Kosovo on the Brink of New Elections, the Fourth Since 2025

Kosovo is on the brink of its fourth legislative election since February 2025, following acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti's failure to garner the necessary 80 votes to elect a parliamentary speaker.

The parliamentary session on Saturday ended in an atmosphere of significant tension. Kurti had requested additional time for negotiations with various political factions, even though the 30-day deadline for constituting the Assembly had already passed on Friday. In protest, an opposition deputy threw eggs at the prime minister, leading to the session's suspension amidst shouts and scuffles, as reported by the newspaper Koha Ditore.

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The session ended in an atmosphere of great tension after Kurti asked for more time to negotiate with the various political forces, even though the 30-day deadline to constitute the Chamber had already expired on Friday.

Kurti's Vetëvendosje party won the early elections on June 7 with 53 seats. While they could reach the 61 seats needed to form a government with the support of minority deputies, they lack the 80 votes required to elect the speaker of parliament. The constitution stipulates that if the Assembly cannot be constituted, new elections must be called.

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The opposition accused the prime minister of 'irresponsibility' and described the session as a 'shame.'

This situation mirrors previous electoral cycles. Similar political deadlock occurred after the elections in February and December 2025, both won by Kurti, who nonetheless failed to secure a sufficient majority to unblock the institutions. The main opposition parties, PDK, LDK, and AAK, have refused to facilitate the election of the parliamentary speaker. They accused the prime minister of "irresponsibility" and described the session as a "shame."

Vetëvendosje, in turn, accused the opposition parties of collaborating with the Serbian List, the primary political force of the Serbian minority, to obstruct Kosovo's institutions. This political crisis unfolds at a delicate moment for Kosovo, whose independence, declared in 2008, remains unrecognized by Serbia and several European countries, including Spain, as well as major powers like Russia and China. The normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade continues to be a key condition set by the European Union for the potential integration of both nations.

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Vetëvendosje, for its part, accused the opposition parties of collaborating with the Serbian List, the main political force of the Serbian minority, to block Kosovo's institutions.