Prishtina – As Kosovo faces a potential budget vacuum for 2026, experts remain divided over whether the caretaker government can formally submit the budget law to the Assembly for approval.
University professor Mazllum Baraliu stated that the caretaker government can propose the budget, emphasizing that it would then be up to the deputies to vote for or against it. According to him, the establishment of parliamentary commissions, which is currently underway, is a prerequisite for legislative activities, including the budget vote.
“It is foreseen in the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly that permanent and functional parliamentary committees must be formed, which is a key precondition for legislative work. Once these are established, a session for approving the 2026 budget should follow. The caretaker government can propose it, and it is then the Assembly’s decision to approve or reject it,” Baraliu said.
He stressed that this mechanism is legally sound and does not depend on the formation of a new government.
However, Eugen Cakolli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) strongly disagreed. He argued that it is unacceptable under the current circumstances for the caretaker government to bring the budget law to the Assembly. According to Cakolli, a newly formed government should be in place before any budget proposal is made.
“Although the Law on Government allows, at least in principle, for a caretaker government to submit the budget law, the current situation is different. The Assembly must first establish all internal bodies, including committees, and a new government must be in place. Without this, any attempt to approve a budget could be misused for electoral purposes,” Cakolli stated.
The disagreement comes after caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti failed on Sunday to secure the 61 votes necessary to form a new government, leaving the country in a legislative and fiscal limbo.
