Kosovo’s political stalemate continues as tomorrow marks the 24th attempt to constitute the new legislature. The ninth convocation of the Assembly has remained unformed for over a month and a half, with no resolution in sight. The process began on April 15, yet persistent political disagreements have stalled any progress.
Vetëvendosje (VV), the leading party in the last parliamentary elections, is still backing Albulena Haxhiu as its candidate for Speaker of the Assembly. However, opposition parties PDK, LDK, AAK, and the Serb List continue to refuse to propose members for the Secret Voting Commission, which is required for the election of the Speaker — making the process impossible to advance.
At the latest session, 55 MPs voted for the previously proposed members of the commission, one voted against, and there were no abstentions. Yet again, the session was halted due to lack of quorum.
The political blame game continues, with parties accusing each other of causing the blockage. PDK and AAK oppose VV’s candidate for Speaker, while LDK insists that a political agreement is necessary to resolve the crisis.
Although VV previously invited LDK to form a coalition, the offer was rejected. VV now states it doesn’t need partners, asserting that all 120 MPs must share the responsibility to form the parliament. “The Assembly consists of 120 MPs and must be constituted by all 120. There’s no need for partners,” said acting Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
Bislimi also denied there is a governmental crisis, claiming the issue lies only in the election of the Assembly’s leadership.
VV has shown no signs of backing down from Haxhiu’s candidacy or from changing the voting procedure required to elect the Speaker. So far, she has not garnered more than 57 votes — 61 are needed to win the position.
President Vjosa Osmani has warned that if no political solution is found, she may refer the matter to the Constitutional Court. She said the idea was raised in her recent meeting with party leaders and faced no objections.
Kosovo held parliamentary elections over three months ago, with Vetëvendosje emerging as the leading party, followed by PDK, LDK, and the AAK-NISMA coalition. Yet the prolonged failure to establish a functioning parliament has raised concerns about institutional paralysis and political dysfunction.
