Four months after the parliamentary elections on February 9, 2025, Kosovo remains without a constituted Assembly. Meanwhile, Vetëvendosje (VV), as the leading political force from the elections, still lacks the fundamental element of any functional democracy: a parliamentary majority. According to party member Glauk Konjufca, their harsh and polarizing rhetoric has led VV to “pay a price.”
Kurti’s Rhetoric and LDK’s Stance
The former Speaker of the Assembly, in an interview yesterday with ATV, acknowledged that the rhetoric used during the campaign by Kurti had consequences for them. In a calm tone, Konjufca stated: “I think we paid a price for this – to be honest.”
At the epicenter of this political cost, as Konjufca mentions, is undoubtedly the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Rival parties were labeled as “savages” and collaborators with Serbia, with the LDK, in particular, being targeted by Kurti.
This language resulted in the LDK categorically refusing any possibility of a coalition with VV, despite numerous pleas from Kurti after the February 9 election results. Amid a series of public statements and posts where LDK chairman Lumir Abdixhiku reiterated his uncompromising refusal to cooperate with VV, in one post he referred to the “big swamp of spit” that, according to him, had dehumanized political discourse in the country:
“Between ‘savagery,’ ‘destroying the LDK,’ ‘collaborators of Serbia,’ amidst the great swamp of spitting on us – I, the LDK, and our voters – do not find ourselves even for consultation. Because words, like convictions, carry weight. The words spoken against us carry weight. And our words – those we have given to our citizens, those who are not seduced by the spectacle of division but who believe that the state is built with respect and dignity – carry the weight of a given word. The weight of trust,” Abdixhiku had written.
Parliamentary Stalemate Continues
It is expected that tomorrow, the Kosovo Assembly will convene for the 32nd time in an attempt to constitute itself. However, political parties remain entrenched in their positions: the opposition rejects Albulena Haxhiu’s candidacy for Speaker of the Assembly, while Vetëvendosje is unwilling to back down from this choice.
