Audio Recordings Leak Triggers Scuffles in Kosovo Parliament

MPs from the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, physically attacked Prime Minister Albin Kurti and government ministers during Kurti's speech in parliament on Thursday, as a physical fight erupted between the two groups.

Parliament speaker Glauk Konjufca, from Kurti's ruling Vetevendosje party, called the incident "unacceptable". "The use of violence is also punishable, to be condemned by all of us," he said, adding that the police will deal with any "physical attack" that happened in parliament.

Ructions started while Kurti was talking about the situation in the Serb-majority north, and was interrupted by opposition MPs who called him a "liar". PDK MP Ganimete Musliu placed a photo-montage of Kurti with an elongated liar's nose on the parliamentary podium, which was removed by Deputy PM Besnik Bislimi.

Soon after, PDK MP Mergim Lushtaku approached Kurti and threw water at him and Bislimi. The Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, then placed himself in the middle, moving a file in the air.

But he was pushed by Lushtaku, who was then hit by Bislimi with a bottle of water. Lushtaku then had a physical collision with Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, and more MPs from the PDK and government ministers joined in the fight, while speaker Konjufca called for the police.

Vetevendosje MP Fitore Pacolli said that when the incident happened, Kurti was talking about "extending [Kosovo's] sovereignty and control in the north," claiming he was attacked because what he was saying "hinders the opposition".

But Lushtaku from the PDK on Facebook claimed his reaction with the water bottle was directed against both Kosovo Serb businessman Milan "Radoicic and his servant". Radoicic is widely considered the real powerholder in the...