PRISTINA, May 24 (BV)— Ardian Gjini was elected chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) at the party’s 10th electoral assembly, marking the end of Ramush Haradinaj’s 26-year leadership of the party.
Gjini, AAK’s candidate for prime minister, was confirmed as the party’s new leader after Haradinaj stepped down from the post earlier this year.
The assembly was marked by emotional speeches, tributes to Haradinaj’s wartime and political role, and calls for party unity as AAK prepares for a new phase.
Haradinaj recalled his role as a soldier and commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army and his political service since 2001 as AAK chairman, lawmaker and two-time prime minister.
“I had the honour to be a soldier and commander of the KLA,” Haradinaj said. “Since 2001, I have served Kosovo and the nation as chairman of the Alliance.”
He said he would continue serving Kosovo and gave full support to Gjini.
“Today, Chairman Ardian, we believe in you. We believe you will be our leader and Kosovo’s leader,” Haradinaj said.
AAK secretary Besnik Tahiri formally nominated Gjini for the post and became emotional after Haradinaj’s address.
Gjini used his main speech to praise Haradinaj’s legacy, describing him as more than a party leader.
“Ramush Haradinaj was not only a party chairman, but a symbol of Kosovo, of freedom and of normal political wisdom over the past 30 years,” Gjini said.
He said AAK was not starting from zero, but from a political foundation built over years of trust, sacrifice and cooperation.
“We are not starting from the ground,” Gjini said. “We are starting from an extraordinary structure that we built over the years. This gives us strength: we can, the Alliance can, Kosovo can.”
Gjini also criticised what he called “false altruism” in politics, saying genuine sacrifice for Kosovo was being denied in public debate.
He said the party would continue with a clear Western orientation under its slogan “Security, Energy and Development.”
Gjini is a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army and a long-serving political figure within AAK, widely seen as Haradinaj’s closest ally and former number two in the party.
Born on January 18, 1970, in Gjakova, Gjini was one of the signatories of Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence.
He served as a member of the Strategic Political Group during the Vienna negotiations on the Ahtisaari Plan and was also part of Kosovo’s first constitutional commission.
Gjini has served as minister of environment and spatial planning, as a member of parliament for two terms and as head of AAK’s parliamentary group.
He has led the municipality of Gjakova since 2017 and won three consecutive local mandates, with supporters crediting him for major infrastructure projects, road construction and urban development.
Gjini holds a master’s degree in international relations and European studies from the University of Kent in Canterbury, Britain.
He is married and has two daughters and one son.
AAK is expected to intensify preparations for the June 7 elections as Kosovo’s political scene remains fragmented and competition between governing and opposition parties deepens.