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SPIEGEL: Kosovo heads towards elections, Kurti did not re-nominate Osmani because he believes she is too independent
2026-03-06 12:05:05 / KOSOVA
Kosovo will hold new elections for the third time in just over a year, after parliament failed again to elect a president. This appears to be related to Prime Minister Kurti's selection of a candidate.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has dissolved the country's parliament and called for new elections, Osmani announced on Friday, after the deadline for MPs to elect a new head of state expired at midnight.
“A parliament that cannot elect a president cannot drag out the process indefinitely, as it is trying to do,” Osmani explained her decision. She called for the parties to set a date for new elections on the same day. These would be the third parliamentary elections in just over a year. Osmani’s five-year mandate expires on April 4.
The Constitution requires the presence of two-thirds of the 120 MPs to elect a successor. With only 66 MPs, mostly from the ruling camp, the quorum of 80 MPs is not reached. The ruling Vetëvendosje party of Prime Minister Albin Kurti and its candidate for Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca were not joined by the opposition, which was seeking a consensual candidate.
Osman's candidacy could have prevented this
"This situation was completely avoidable. It is very bad that these MPs did not put the interests of the people first," said Osmani. For her, a second term would have been possible, for which she had also expressed her willingness. But Kurti did not propose her for re-election.
For the opposition, it could have been acceptable enough to enable the election process with the presence of its deputies in Parliament. Kurti's motives for not running Osmani are not clear. Observers suspect that the politician acts too independently for Kurti's taste. Critics accuse the head of government of an authoritarian style.
Government formation fails since February 2025
According to the Constitution, early elections must now be held because Parliament failed to elect a successor within the stipulated 30 days before the end of the incumbent president's term. Kosovars were called to vote twice last year.
The elections on 9 February 2025 were won by Vetëvendosje with a relative majority, but the party leader, Kurti, was unable to find partners for a coalition. The new elections on 28 December brought enough mandates for Vetëvendosje for Kurti to become prime minister for the second time in a row.
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