On Friday, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani announced her decision to dissolve Parliament in order to facilitate an early election, following the failure of lawmakers to elect her successor. This announcement poses a significant political challenge for Kosovo, which held a snap election in December due to a prolonged political impasse.
The Kosovo Assembly had a midnight Thursday deadline to appoint a new president to succeed Osmani, who has been in office since 2021. An attempted vote on Thursday evening did not achieve the required quorum within the 120-member assembly. Prime Minister Albin Kurti attributed the outcome to the opposition’s boycott of the session. In response, his ruling party, Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination), has submitted a request to the Constitutional Court to temporarily suspend the election deadline. It remains unclear when the court will issue a decision and how it may influence President Osmani’s decision to dissolve Parliament.
In her address on Friday, President Osmani remarked that the situation was “completely avoidable,” underscoring that lawmakers had sufficient time to decide the presidency. She stated, “It is a great misfortune for this state that they did not prioritise the interests of the Republic of Kosovo.” She confirmed that she had issued the decree dissolving the assembly, thereby fulfilling her constitutional obligations.
The Vetëvendosje party secured a significant victory in the early December election and subsequently formed a government in February through an alliance with ethnic minority groups. Although the party won an election in February 2025, it was unable to secure a parliamentary majority, resulting in the current stalemate and necessitating the recent snap election.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, following the 1998-1999 conflict, which concluded with a U.S.-led NATO intervention. Since then, tensions have persisted, as Serbia does not recognise Kosovo’s independence.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
