Von der Leyen greeted with a protest at the airport, young people against the Hague verdict

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, lands in Pristina today for an official visit, as part of her tour of the Western Balkans. A previously announced protest against the verdict of the Special Court in The Hague will await her opposite the VIP terminal of “Adem Jashari” International Airport, as IndeksOnline reports.

According to the organisers’ announcement, the gathering begins at 12:05 on 1 October 2026, precisely at the moment when von der Leyen is expected to arrive in the airport’s VIP lounge, following her stay in Albania. The reason for the protest is the Special Court’s judgment on the former KLA leaders, which the organisers, who present themselves as young people, describe as “anti-historical”.

“After the anti-historical verdict of the Special Court in The Hague, young people will peacefully express their position on justice, history and the dignity of Kosovo,” says the call distributed a day earlier, according to dosjaX reporting. The organisers insist on the peaceful character of the gathering, inviting participants to come “with banners and civic messages, without violence and without provocations”.

After arriving at the airport, von der Leyen will be received by the acting President, Albulena Haxhiu, at 12:30 at the Presidency, and afterwards, at 13:00, she will meet Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the Prime Minister’s Office. The visit is part of the European Commission President’s annual tour, whose focus is European integration and the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, worth €6 billion.