Clashes broke out in Kosovo’s parliament and water was thrown at the prime minister after three days of acrimonious public debate over an audio recording between a member of the ruling party and an official from the Serb-majority north. Kosovo’s opposition has long accused nationalist Prime Minister Albin Kurti of his handling of tensions in the north, straining relations with longtime Western allies the United States and the European Union.
Unrest in the north has intensified recently as ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo after April elections, which were boycotted by Serbs demanding implementation of a decades-old agreement for greater autonomy. Ethnic Albanians make up 90% of Kosovo’s population, while Serbs make up about 5%. Videos from inside Parliament on Thursday showed an opposition MP throwing water on Kurti and his deputy. The brawl broke out when other opposition and ruling coalition MPs reached near the dais where the minister is sitting.
Fighting in the Kosovo Parliament today.
If this happened in Russia, we would not hear the end of it! pic.twitter.com/bpZwPIoklh— Jackson Hinkle (@jacksonhinklle) 13 July 2023
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Kurti was pushed away from his MPs and bodyguards as MPs from both sides attacked each other until the police intervened. The debate took place this week after online Media Nacional published an audio conversation between the chairwoman of Kurti’s party, Mimoja Kusari-Lila, and the then Serb lawmaker, Slavko Simic. This audio was recorded in June last year.
Kusari can be heard saying that he had earlier spoken by phone with Milan Radojic, an official of Serb ethnicity who has been sanctioned by the US government for organized crime and corrupt activities.
Radojic is also a wanted man by the Kosovo authorities. “What happened in Kosovo’s parliament is unacceptable and the use of violence is punishable,” said Glauc Konjufka, speaker of Kosovo’s parliament. and ordered the session to be adjourned for two hours.
On Wednesday, Kurti said he had agreed with the European Union to reduce police presence in the north and take other measures to ease tensions.
NATO said 93 of its peacekeepers were wounded, some seriously, in clashes with Serb protesters on 29 May. In response the doctors said that 52 Serbs had also been injured.