Die Zeit1 hour agoPolitics1 min readGermany

Kosovo: Parliament in Kosovo appoints president and thus avoids new elections

Quick Look

Kosovo's parliament has elected Justina Shiroka Pula as the new president, thereby preventing a fourth parliamentary election within two years.
The election came after an agreement between Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government and the opposition, which received its support in exchange for a law limiting the powers of the Kosovo Special Tribunal in The Hague.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Kosovo's parliament failed to elect a new head of state in April after being deeply divided. An early parliamentary election was then called for June, in which Prime Minister Albin Kurti's party won. The election of the president required a two-thirds majority, which would not have been achievable without opposition support.

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The parliament in Kosovo has elected a new head of state and was able to avert new elections. The majority of MPs in Pristina voted for Justina Shiroka Pula as the country's new president early on Wednesday morning. The nightly vote took place shortly before a deadline. If it had passed without a result, the fourth parliamentary elections in Kosovo would have had to be held within less than two years.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government had previously reached an agreement with the opposition. This secured her the necessary two-thirds majority to elect Justina Shiroka Pula as president.

Opposition MPs agreed to support the presidential candidate after Kurti approved a law aimed at limiting the powers of the Kosovo Special Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. The previous month, four former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army were convicted there, including former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci.

New elections in the summer

Kurti's party emerged victorious from the early parliamentary elections in June. The vote had to be called after the deeply divided parliament failed to elect a new head of state in April.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

The government will pass the law restricting the Kosovo Special Tribunal in the coming weeks.
Likely · Within weeks
The opposition will continue its support for future important votes in Parliament as long as their demands are taken into account.
Possible · Within months

Open Questions

What will the newly passed law restricting the Kosovo special tribunal actually look like?
Will the Kurti government keep its promise to change the law only with mutual agreement with the opposition?
How will the international community respond to the tribunal's restriction?
What further reforms are necessary to ensure long-term political stability in Kosovo?