Following the dramatic drop of Kosovo in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, officials from the government in technical mandate and the ruling Vetëvendosje movement rejected the report’s findings, insisting that media freedom in Kosovo remains fully intact.
Kosovo has fallen 24 places and now ranks 99th in the world – its lowest position to date and the worst in the Western Balkans. The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) expressed alarm and held an emergency press conference in front of the government building, holding Vetëvendosje and its leader, Albin Kurti, primarily responsible. The AGK president even proposed forming a dedicated working group to address the issue.
Prime Minister Kurti declined to answer journalists’ questions regarding the report. Moreover, one of his security officers reportedly pushed journalist Genc Godanci while he was attempting to ask a question related to press freedom.
However, Kurti’s aides have not remained silent.
“There is no lack of press freedom in Kosovo, nor will there be. The credit for that goes to society,” stated the Government of Kosovo in technical mandate in a written response to Kallxo.com.
Government spokesperson Perparim Kryeziu shifted the blame onto the media itself:
“The real issue lies not in institutional pressure, but in the decline of journalistic standards. Over the years, we’ve witnessed a drop in media professionalism. When such reporting triggers reactions from institutions or citizens, those responses are portrayed as attacks or threats, and then end up in international reports like this one.”
Vetëvendosje spokesperson Arlind Manxhuka described the RSF report as misleading and claimed the government is being unfairly targeted by those who actually contributed to the report’s findings:
“To claim that there is no freedom of expression in Kosovo is entirely false. In fact, Kosovo has absolute freedom of speech — even to the point of total impunity for slander. Freedom, opinion, freedom of opinion and expression have never been banned, nor can they be. But lies carry a cost — if not through legal norms, then through a loss of credibility.
Those who now act surprised by this report are the same ones who gave input during its preparation. Trying to discredit the government through international reports only damages their own credibility.”
Manxhuka pointed to daily televised debates as proof of media freedom in Kosovo.
Meanwhile, head of the Prime Minister’s office, Luan Dalipi, defended the government’s transparency, contrasting it with previous administrations:
“Unlike past governments, we haven’t spent millions on propaganda or silenced the media with direct contracts. We redirected those funds to transparency and direct communication with the public, especially through social media.
Many of the outlets criticizing us today lost financial privileges they once had. This government doesn’t treat the media as enemies — but no longer as silent partners either. Media freedom isn’t measured by closeness to power, but by distance from political and financial interests.”
He also questioned the legitimacy of some contributors to the RSF index, suggesting that many are “small organizations functioning as individual initiatives” affected by a loss of international funding.
The AGK and regional platform Safe Journalists issued further statements condemning the government’s attempts to discredit both the report and Kosovo-based media advocates.
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