Why are we overlooking the development of a resilient critical energy infrastructure in Kosovo?

Critical infrastructure resilience is vital for nations. Given the essential role of energy in all aspects of society, the energy system's resilience is essential. But where does the Government of Kosovo stand in developing a resilient critical energy infrastructure in light of global threats and risks that are not easily forecasted?

Session of the new Kosovo parliament on April 25, 2025. Photo: BIRN

Agron Halitaj

The Costly Precedent That Continues to Haunt Kosovo

More than two months after February’s parliamentary elections, Kosovo is trapped in an institutional crisis as parties cannot find a solution to unblock the election of parliament’s speaker.

The Kosovo flag is seen in the uniform of a member of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) during a ceremony in Pristina, Kosovo, August 18, 2009. Photo: EPA/VALDRIN XHEMAJ

Denora Gashi

Britain’s Potential Arms Export to Kosovo, Strategic Support or Regional Gamble?

The recent proposed arms sale to Kosovo establishes the UK as an engaged player in the Western Balkans, where Russian influence and hybrid warfare methods increasingly endanger stability.

Illustration: USAID Kosovo, courtesy of USAID Kosovo.

Lirim Krasniqi

US Foreign Aid Suspension: Reshaping the Future of Kosovo’s Civil Society

The temporary suspension of US foreign aid has brought the “post-development aid” era closer than expected, and local organizations must start reshaping a future that leverages the expertise nurtured by foreign aid over the years to build more substantial local leadership.

BIRN Kosovo training session with Kosovo Police on violent extremism prevention. Photo: BIRN

Kreshnik Gashi

Countering Violent Extremism: A Success Story from Kosovo

As we mark the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism, BIRN Kosovo looks back on what it has done over the past decade to address this phenomenon.

Gresa Hasa

Serbia’s Student Protests and Kosovo: Between Hope and Concerns

As student protests in Serbia have gained domestic momentum and international attention, a critical cross-border perspective places these events within a broader regional and historical context, examining how the outcomes of the protests could affect developments related to neighboring Kosovo.

Penesta Dika

A Walk through Resistance: A Visitor’s Take from Kosovo’s Reporting House

An old socialist-era premise in Prishtina is offering visitors a unique perspective of Kosovo's turbulent past with art pieces, photographs, videos, and artefacts displayed as part of BIRN’s Reporting House.

The Serbian Orthodox Visoki Decani Monastery in Kosovo, January 2013. Photo: EPA-EFE/Valdrin Xhemaj.

Petrit Selimi

Kosovo’s Taken Crucial Step to Join Council of Europe

Kosovo has taken a necessary step to ensuring membership of an important international organisation and the benefits will be manyfold – from joining multiple conventions to taking part in Eurovision.

Demush Shasha

The Surprising Trajectory of Albania and Kosovo EU Membership

If the last six years hold what the future will look like, then Albania and Kosovo are the first Western Balkans countries set to join the EU.

Adelina Hasani

Unveiling the Parallel: Serbia’s Failed Attempt to Imitate Russia’s Strategy with Neighbours

Serbian authorities attempted to legitimize the terrorist attack in the north of Kosovo by presenting it as an effort to protect Serb minorities from the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. This narrative draws parallels to the Russian Federation's legitimation attempts for its aggression against neighboring countries, as in the case of Ukraine.

Gjergj Erebara

False Attempt at the ‘Rashomon Effect’ in Edi Rama’s Stance towards Kosovo

Albanian PM Rama is attempting to provide alternative facts for what is happening in Kosovo by exaggerating and trying to present himself as a misunderstood hero in the midst of this exaggeration. However, in the situation in Kosovo, things are too straightforward and clear to create such a fog and use the Rashomon Effect.

Demush Shasha

Europe’s Napoleonic Moment of Enlargement

Again, like in the early 2000s questions are raised about “absorption capacity”, “institutional reform” and “economic cost” of the new wave of enlargement. Rather than serious discussion points, these debates are natural reflexes of the EU's geopolitical coming of age. They represent EU’s doubts about itself and destiny that history has graced it with: Europe united and at peace.

Shpat Balaj

Can Kosovo Local Serbs Escape Political Instrumentalization?

From political instrumentalization to marginalization, the Serbian community in Kosovo struggles to shape its own political destiny. The influence of Serbia through groups of organized crime and the Serbian Orthodox Church mutes the political agency of local Serbs.

Isabelle Fennema

Living in Kosovo Has Left Me With High Standards for Hospitality

Having spent my formative years with a Kosovar family, I found myself immersed in a world of warmth, openness, and kindness. Now, years later, I delve deep into the roots of their enduring traditions and the enchanting concept of "besë"—a beacon of honor and hospitality that has stood the test of time.

Elliot Engel

The U.S. Should Stand With Kosovo

Washington’s desire for Balkan stability has overtaken its support for democracy, the rule of law, and anti-corruption.

Marc Weller

Are the Brussels Negotiations on Kosovo Nearing Collapse?

The EU has led what is known as the normalization dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia for over a decade. A clutch of practical, technical agreements have resulted, although only partially implemented. But the process may now be heading for its collapse in any event.

Elvin Blakaj

Learning Cannot Be Considered Theft: A Response to AI Criticism

Numerous articles discussing the advancements of Artificial Intelligence often criticize it for "stealing" human ideas and creations. In this article, Elvin Blakaj challenges this viewpoint.

Features

‘Our Countries Needed Us’: How Five Balkan Women Built BIRN

Roma children play near by coal-fired power plants in the town of Obilic, near the capital Prishtina, Kosovo in November 2018. Photo: EPA/Valdrin Xhemaj

Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian Communities in Kosovo Face Double Burden of Poverty and Discrimination

Hussein al-Jerjaw (L) and his brother Asem (R) during a talk, via Zoom video call from Gaza, at BIRN's Reporting House exhibition in Kosovo's capital, Prishtina. Photo: BIRN/Jetmir Hoxha

“Fragments of Survival”: Gazan Artist Shares Art of Resistance with Prishtina

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