Bekim Sejdiu, the candidate who brought VV and LDK together for the presidency

After several days of talks and meetings between Albin Kurti and Lumir Abdixhiku, Vetëvendosje and the LDK have reached an agreement on the candidate they intend to propose for president of Kosovo.

Their joint candidate is Bekim Sejdiu, a former judge of the Constitutional Court, diplomat and university professor. He was selected following discussions between the two political entities to find a figure who could represent the political agreement.

Sejdiu brings a profile linked to state institutions, but without a strong affiliation with active party politics. This appears to have influenced his selection.

During his career, he has served in diplomacy, at the Constitutional Court and in academia. Sejdiu was among Kosovo’s first diplomats, serving as ambassador to Turkey and as consul general in New York. From 2015 to 2021, he was a judge on the Constitutional Court.

Such a profile gives him an advantage in a process in which VV and LDK were seeking a candidate who would not be seen as a typical representative of a political party.

However, agreement on the name does not mean that the procedure has been concluded. The main challenge now moves to the Assembly, where the necessary parliamentary support must be secured.

In the first two rounds of the presidential election, 80 votes are required. In the third round, the candidate can be elected with 61 votes, provided the constitutional requirements for conducting the process are met.

As a result, the position of the other parties and members of parliament toward Bekim Sejdiu’s candidacy remains to be seen.

Just one day earlier, he was still being mentioned as a possible name in reports and unofficial discussions. Following the agreement between Kurti and Abdixhiku, Sejdiu is now at the center of the political process to elect the head of state.

The new phase of negotiations is no longer about identifying the candidate, but about securing the votes needed in the Assembly. Therefore, the main question now is whether the VV–LDK agreement has sufficient parliamentary support to elect Bekim Sejdiu president.