Session of the new Kosovo parliament on April 25, 2025. Photo: BIRN

Kosovo PM Seeks Consensus as Court Orders End to Parliament Deadlock

Outgoing Prime Minister Albin Kurti called a meeting of political party leaders after the Constitutional Court ordered MPs to end their long-running deadlock and inaugurate a new parliament within 30 days.

Kosovo MPs on Friday postponed a parliamentary session that would have been their 38th attempt to inaugurate a new legislature – after outgoing premier Albin Kurti summoned party chiefs to a meeting intended to find a way to break the long post-election deadlock.

Kurti’s move came after Constitutional Court ruling on Thursday evening that the parliament inauguration deadlock should end within 30 days, obliging MPs to reach a consensus – more than four months after the parliamentary elections.

Kurti on Friday morning announced on Facebook that “today I addressed all the heads of the [political] entities … with an invitation for a joint meeting on Saturday [June 28] at 4pm, in another effort to reach consensus for the constitution of the Assembly”.

The Constitutional Court explained on Thursday evening that MPs are obliged within 30 days to “fulfill their constitutional obligation for the constituting of the parliament of the Republic of Kosovo via the election of the parliamentary speaker and deputy speakers”.

The deadlock stems from the fact that although Kurti’s Vetevendosje party topped the elections in February, it did not win enough seats to get its choice for speaker installed. Opposition parties have repeatedly voted against Vetevendosje’s pick, and he has refused to compromise.

The deadlock has continued since the Central Election Commission officially certified the elections on March 27.

Last month Vetevendosje asked for a change to create a commission to hold a secret ballot among MPs to choose a parliamentary speaker after the party’s candidate was repeatedly rejected. However, opposition parties were against this proposed change. In May the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) party asked the Constitutional Court to review the situation.

AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj wrote on Facebook on Thursday that “we cannot help but express our relief that AAK’s request for interpretation and resolution by the Constitutional Court has been accepted and the Court has issued a decision on this issue, creating a legal basis to break the deadlock”.

Albulena Haxhiu, outgoing minister of justice and Vetevendosje’s candidate for Parliament Speaker, told the media that if she does not receive the simple majority of 61 votes in the secret ballot, “I will withdraw from my candidacy for Speaker of the Assembly,” emphasizing Vetevendosje’s  stance that a secret ballot is not unconstitutional.

Other opposition parties also welcomed the decision.

Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) called for an “open vote, consensus and compromise”.

Abdixhiku said in a Facebook post on Thursday that “dozens of [parliamentary] sessions [have been] lost, due to an imposition that was found to be unconstitutional today.

“From tomorrow [Friday], the LDK expects the largest parliamentary group [Vetevendosje] to act in accordance with this judgment, to end the deadlocks and to contribute to the fastest and most orderly constitution of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo,” he added.

Civil society activists held a symbolic protest in front of parliament on Friday prior to the planned parliamentary session, calling for an end to the deadlock. The next session is due to be held on Sunday.

27/06/2025 - 15:48

27 June 2025 - 15:48

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