Prishtina, 28 October 2026
Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Distinguished members of the Government Cabinet and media representatives,
Dear journalists,
Dear citizens,
Welcome to the eighth meeting of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo.
Today marks three days since the brutal murder of Arlinda Zekaj in Vitomiricë, Peja. Arlinda was murdered in front of her home by her brother-in-law, and last night, shortly before midnight, the perpetrator, who had been on the run, was also arrested.
Every murder is a serious crime, but it is even more grave when it is clear that there has been a systemic chain of failures by the institutions responsible for security and justice. A murder preceded by such warnings, which went unanswered, could hardly have ended any other way. This makes the situation all the more unforgivable.
Immediately after the first information emerged, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Donika Gërvalla Schwarz, in her capacity as National Coordinator for Protection against Domestic Violence, Violence against Women and Gender-Based Violence, convened an emergency meeting with all relevant security and justice institutions, at both central and local levels, to obtain accurate information about this incident.
Meanwhile, as Prime Minister, I have requested a detailed report from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, documenting the evidence and the failures at every link in the institutional chain. As we speak, 34 hours remain for the preparation and submission of that report, which I will, of course, share with the public. I expect to receive the reports by tomorrow evening, before 18:00.
Dear citizens,
Justice did not come into being spontaneously. It emerged as a necessity to oppose injustice, which arose in a world of inequality.
Justice is the guarantee that the strong will not violate the rights of the weak simply because they are as they are. Yet, in our Kosovo, and perhaps elsewhere as well, justice has unfortunately failed to protect the weak. On the contrary, it has often sided with the powerful.
Justice in Kosovo remains somewhat skewed. How could it be otherwise when the scales of Justitia, the Lady of Justice, have been tilted towards the powerful and the wealthy, and one of her eyes has been uncovered so that she can see which way to tip the scales? Naturally, the sword will then never fall upon crime and criminals, but will always fall upon the weak, the poor and the powerless.
The Republic of Kosovo no longer needs any further proof to establish that setting the justice system on the right course is a matter of national urgency.
Honourable members of the Government Cabinet,
Last Sunday, elections were held in Serbia. These elections brought several historic achievements. The Albanian Coalition received 27,670 votes! This is the highest result achieved by Albanians since 2000, with a full 1,233 more votes than in 2020, when three seats were won. With the 35% increase in electoral coefficients for national minorities, this result is equivalent, in calculated terms, to 37,354 votes. Albanians are the fourth-largest minority in Serbia by population, yet they ranked second in terms of votes and tied for first place in terms of seats, alongside the Hungarians, among the national minority lists.
Meanwhile, the Student List came first, Vučić’s coalition lost its parliamentary majority, and Dačić’s list failed to enter the Assembly. A quarter of a century after the defeat of Milošević and Šešelj at the beginning of the twenty-first century, their political successors, Vučić and Dačić, have also lost.
This very good result for Albanians is, of course, the outcome of all forces uniting as one. I thank every political entity there for its willingness to set aside differences and unite behind a cause of great importance: a better, fairer and more dignified life for Albanians. Unity, as a new chapter in shared responsibility, must continue through strong protection of rights, demands for equality, opposition to discrimination and exploitation, and efforts to secure a progressive life in their homeland.
Congratulations on this success! Kosovo and our Government will always be ready to provide assistance and meet whatever needs Albanians there may have.
Thank you. We shall now proceed with the agenda.
