A photo chronicle of the presidency of Atifete Jahjaga, a virtual unknown who became the Kosovo’s first female president.
A photo chronicle of the presidency of Atifete Jahjaga, a virtual unknown who became Kosovo’s first female president.
On April 7, 2011 Atifete Jahjaga, a practical unknown, ascended from the second in command in the Kosovo Police Force to the country’s Commander-in-Chief.
The Deputy Director of the Kosovo Police was almost completely unheard of to the Kosovar public until she became President after a deal by four male politicians – three Kosovar leaders and an ex-ambassador from the U.S.
At that time, during the press conference of the 6th of April 2011, Isa Mustafa, Hashim Thaci and Behgjet Pacolli entered from one side as signers of the deal, and on the other side stood Christopher Dell as the guarantor.
The deal was announced by former US ambassador Christopher Dell, who brokered an agreement whereby Jahjaga step up to the plate until the governing coalition carried out electoral and constitutional reforms, especially passing a law mandating direct presidential elections. According to the terms of the deal, the parties were supposed to enact reforms within the first nine months of the agreement and the new presidential election were to be held six months after that. None of the foreseen reforms were made.
In the meantime, Jahjaga served as Kosovo’s first female president, completing a full mandate of five years.
