Politics: Vetevendosje plays kingmaker – with conditions. PAGE 4 July 18-August 28, 2014 l #139 l Price 1€ Prishtina Free market? How Sworn virgins: Kosovo holds back Author opens local producers. up about novel. Insight PAGE 15 PAGE 12 A MISSION DEFLATES EULEX is reducing its size – and its bite. But is Kosovo ready? page 6 PI Guide: Luxury on the street level. PAGE 10 PageTwo2 n July 18-August 28, 2014 n Prishtina Insight 7 reasons to stay in Kosovo this summer 1. Novo Brdo Built atop a volcano, the Novo Brdo For- 3. tress in western Kosovo dates as far back as the 1300’s, and was formerly a densely Ilixha e Pejes, or the Peja Springs populated center for trade and mining. The thermal springs of Peja are supposed Now a protected zone, anyone can drive to have many healing qualities, and are one up and check out what’s left of the eight 2. of the more popular forms of folk medicine towers and three gates that used to make Boge/Rugova in Kosovo. Located in a stone house sur- 4. up the medieval city. Boge is a small village in the heart of the rounded by trees, it’s well worth the journey. Mranmor, Bear Sanctuary Prishtina Rugova mountain range, and is a great Set up in spring of last year, Kosovo’s only starting point for lovers of hiking and the bear sanctuary is situated in 16 acres of outdoors. This is the only place in Kosovo forest not far from Prishtina. The sanctu- where you can find peaks, forests, caves ary is currently home to thirteen bears, and waterfalls all in one place. Go here for all of whom were rescued from various hiking, rock climbing and camping. restaurants and private zoos in Kosovo. The sanctuary does guided educational from the editor 5. tours and is open all year round. Brod/Dragash The Dragash region in the south is home to The right dwelling for good living one of Kosovo’s best kept secrets: the Gora- ni village of Brod. The Gorani community is When the summer comes, a lot Yugoslavia, when buildings were a Slavic-speaking and of the Muslim faith, of us, especially those with a for- made seemingly to withstand an with some of the richest and unexplored folklore and tradition in the country. Lying eign passport, have a tendency apocalypse rather than as a prod- beneath the Sharr mountains, Brod is your to get as far away as possible uct of one. gateway to the gorges, lakes, rivers, and from Prishtina. It’s easy to forget It’s also important to identify mountains of southern Kosovo. sometimes that there’s a Kosovo and resolve problems before you outside of the capital – a place full move in. With the newest flat, I of untouched nature and cultural withheld half the rent until a kitch- 6. heritage. (See above) en window was secured with a But as I’ve found from living proper latch and handle, instead Prizren/Dokufest Prizren is the historical heart of Kosovo, here for nearly four years, having a of a kitchen knife. The issue was housing some of the country’s oldest good place you can call home – I’ve resolved within a day rather than homes, mosques, churches, and archi- had five in Prishtina so far – is key to the two months it took to get a tecture. Walk up the hill behind the town embracing what’s outside. water-damaged wall painted over for close up look at the Prizren Fortress, explore the home of the League of Prizren, My first flat, in the previous place. But by the and most importantly, head over while out in the Vellu- same token, it’s important to keep the Dokufest Documentary and Short Film sha Neighbor- in mind that repairing or improv- Festival is on from August 16 to 24. hood, was from ing anything can create even more the post-1999 serious problems. For example, 7. tallava era of the replacement of two old creaky Velika Hoca architecture. Nate windows can come at the expense The village of Velika Hoca in Rahovec hous- It lacked an Tabak of large chunks of the wall. es one of the highest number of historical Editor-in-Chief Serbian Orthodox churches at 13 - with the address, and Last, but not least, the plumbing. oldest dating from the thirteenth century. was somehow I’ve learned that having a second Don’t miss the the wineries, either. wedged into bathroom is also a second poten- the interior of a city block. I was tial source of flooding. And as nice lured by the modern furniture and as a shower may be, and as many new kitchen, and was ignorant of fancy nozzles as it boasts, it’s worth Prishtina Balkan Investigative Reporting Network • the fact that it was about 100 euro checking that water drains to an ac- Insight Mensa e Studenteve, first floor, 10000, Prishtina, Kosovo too expensive and subject to fre- tual drain - rather than the floor. • PHONE: +381 (0) 38 24 33 58 • EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Nate quent power outages. It took other Getting these few basics right Tabak •STAFF: Jeta Xharra, Marcus Tanner, Edona Peci, Petrit Collaku, tallava flats to realize that it’s gener- may not led to having a little private Parim Olluri, Nektar Zogjani and Arijeta Lajka. • DESIGN: Trembelat • Prishtina ally better to live in a place built dur- paradise in Prishtina, but it does Insight is supported by the Norwegian Embassy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund ing the Socialist Federal Republic of make living here a whole lot better. and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. Prishtina Insight n July 18-August 28, 2014 n 3 • Coppy / Print / Scan • 20 ppm • ARDF • Coppy / Print / Scan • Duplex • 28 ppm / Color / B&W • Bypass • ARDF • Network • Duplex • Bypass • Network 4 n July 18-August 28, 2014 n Prishtina Insight Thaci spends up to Thaci becomes PM First official Nation 15 days trying to get session of new President nominates votes for new parliament held Thaci to form new government by At least 61 MPs vote government chipping away at for Thaci’s proposed opposition and government securing minority vore. Fewer than 61 MPs vote for for Thaci’s ¤26m govt in unpaid wages owed to more than 900 former At least 61 MPs employees of Fabrikes se Tubave (Pipe Factory) vote for Haradinaj’s Thaci out of the Haradinaj government in Ferizaj. Some 40 of them have been camped in running. President becomes PM front of the main government building in protest has 10 days to name for more than six weeks, calling on the Privatisation new candidate. President likely Agency to make the payments per a decision of Vetevendosje joins nominates Parliament and the Constitutional Court. opposition coalition Haradinaj to form or agrees to back next govt. Fewer than 61 MPs vote Haradinaj Albanian President calls for for Haradinaj government protesters new elections clash with within 40 days. police in Skopje. Unclear whom PHOTO/beta becomes pm PM candidate fails president would Vetevendosje to get 61 votes. nominate, but such a refuses to back (most likely) candidate would Haradinaj face an uphill Candidate pulls battle to form off miracle, gets 61 govt. Retrial demanded in votes for govt. mass murder case By Sinisa Jakov Aziri and Sami Ljuta were Vetevendosje Marusic and found guilty of the grave Edona Peci offence of terrorism in connection to the kill- drives hard An Albanian leader in ings. One defendant was Macedonia urged an in- acquitted. Two of the ternationally monitored men who were convict- bargain retrial of the so-called ed, Alil Demiri and Afrim 'Monster' case after six Ismailovic, are serving Albanians were found prison sentences in Ko- Party appears close to striking deal to back guilty of terrorism and sovo and were tried in jailed for life. absentia. Ramush Haradinaj’s coalition, demanding Ali Ahmeti, the head The verdict angered of the junior party in Mac- Albanians, several thou- that it take charge of talks with Serbia. edonia's ruling coalition, sand of whom who took the Democratic Union to the streets of Skopje for Integration, DUI, de- last week, throwing manded on Tuesday a stones and bricks at the By Edona Peci sition bloc by showing them it has transparent retrial and a Criminal Court building and Nektar Zogiani the power in all this political mess,” public presentation of the and at riot police, who political analyst Halil Matoshi said. evidence that led to the responded with tear gas, The opposition Vetevendosje Without Vetevendosje’s 16 conviction of six ethnic water cannon and stun Movement in Kosovo has just 16 votes, the coalition of AAK, Nisma Albanians for terrorism grenades. seats in the 120-seat parliament, and the Democratic League of Ko- - a verdict that sparked In Kosovo, more than but still appears to hold the key to sovo, LDK, may not be able to stop unrest on the streets of 200 protesters took to the Prime Minister’s office. Hashim Thaci from securing a the capital last week. the streets of Prishtina That key comes with a price. As third mandate. The statement came on Tuesday in support of of Thursday afternoon, as Parlia- With just 47 seats, well short a week after a court gave the convicted men. ment held its first session, Veteven- of the 61 needed to elect a new life sentences to six Alba- Holding posters with dosje said it was close to reaching government, it would otherwise nians for the killing of five slogans like "Skopje is a deal to back the opposition bloc need to get extra votes from ethnic ethnic Macedonians in not alone" and singing led by Ramush Haradinaj of the minority MPs, or from defectors 2012 in a case that raised nationalist songs, protest- Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, from Thaci’s Democratic Party of ethnic tensions.