Kosovo is heading toward renewed political uncertainty as parties appear unable to form a governing majority ahead of a looming legal deadline, raising the prospect of another snap parliamentary election in December. Political analysts say the next vote is likely to break down barriers between parties and push them into broad post-election coalitions.
The country has been governed by a caretaker administration since February, when elections produced a fragmented parliament. The winning party, the nationalist Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement), secured 48 seats but has since failed to gather enough support to form a government.
Albin Kurti, the party’s leader and initial prime-minister designate, failed to secure a majority. President Vjosa Osmani then nominated Glauk Konjufca, another senior Vetevendosje figure, who has until November 19 to present a cabinet to parliament. All major Albanian parties in parliament have said they will not vote in favour of his government, making another failure likely.
If Konjufca also fails to win approval, Kosovo will automatically hold a snap election on one of the Sundays in December.
Analysts expect barriers to fall after the election
Political analyst Basri Muja said the next election is likely to push parties toward compromise.
“After the upcoming elections, the walls between parties will fall,” Muja said in remarks to Kosovo’s KTV. “It has become clear that forming a stable governing majority is nearly impossible without broader cooperation, especially with the presidential election coming in the spring.”
Muja added that a coalition between the first- and second-placed parties should not be ruled out.
Another analyst, Arbnor Sadiku, told KTV’s “Interaktiv” programme that Kosovo’s largest opposition parties — the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) — may ultimately need to work with Vetevendosje to secure the votes required to elect the next president.
“There is no way to secure the necessary numbers for the presidency without Vetevendosje,” Sadiku said. “The walls built between the parties will have to come down. Even in the past, rival parties have had to cooperate to ensure the functioning of the institutions.”
Caretaker rule and stalled institutions
Since February’s election, Kosovo has struggled to form leadership in key institutions. The first major deadlock centred on the appointment of the parliament speaker, while Kurti’s failed confirmation three weeks ago deepened the impasse.
Konjufca’s nomination is likely the final attempt before new elections. Parties representing Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority have signalled they will not support him, making another failure highly probable.
With the presidency also requiring a two-thirds majority in the spring, analysts say post-election coalitions — including potentially large, cross-party blocs — may be unavoidable.