The U.S. Embassy in Pristina warned on Thursday that Kosovo is paying the price for its ongoing political deadlock and urged political leaders to put progress and stability at the top of their agenda.
In a written response to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an embassy spokesperson said that parliamentary parties must work together to establish new institutions in line with the country’s Constitution and the rulings of the Constitutional Court.
“This continued political blockade is costing Kosovo lost opportunities. It is time for the leadership to prioritize progress and stability for the benefit of all citizens,” the statement read.
The U.S. statement comes a day after yet another failed attempt by lawmakers to unblock the stalemate, nearly five months after parliamentary elections.
On Wednesday, deputies reconvened to continue the constitutive session, following the Constitutional Court’s ruling that a new parliament must be formed within 30 days — a deadline that expires on September 18. However, the session failed as neither of Vetëvendosje’s proposed candidates, Albulena Haxhiu and Donika Gërvalla, managed to secure the required 61 votes.
The EU and the Italian Embassy in Pristina also called on parties to swiftly establish new institutions.
- Vetëvendosje accused PDK, LDK, and AAK of deliberately blocking the formation of institutions.
- PDK reiterated that it would only vote for a Vetëvendosje candidate not linked to the previous government.
- LDK maintained it would not support any Vetëvendosje candidate.
- AAK said it expects the ruling party to continue proposing names without sufficient backing.
Kosovo has remained without fully functioning institutions since the February elections, as no party secured a majority to govern alone:
- Vetëvendosje: 48 seats
- PDK: 24 seats
- LDK: 20 seats
- Serb List: 9 seats
- AAK–Nisma coalition: 8 seats
- Minority representatives: 11 seats
The months-long crisis stems from the absence of a political agreement among parties, leaving Kosovo in prolonged institutional limbo.
