Despite 21 consecutive attempts, Kosovo’s Parliament has still not been constituted, more than three months after the February elections. Lawmakers once again failed on Sunday to move past the third item on the constitutional session agenda — electing the Speaker of Parliament.
The stalemate has plunged the country into a deep political crisis, leaving it without a new government, despite repeated calls from both domestic and international actors to resolve the impasse.
On Sunday, MPs rejected — for the 13th time — the formation of a commission to supervise a secret ballot vote for electing the new Speaker. This vote, proposed on May 1 by session chair Avni Dehari, followed several failed attempts to elect Albulena Haxhiu, the candidate from VETËVENDOSJE (LVV).
Opposition parties — PDK, LDK, AAK, and Serb List — argue that the secret ballot procedure is unconstitutional. They have filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court, requesting a temporary suspension of parliamentary sessions until a decision is reached.
Despite efforts by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani to mediate, including a meeting on May 15, no agreement has been reached. While LVV insists that Haxhiu is their only candidate, both PDK and AAK consider her divisive, and LDK has declared it will not support any LVV candidate for Speaker.
The impasse means that Kosovo cannot move forward in electing the government. According to the electoral results:
- LVV: 48 seats (13 short of a majority)
- PDK: 24 seats
- LDK: 20 seats
- AAK-NISMA: 8 seats
- Serb List: 9 seats
LVV leader Albin Kurti has indicated a willingness to make compromises and include minority parties and NISMA as potential coalition partners.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, during her visit to Prishtina, urged Kosovo’s political parties to unblock the crisis, warning that dialogue — not confrontation — ensures stability.
Civil society groups also issued a joint appeal, warning that the prolonged institutional deadlock is damaging the country’s democratic and institutional systems.
The next parliamentary session is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27.
