Tear Gas and Water Cannons Outside Pristina's Parliament: A Lesson Brussels Is Also Watching
Police dispersed demonstrators who blocked Pristina's parliament and prevented MPs from leaving, after the same parliament adopted amendments narrowing the jurisdiction of the Specialized Chambers in The Hague.
Police in Pristina used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators who blocked parliament and prevented MPs from leaving the building. The protests came after parliament adopted a law narrowing the jurisdiction of the Specialized Chambers in The Hague — the court set up to prosecute war crimes from the Kosovo conflict era.
The law provides, among other things, for retrials of former KLA leaders within Kosovo's own legal system, instead of continuing proceedings before the court in The Hague. Critics see the move as an attempt to reduce accountability before international justice, while the government in Pristina argues the initiative doesn't violate the law.
For Brussels, the events in Pristina represent a concrete test of how willing a candidate country is to honor international legal commitments taken on as part of the post-conflict reconciliation process. For Macedonia, which simultaneously faces its own demands for constitutional changes and rule of law as a condition for EU accession, Pristina's example is a reminder that rule-of-law tests don't end once negotiations open — they continue throughout the entire process.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 6, 2026
