On November 15, it was announced that the government of Albania is planning to privatize Durres port, the biggest port in the country, which handles over 90% of foreign trade. However, the transparency of the whole process is being questioned by the parliamentary opposition. While the Socialist government claims that a massive international company plans to bring significant investments to the port and the neighbouring area, the company’s name behind these promises is yet to be disclosed. Based on the available information released by the Socialist party, the company plans to transform the port into a luxury marina with several hotels. In addition, the function of the current port is intended to be moved to a newly constructed port north of the city of Durres, with the costs of this move also being unknown.

Another problem the opposition points out is that the privatization process was not competitive, raising even more questions about the transparency and the consequences of privatization for Albania. Ilir Meta, former President and the leader of the Freedom Party, raised concerns about the port being eventually seized by banks once the unknown investor cannot repay the loans. The extent of the doubts is underlined by numerous questions addressed to the government by Jorida Tabaku, the MP for the Democratic Party. For example, she asked why this strategic investor’s status had changed over the last months and whether other companies could invest in the proposed project.

On November 2, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution extending Operation Althea for another year. Although the operation’s mandate is regularly extended, this year’s extension was specific due to the risk of the Russian Federation using a veto.

Althea, the EUFOR peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the EU’s longest-running military operation and the only one with an executive mandate for using force. Althea comprises around 1.100 troops from 20 countries deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004 to ensure compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the number of troops increased by 500 from the previous 600. However, the Russian Federation opposed this step. Following an increase in personnel, the Russian Federation announced the possible use of a veto in the vote on the extension of the Althea mission. A controversial statement from the Russian Embassy in Sarajevo even accused the West of „NATOising“ Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Under the patronage of the European Union, Aleksandar Vucic and Albin Kurti met in Brussels on November 21. At the meeting, the EU proposed that Kosovo would not start issuing fines to owners of cars with Serbian license plates, and Serbia would not continue producing new license plates for Kosovo Serbs. Mediated by the High Representative of the EU, Josep Borell and EU Special Representative for Belgrade – Prishtina dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, the proposal was accepted only by Vucic. Also, in Brussels, the Kosovan Prime Minister Kurti negotiated for 8 hours with representatives from countries that do not recognize the independence of Kosovo, namely Slovakia, Spain and Serbia.

The dispute is halting further steps toward the countries’ integration into the EU. For example, the long-discussed visa liberalization, i.e. visa-free travel in the Schengen zone, was supposed to be debated on November 23. However, the Czech Presidency of the EU removed the topic from the schedule due to the unsuccessful meeting and escalating pressures between Kosovo and Serbia.

Nevertheless, another round of negotiations in Brussels on November 23 concluded a deal after eleven-hour efforts with Serbian official Petar Petković and Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislim.

“I want to thank Ambassador Jeff Hovenier and the US Government for their commitment to reaching today’s agreement in Brussels. Their support for the dialogue process between Kosovo and Serbia is indispensable. Kosovo is grateful to them”, Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani wrote on her Twitter, highlighting specifically America’s involvement. Furthermore, president Osmani blamed Josep Borell for unilateralism and accommodation of the aggressor and proceeded to list multiple Serbian violations of the Brussels agreements, which Borell could have addressed in their meeting and did not.

While Borell speaks openly about an agreed deal, Kosovan Prime Minister Kurti thinks otherwise: “Last night’s agreement is not an agreement about license plates. We agreed to stop joint actions, so we will not issue fines for Serb license plates. Instead, we will give space to the negotiation of the European proposal, which was earlier called Franco-German”.

On November 15, members of the political party Srpska Lista announced that they would not participate in the local elections in Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, which are to be held on December 18. Srpska Lista is a Belgrade-backed party representing Kosovo Serbs.

The reason behind the decision to boycott the local elections is the mass resignation of Serbs from Kosovo’s political institutions. On November 7, Kosovo Serbs resigned from their positions in state institutions, such as police, mayors and judicial officials. In addition, officials claimed that the agreements between Serbia and Kosovo, concluded in Brussels through the European Union mediation, are being breached. They also disagreed with the imposition of Kosovo vehicle licence plates on drivers with Serbian-registered cars.

In the 2021 local elections, Srpska Lista won the majority of the votes in all of the Serb majority municipalities – in Leposavic, Zubin Potok, Zvecan and Northern Mitrovica. Members of Srpska Lista are convinced that by unilaterally deciding to hold extraordinary elections in these four Serbian municipalities, the Prishtina political authorities exercise legal and institutional violence against Serbs.

However, on November 17, nine parliament members from the Srpska Lista took the oath at Kosovo’s Parliament to secure their mandates despite the mass resignation mentioned above. The nine parliament members replaced the ten previous parliament members who resigned on November 7. Nevertheless, the party members emphasized that taking the oath at Kosovo’s Parliament will not stop the mass resignation process and the decision to not participate in the particular local elections.

Other Serb political parties do not agree with Srpska Lista accepting new mandates. The second most popular Serb party, called For Freedom, Justice and Survival, is convinced that Srpska Lista took the new appointments to stop other Serb politicians in Kosovo from entering the Parliament. Ten seats of the Kosovo Parliament are reserved for Serbian politicians, and nine of these seats are occupied by politicians from Srpska Lista.