A meeting between acting Prime Minister of Kosovo and leader of Vetëvendosje (VV), Albin Kurti, and the head of the Nisma Socialdemokrate (Initiative Social Democratic) party, Fatmir Limaj, is set for Saturday afternoon. This meeting aims to find a solution for the ongoing deadlock in constituting the Kosovo Assembly.
48 Failed Attempts and a Looming Deadline
The next session for the Assembly’s constitution is scheduled for Saturday at 11:00 AM. So far, 48 attempts to elect a speaker have been unsuccessful, pushing Kosovo closer to a constitutional crisis.
Xhevahire Izmaku, a Member of Parliament from Nisma Socialdemokrate, told Radio Free Europe on Friday that her party stands firm on its request for the position of Assembly Speaker. “We stand by our demand – which we believe is reasonable – for the position of Speaker of the Assembly. We have the votes. If Fatmir Limaj’s name is proposed, then the Assembly can be constituted on Monday,” Izmaku stated.
According to Izmaku, while there’s no clear signal from Vetëvendosje that an agreement with Nisma Socialdemokrate is imminent, there is a “positive atmosphere.” However, she cautioned, “I cannot say what the decision-making will be like. The situation is unpredictable.”
Constitutional Deadline and Presidential Intervention
Earlier today, Limaj also met with Kosovo’s President, Vjosa Osmani. The Presidency issued a communique stating, “This meeting comes on the eve of the expiration of the constitutional deadline set by the Constitutional Court’s Judgment in case KO124/25, which obliges deputies to constitute the Assembly within 30 days, specifically by July 26.”
While the Constitutional Court set July 26 as the final deadline, it did not provide details on what would happen if parties fail to reach an agreement by then. President Osmani has warned that she will address the Constitutional Court next week if the Assembly is not constituted within these coming days.
Political Standoff Over Speaker Election
The situation remains deadlocked as the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), and Serb List refuse to nominate members for a secret ballot commission. They argue that the method of changing the voting procedure by the session’s presiding officer, Avni Dehari, is unconstitutional.
Vetëvendosje insists that its candidate for Speaker, Albulena Haxhiu, should be voted on only once via a secret ballot, and if she fails to secure the necessary 61 votes, she will withdraw from the race. Haxhiu has not secured the required votes in several consecutive open ballot sessions. For some parties, she remains a divisive and unacceptable figure.
Members of civil society have repeatedly protested in front of the Assembly building, calling on deputies to take responsibility.
Vote Breakdown in the Assembly
In Kosovo’s 120-seat Assembly, 61 votes are needed to successfully elect a new Speaker.
- Vetëvendosje (VV), as the winner of the most votes in the February 9 elections, holds 48 seats.
- Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK): 24 seats.
- Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK): 20 seats.
- Serb List (largest party of Serbs in Kosovo): 9 seats.
- Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Nisma Socialdemokrate coalition: 8 seats. (Nisma Socialdemokrate alone has three MPs: Fatmir Limaj, Xhevahire Izmaku, and Arbëreshë Kryeziu.)
- The remaining 11 seats belong to other minority communities.
Acting Minister of Local Government Administration and leader of the new Democratic Initiative of Kosovo (IRDK), Elbert Krasniqi, previously signaled that seven non-Serb minority MPs would vote in favor of constituting the new Assembly and a new Vetëvendosje-led government.
In a scenario where Vetëvendosje, Nisma MPs, and seven minority representatives vote for the Assembly’s constitution, three more votes would still be needed to finalize the process successfully. So far, minority MPs Duda Balje, Veton Berisha, and Adem Hoxha have stated they will not offer support without their conditions being met.
