The corona virus public health emergency is deeply affecting, among other things, the political developments and events in the Balkans. The first political victim of the situation seems to have been the Minister of the Interior of Kosovo, Agim Veliu. The motivation claims that Veliu has been spreading panic through irresponsible declarations in a late night media appearance in Klan Kosova. Veliu belongs to the coalition party LDK.
In turn this has already triggered a major crisis within the ruling coalition between the VV and the LDK, who has given PM Kurti only a few days to reverse the decision and also to remove the tariff of goods coming from Serbia. Pressure and criticism is mounting over PM Kurti also for not declaring the state of emergency over the crisis.
In the meantime the snap general elections scheduled for the beginning of April in North Macedonia will be postponed to a later date. Elections in Serbia are also under consideration however all electoral rallies and events have been cancelled since President Vucic announced a state of national emergency on Sunday.
