A well-known Kosovo lawyer staged an unusual protest on Wednesday by bringing four donkeys to the courtyard of the Parliament in Pristina, accusing lawmakers of political stubbornness and incompetence after the legislature failed for the 41st time to form a functioning assembly.
Arianit Koci, who has been demonstrating in front of the parliament for several days, said the animals symbolized the “obstinate” behavior of the political elite.
“These donkeys represent those who refuse to move forward. They’re just like our politicians—stuck in place,” Koci told reporters, standing outside the building as police briefly allowed the animals before removing them.
Inside the chamber, the constitutive session failed yet again, despite a large majority of MPs being present. The session was marked by calls for parties to nominate members for a commission to oversee a secret vote for parliamentary leadership—a step required by the Constitutional Court—but once again no nominations were made.
In the only vote held, 54 MPs supported Albulena Haxhiu’s candidacy for speaker of the Assembly, with no votes against and no abstentions, though the lack of quorum rendered the vote procedurally insufficient.
While the session was ongoing, Koci’s protest drew public and media attention outside. The continued deadlock has sparked frustration among citizens and renewed calls for institutional accountability.
In an attempt to break the impasse, President Vjosa Osmani held another round of meetings with political party leaders, including Elbert Krasniqi of the New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo and Faton Peci of the GUXO party.
Peci said after the meeting that the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the timeline for constituting the Assembly remains unclear, especially regarding actions required after the July 26 deadline. He suggested that the president may seek additional clarification from the court.
“There is confusion about what happens next, and the sequence of events is unpredictable. The 30-day deadline for constituting the Assembly, counted from April 15, has already passed. The president may need to ask the Court what it meant when it set that timeline,” Peci told reporters.
He urged all parties to “reflect before July 26,” suggesting that failure to resolve the deadlock risks further deepening the constitutional crisis.
President Osmani also met this week with acting Prime Minister and Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti, as well as leaders of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).
Meanwhile, opposition MPs continued to address the chamber despite the session’s closure, calling on the Assembly’s technical staff to reopen their microphones. PDK, LDK, and AAK lawmakers remained in the hall after the official session ended.