Fierce clashes broke out in Kosovo’s parliament, with MPs throwing punches… amid debate over de-escalation in the country
Mergim Lushtaku MP threw water at Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, prompting MPs to grab, push and punch each other.
The shocking moment sparked an angry brawl in Kosovo’s parliament when an opposition lawmaker threw water at the country’s prime minister.
In the video, Mergim Lushtaku, of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, approaches Prime Minister Albin Kurti and throws water on him as he talks about measures to defuse tensions with ethnic Serbs in the north of the country.
Dozens of MPs then rushed to the lectern and a melee ensued, with lawmakers shoving, shoving and punching each other.
It comes as opposition parties have criticized Mr Kurti’s policies in northern Kosovo which they claim have soured relations with Western allies.
In May, the Kosovar government installed Albanian mayors in municipal buildings in Zavecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, sparking violent protests from the ethnic Serb majority – who have historically had strained relations with Albanians.
In the video, Mergim Lushtaku, of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, approaches Mr Kurti and throws water on him (pictured).
Dozens of people have been injured in clashes between local Serb and Kosovo police and NATO-led peacekeepers, fueling fears of a conflict similar to that of 1998-99 in which more than 10,000 people died.
On Wednesday, Mr. Kurti announced that he would reduce the number of special police officers stationed outside four municipal buildings in the ethnic Serb-majority area of northern Kosovo and elect new mayors in each town.
But the move angered the opposition, who argued that Mr Kurti had been ‘experimenting’ for months and threatened Kosovo’s international standing.
Earlier, Mr. Kurti’s deputy Besnik Beslimi tore up a drawing mocking Mr. Kurti that the opposition had given the prime minister. According to local media, Mr Kurti was kicked out of the assembly hall during the chaos.
The US and EU have called on him to keep mayors away in various parts of the north until the situation is resolved.
Kosovo is a former province of Serbia whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade does not recognize.
Dozens of MPs then rushed to the lectern and a melee broke out, with lawmakers pushing and punching each other.
It comes as opposition parties have criticized Mr Kurti’s policies in northern Kosovo which they claim have soured relations with Western allies.
The move angered the opposition, who argued that Mr Kurti had been on ‘examination’ for months and threatened Kosovo’s international standing.
According to local media, Mr Kurti was kicked out of the assembly hall during the chaos
Most of Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs also refuse to recognize Kosovo’s statehood, which is supported by the United States and most EU countries but not Russia and China.
Serbia increased its army’s combat readiness and threatened military intervention in response to tensions in the north, bordering Serbia.
Belgrade withdrew from Kosovo in 1999 after NATO bombed the country to stop an offensive against ethnic Albanian separatists.
The EU has told both countries that they must reach a solution to their disputes through EU-mediated dialogue in order to join the bloc.
Western officials have stepped up efforts to bring the two sides closer, fearing further instability in Europe as the war in Ukraine continues.
NATO has sent additional troops to a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo to bolster security.