Kosovo’s parliament failed on Tuesday to convene for the 26th time since February elections, as political deadlock over the selection of a speaker continues to block the formation of a new government.
The Assembly has now scheduled a fresh session for Thursday—an unusual 24-hour delay instead of the typical 48—due to the upcoming Kurban Bayram holiday on Friday.
Thursday’s session will mark the 27th attempt by newly elected MPs to constitute the Assembly, nearly four months after the February 9 vote. The process has stalled over disagreements regarding the nomination of the speaker.
The ruling Vetëvendosje (VV) party continues to insist on nominating Albulena Haxhiu, describing her as the “most voted woman” in the elections. Opposition parties, however, reject the choice, calling Haxhiu a “divisive figure.”
Debate Over Joint Elections
Eugen Cakolli, a representative of the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), warned against holding local and parliamentary elections on the same day—a proposal floated amid the ongoing political impasse. He called the idea “irresponsible,” saying it would create confusion among voters and jeopardize the quality of the electoral process.
“Three ballots per citizen, multiple levels of candidates, unprepared commissioners, overlapping campaigns—it’s a formula for chaos,” Cakolli said. “The risk of technical errors, invalid votes, disputes, and recounts would significantly increase.”
According to him, parties should instead reach a compromise based on the February 9 mandate rather than pushing for what he termed an “artificial restart” by merging two separate processes.
Osmani to Set Local Election Date
Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani announced Wednesday that she will set a date for local elections in the coming days, following a meeting with leaders of political parties. Albin Kurti, acting prime minister and VV leader, was not present, though his party was represented by Albulena Haxhiu.
Representatives from the Serb List, Kosovo’s largest Serb party, were also absent from the meeting.
Haxhiu said that October 5, 12, or 19 were floated as potential dates for the municipal vote. The last local elections in Kosovo were held in October 2021, when the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) secured the most votes, followed by VV and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).
The local election discussion comes as Kosovo remains without a new government, a situation caused by the failure to constitute the Assembly despite parliamentary elections being held nearly four months ago.
Possible Snap Election on the Table
Speaking to the media, Haxhiu confirmed that the possibility of holding snap parliamentary elections alongside local ones was discussed in the meeting with President Osmani. She stressed that VV remains committed to forming the parliament and government.
“Our stance is clear: we want the Assembly to be constituted and the Government voted in. But if there is no will to proceed—even after 18 failed attempts to form the voting commission for a secret ballot—then there may be no other solution,” she said, adding that the idea of joint elections was hers and had some support from PDK.
For snap elections to take place, the Assembly must first be constituted and then dissolved by political agreement—a step that remains unlikely amid ongoing partisan deadlock.
QUINT Diplomats Urge Quick Resolution
Diplomatic representatives from the QUINT countries—the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy—as well as the head of the EU Office in Kosovo, met in recent days with acting Prime Minister Kurti to press for the swift formation of Kosovo’s institutions.
They emphasized that political stability is essential to ensuring the well-being and prosperity of Kosovo’s citizens.