Berat Buzhala’s troubling connections to U.S.-sanctioned figures like Grubi and Veselinovic expose a dangerous nexus of media manipulation, corruption, and threats to Kosovo’s national security.

Dec 11, 2024

In the tumultuous landscape of the Western Balkans, a region perpetually teetering on the edge of geopolitical and domestic instability, the line between media, politics, and organised crime often blurs. The name Berat Buzhala, a former politician turned media figure, repeatedly surfaces in this murky confluence. Buzhala has wielded his media empire not as a tool for transparency and accountability, but rather as a mechanism to amplify questionable narratives. His connections to individuals sanctioned by the United States Treasury, his alignment with interests that threaten Kosovo’s sovereignty, and his consistent undermining of efforts to counter foreign influence reveal a deeply concerning trajectory.

This feature investigates Buzhala’s connections, scrutinises his actions, and assesses the broader implications for Kosovo’s national security and its relationship with its most steadfast ally, the United States.

Type your email…
Subscribe
Who is Berat Buzhala?

Berat Buzhala1 is a former Kosovan politician with ties to the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). Over the past decade, he transitioned into the media industry, founding outlets like Gazeta Express and Nacionale. While he portrays himself as a journalist committed to free speech, his track record reveals2 a troubling pattern of propagandistic tendencies and financial entanglements with dubious figures. Buzhala’s media ventures have often served as platforms to downplay3 threats to Kosovo, including Serbia’s aggressive policies, while amplifying narratives that align suspiciously with Kremlin-supported Serbian interests. His alignment4 with figures implicated in corruption and organized crime adds a new layer of concern.

The Sanctioned Figures: Artan Grubi and Zvonko Veselinovic

To understand the gravity of Buzhala’s actions, one must delve into his connections with two individuals sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for their roles in corruption and organised crime: Artan Grubi, the former Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, and Zvonko Veselinovic, a notorious criminal leader in the Balkans.
Artan Grubi: The U.S. Department of State5 recently sanctioned Grubi for his involvement in significant corruption, specifically accepting bribes to undermine judicial processes tied to the conviction of Sasho Mijalkov, the former head of North Macedonia’s secret police. Grubi’s activities epitomize the erosion of democratic institutions in the region. Notably, Buzhala’s social media posts, including one praising Grubi for his interactions with U.S. diplomats, paint a picture of tacit endorsement. Such narratives, devoid of journalistic scrutiny, serve to whitewash figures like Grubi, whose corruption undermines Western-backed democratic reforms.

During a TV program, Berat Buzhala passionately endorses Artan Grubi. Watch the excerpt below and find the full segment at the link.
In September 2022, following Serbia’s alignment of its foreign policy with Moscow6, I began closely monitoring the media landscape in Kosovo. Among the figures that stood out was Berat Buzhala, whose media strategies drew my attention as I sought to understand how outlets in Kosovo were addressing potential threats to national security7. Having reported extensively from Ukraine and studied Russia’s disinformation warfare operations, I observed that Buzhala’s rhetoric appeared to align with Serbia’s political narrative, downplaying Serbian aggression, mocking Kosovo8, and attempting to delegitimise Kosovo’s security and self-defence efforts. My curiosity deepened this week with the news that former North Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi had been sanctioned by the U.S. for his involvement in corruption and organised crime, including his ties to Saso Mijalkov9, the notorious former chief of North Macedonia’s secret police. This revelation was particularly alarming as Buzhala’s name had previously surfaced during my investigations into Nikola Gruevski’s criminal network, which included Mijalkov, back in 2014. When I publicly called for information on Buzhala’s potential connections to Grubi, he responded by sharing a photoshopped image aimed at mocking my efforts. This calculated act of deflection is emblematic of Buzhala’s well-practiced tactics to evade accountability and obstruct serious investigative journalism. While intended to ridicule, his response only highlights the need for deeper scrutiny into his affiliations and activities.