Kosovo’s Assembly will convene for the 21st time today in a continued effort to elect its Speaker and formally constitute its ninth legislature — a process that has now been paralyzed for over five weeks.
Since the inaugural post-election session on April 15, the Assembly has failed repeatedly to reach a consensus, with deep political divisions turning procedural votes into a institutional blockade.
The Self-Determination Movement (Vetëvendosje), which emerged as the largest party in the February elections, has proposed Albulena Haxhiu as its candidate for Speaker. However, she has consistently fallen short of the required 61-vote majority, never surpassing 57 votes in any of the secret ballot attempts.
“This is not just a vote for a single position. It’s a vote to unlock the legislative process in accordance with the people’s will,” said VV MP Shqipe Selimi, urging opposition parties and non-Serb minority representatives to support the party’s proposal in today’s session.
Partisan Accusations and Allegations of Vote-Buying
Opposition parties including PDK, LDK, and AAK-NISMA have blamed Vetëvendosje and acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti for the stalemate, accusing the ruling party of pushing Kosovo into political isolation by refusing compromise.
Tensions escalated further on Friday when Bosniak MP Duda Balje alleged she had received informal offers of employment in North Macedonia — specifically, a professorship — in exchange for supporting VV’s candidate.
“It’s true. I received two or three calls about a job I had applied for years ago. They suggested that it could be arranged now, which I found deeply inappropriate,” Balje told media, clarifying that the calls came from acquaintances, not politicians.
Vetëvendosje has refused to back down from Haxhiu’s candidacy and its demand for a secret ballot procedure, despite the repeated failures and lack of cross-party backing.
Presidency Signals Constitutional Escalation
In a potential turning point, President Vjosa Osmani has warned that she may refer the ongoing gridlock to the Constitutional Court if a resolution is not reached soon.
“All options are on the table,” Osmani said after meeting with party leaders last week. “If this impasse continues, the Constitutional Court may have to clarify how the process should proceed.”
Three months after parliamentary elections, Kosovo remains without a fully operational Assembly or government.
