Kosovo Ruling Party Accused of ‘Capturing’ Public Broadcaster

Media unions and opposition parties have accused Kosovo's ruling party, Vetevendosje, of the capture of the public broadcaster, RTK, after the board announced that Rilind Gervalla was appointed Director of Television on Tuesday.

BIRN found that in 2020 Gervalla donated 60 euros in six installments to Vetevendosje, according to a document the party submitted to Central Election Commission, CEC, with the list of all its donors for that year.

In the same year, Gervalla was seen in photos distributed by Vetevendosje participating in meetings of the party's Steering Council.

"This partisan choice contradicts its [the government's] commitment to depoliticise and de-capture the public broadcaster," the Secretary General of the European Federation of Journalists, Ricardo Gutierrez, said on Tuesday.

"The European Federation of Journalists regrets this decision. The citizens of Kosovo deserve a free public television that is totally independent from political parties," Gutierrez added.

The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, accused Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who is head of Vetevendosje, and President Vjosa Osmani of installing political supporters in the broadcaster.

"Through the installation of [Vetevendosje] militant Rilind Gervalla, Prime Minister Albin Kurti is aiming to use RTK for propaganda and agitation, to distort reality and the truth about his bad governance," the PDK said.

The opposition Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, said the selection of a political activist as director of RTK "represents the total capture of this public institution".

"Kosovo citizens deserve an independent public television. Its political capture is only a continuation of bad policies that have characterized this public...