The claim that the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has changed the design of the state flag of Kosovo is false and unsupported by any evidence.
On August 4, 2024, a TikTok page named "Shqipëria madhe" posted a video with attached images depicting the Kosovo flag. The video falsely alleges that the current flag, featuring the map of Kosovo and six stars, will be changed by Prime Minister Kurti, replacing the map with the double-headed eagle symbol of Albania.
Photo: Shqipëria madhe.
The post also includes a baseless ultimatum, claiming that the Kosovo flag will be changed on September 5.
The post has garnered a total of 7,637 likes and 470 comments. However, this page has not provided any evidence to support this claim, while users on the platform believe that such a decision has already been made by Kurti.
The same claim has been shared by another TikTok profile, "sunduesi i natës," which adds to the disinformation by alleging that Kurti announced his decision during a press conference on August 3, 2024.
Upon verifying the official page and the press conferences held by Kurti, it becomes clear that there is no information supporting the claims made by these two TikTok pages.
The symbol of the state of Kosovo was unveiled on the day of its declaration of independence, February 17, 2008. The competition held for this purpose had specific criteria that also ruled out the possibility of adding the Albanian eagle to the flag. The Kosovo flag was not allowed to resemble the flags of other states or use the red and black color combination. The stars on the map represent the six communities living in Kosovo.
The party currently in power - Vetëvendosje - had previously criticized the flag, which was voted on during the independence declaration session, calling it an imposed symbol. However, since coming to power, there has been no initiative to change the state symbols.
*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”
