Kosovo: Parliament Speaker Elected, Opening Way For New Government

By Perparim Isufi

MPs in Kosovo on Wednesday voted to elect Vetevendosje’s Albulena Haxhiu, a former minister of justice, to lead parliament with 66 votes in favour, 44 against and eight abstentions.

The vote to appoint Haxhiu and five deputy speakers opens the way for a vote on a new government led by Vetevendosje’s Albin Kurti. This would mark the end of a year-long political deadlock that started in February 2025 when inconclusive parliamentary election results did not produce a cabinet.

“I take over this duty fully conscious of the constitutional burden it bears… Being parliamentary speaker means to serve the republic, democratic order and public trust. Parliament is the political home of all our citizens – those who agree with us but also those who think differently,” Haxhiu, 38, said in her introductory speech.

“We have a common duty to serve citizens with honesty, responsibility and vision because they expect concrete work from us and cooperation for the common good. No matter our differences are real, we have common responsibilities,” she added.

Despite her conciliatory tone, Haxhiu’s candidacy was not supported by opposition parties.

Armend Zemaj from the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, said before the session that “we don’t vote for any candidate without any [prior] political agreement”.

The election of Haxhiu was in sharp contrast to events of last year, when it took almost five months to elect a speaker – and even after one was elected, no government could be formed as political deadlock continued.

Haxhiu becomes the second woman parliament speaker in Kosovo’s 25 years of pluralism, after current President Vjosa Osmani, who held the post in 2021.

Mimoza Kusari Lila, a Vetevendosje MP, announced that another session to elect a new government could follow later on Tuesday evening. Prior to this, President Vjosa Omani needs to mandate Albin Kurti to form an administration.

“There are chances we will have two sessions [tonight],” Kusari Lila told media.

Results from the parliamentary elections showed the ruling Vetevendosje, LVV, led by Kurti, well in the lead with 51.1 per cent of the votes, which means he can likely form a government without coalition agreements. Vetevendosje will have 57 MPs in the 120-seat chamber.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, led by Bedri Hamza, followed with 20.2 per cent. The LDK won 13.2 per cent of the votes and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, 5.5 per cent.