The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, did not hold a press conference in Pristina following her meetings with President Vjosa Osmani and acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, breaking the practice she has followed during her annual visits to Western Balkan countries.
Kosovo, as well as North Macedonia, experienced the same situation. The reason for this, according to the European Union, is the ongoing or upcoming elections in these countries, so as not to break EU practice in such cases.
This was stated by European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho in a response to Express.
“The reason for not holding a press conference in Kosovo and in North Macedonia is due to elections that are in process or expected to take place soon, according to usual practice.”
EU leaders avoid press conferences in countries holding elections to maintain political neutrality and avoid influencing the electoral campaign.
However, von der Leyen made a brief public statement on X, sending a short message to Kosovo:
“We remain committed to a future where all six Western Balkan partners are part of our Union. For this, it is important that Kosovo continues building strong institutions, reduces domestic tensions, and completes the necessary steps to benefit from the Growth Plan,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, the offices of Osmani and Kurti revealed little about the content of their discussions during meetings at the Presidency and the Assembly. They requested the removal of measures against Kosovo, advancement of the EU membership application, discussed the Growth Plan, and Kosovo’s path toward the EU.
