now known who had lost power, it was still unclear who would take it.

The prime minister expressed hope that political changes in Serbia would be accompanied by a positive approach from official Belgrade toward Kosovo and the Albanians in Preševo, Bujanoc and Medvegjë. Regarding the normalization of relations, he said that it required confronting the past, shedding light on crimes against Albanians, identifying mass graves and clarifying the fate of missing persons.

Kurti also mentioned the denazification of political discourse, institutional decriminalization and internal democratization as conditions for normalizing relations with neighboring countries. He said that without the truth about the past, trust for the future could not be built, and that Kosovo sought good neighborly relations, peace and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect. As the ultimate goal for Kosovo and Serbia, he mentioned the full normalization of relations through mutual recognition.

Asked whether two ministers would resign following the murder of Arlinda Zekaj, Kurti did not provide a specific answer. He said that the meeting of Vetëvendosje’s General Council had enough issues to discuss. Protesters had called for the resignation of the minister of Justice, Donika Gërvalla, and the minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla.