With the certification of the February 9 election results still pending, Kosovo is approaching a crucial period for the formation of its new government. Experts suggest that by the end of March, the country could have a fully constituted Assembly and a newly formed government.
Naim Jakaj, a researcher at the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD), explained to KosovaPress the steps required for the constitution of the Assembly. According to him, once the Central Election Commission (CEC) certifies the final results, President Vjosa Osmani must convene the inaugural session of the Assembly within 30 days. During this session, a Speaker will be elected—expected to be from the winning party, Vetëvendosje—along with deputy speakers.
Process of Government Formation
Following the Assembly’s constitution, the President will invite the winning party to nominate a candidate for prime minister. Once nominated, the candidate has up to 15 days to propose the government’s composition and secure the required majority in the Assembly.
If the first nominee fails to secure enough votes, the President may turn to another party or coalition with the necessary support. The second nominee would then have 10 days to form a government. Should this process fail again, Kosovo would face another round of elections.
Jakaj is optimistic that by the end of March, Kosovo will have functioning institutions, given that the vote count is nearing completion.
Erblin Hoxha, director of Oda Consulting, shares this optimism, predicting that the Assembly could be constituted by mid-March. He believes it is unlikely that Kosovo will head to new elections, at least until 2026 when the Assembly must elect the country’s next president.
Parliamentary Election Results
Kosovo’s parliamentary elections on February 9 resulted in a victory for Vetëvendosje with 40.89% of the vote, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) with 22.40%, and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 17.23%. The AAK-NISMA coalition secured 7.40%, while the Serb List received 4.81%.
According to the preliminary seat distribution for the 100 seats reserved for Kosovo’s majority parties:
- Vetëvendosje: 47 seats
- PDK: 25 seats
- LDK: 20 seats
- AAK-NISMA: 8 seats
Given these numbers, Vetëvendosje will likely need at least three to four additional MPs to secure a simple majority for government formation. Experts anticipate that coalition negotiations will determine the final outcome in the coming weeks.
