Kosovo in constitutional crisis after 43 failed attempts to elect a Parliament Speaker

After 43 failed attempts to elect a new parliamentary leadership, Kosovo remains locked in a deepening political crisis, with institutional paralysis threatening to trigger snap elections. The failure to appoint a Speaker, now four months after elections won by Albin Kurti’s party Vetëvendosje, has turned the Assembly into a battleground of procedural disputes and political brinkmanship.

In the most recent parliamentary session, on 7 July, 55 MPs voted in favour of establishing a committee for secret ballot voting. No one voted against, and no one abstained. Yet the tension in the chamber escalated rapidly when Avni Dehari (Vetëvendosje), chairing the session, cut off interventions from Ariana Shoshi-Musliu (PDK) and Besian Mustafa (LDK), who were both calling for a return to open voting. Dehari then abruptly left the room.

In his absence, PDK’s Sala Jashari – the youngest MP and vice-chair of the session, took the floor without a microphone, voicing frustration over the deadlock. “The rules do not allow me to speak officially,” she said, “but silence does not mean acceptance.” Jashari criticised Vetëvendosje for acting as though it holds an absolute majority, despite needing broader cooperation to secure appointments. “We supported their candidates. What other solution is being sought, when it’s right in front of you?” she asked.

Tensions are being fuelled by conflicting interpretations of a Constitutional Court decision issued on 26 June. While the court affirmed that the Assembly must be constituted within 30 days, it did not explicitly prohibit secret ballots. President Vjosa Osmani noted on 4 July that her legal team believes secret voting is possible – but only with the prior agreement of all MPs. “There must be consensus within the session before this method is applied. That’s our legal view, though not everyone agrees with it,” she stated.

With less than three weeks remaining before the deadline expires, and no Speaker in place, the likelihood of early elections is increasing. Osmani acknowledged the stalemate but expressed hope for compromise. “There are points where agreement is possible,” she said. “The blockade around voting procedures is irrational.”

From LDK, Lutfi Haziri warned that dissolution of the Assembly is a last resort if a government cannot be formed. He denounced any push for early elections as institutional blackmail, and called for a solution rooted in trust and constitutional order. Haziri blamed Vetëvendosje for refusing meaningful dialogue.

Responding for Vetëvendosje, MP Mimoza Kusari-Lila insisted that the court’s decision does not ban secret ballots. She added that MPs are duty-bound to participate, and that the parties must either agree on forming the Assembly – or dissolve it and go to elections. According to her, the core obstacle is not legal but political: the widespread distrust of Vetëvendosje by other parties.

AAK MP Bekë Berisha took a more cynical view, stating he would vote for any Vetëvendosje candidate. “Everyone is the same,” he said, adding that the crisis is not procedural, but caused by a lack of political will.

PDK MP Rashit Qalaj criticised Vetëvendosje for delaying dialogue and confirmed his party would not support Albulena Haxhiu’s candidacy for Speaker. He maintained that the process could have moved forward if genuine negotiation had started earlier.

Meanwhile, constitutional law expert Kadri Kryeziu, a former deputy president of the Constitutional Court, believes the deadlock is primarily political, not legal. While all parties share some blame, he argues that the principal responsibility lies with Vetëvendosje, the largest parliamentary group. If the Assembly is not constituted within the deadline, he says, new elections will be the only path forward.

In the midst of legal ambiguities and entrenched rivalries, the Constitutional Court’s ruling has become a point of contention rather than clarity. Legal experts warn that if the deadline lapses without resolution, Kosovo could descend into a more serious constitutional crisis. President Osmani has met with all parliamentary parties in an attempt to broker a solution. However, entrenched positions remain, and as Osmani noted, the parties are “diametrically opposed” on key issues.

The next session is scheduled for Wednesday at 11:00. Whether it will produce a breakthrough or yet another stalemate remains uncertain.

Kosovo’s political stalemate persists: assembly formation fails for 18th time

Caption: President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani speaks during the joint press conference with the European Council President Antonio Costa in Pristina, Kosovo, 14 May 2025. EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI