Bytyçi Reveals the Backstory of Talks With Kurti: Abdixhiku Is “Caught Between Two Fires

The latest meeting between the leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, Albin Kurti, and the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Lumir Abdixhiku, failed to produce an agreement on the formation of Kosovo’s new institutions.

The talks were held shortly before the constitutive session of the Assembly of Kosovo, but ended without any concrete agreement. After the meeting, Kurti said that “there is no agreement.” The development has deepened political uncertainty in the country, and it remains unclear whether LVV and LDK can find room for compromise.

The latest failure raises questions about whether negotiations between the two parties have reached a critical point, whether the lack of political consensus is the main obstacle to establishing the institutions, and what consequences Kosovo could face if the deadlock continues.

Speaking to “Bota sot,” Professor Enver Bytyçi said the difficulty does not lie solely in LVV and LDK’s inability to reach an agreement. In his assessment, internal divisions within the party led by Lumir Abdixhiku are also a problem.

Bytyçi said Kurti’s meeting with the LDK delegation highlighted differing interests within the party because, according to him, its representatives did not enter the negotiations with a common objective.

The professor described it as yet another meeting between the head of the majority, Albin Kurti, and LDK representatives: its leader Lumir Abdixhiku, deputy leader Lutfi Haziri, and the person he called the “shadow leader,” Vjosa Osmani. According to Bytyçi, each of them attended with their own personal calculations rather than those of the party they claim to represent. He said Abdixhiku should have an interest in talks and in finding a consensus on establishing state institutions, while Vjosa and Luta, each in their own way, went to seek the post of president. In his assessment, they accompanied the de jure leader because they do not trust him.

Bytyçi also raised the question of whether, before the meeting, LDK had prepared a defined platform for dialogue with Vetëvendosje and the terms of a possible coalition government.

He said the public had not been informed before the meeting whether the Democratic League had drafted a specific platform for the talks and the consensus it would seek through them. According to him, no one knows the principles LDK has set as conditions for governing together with Kurti. Bytyçi noted that the two parties are publicly regarded as very different in terms of their programs and political alternatives: LDK is conservative, while LVV is social democratic, meaning liberal. He added that the public should have known LDK’s policy demands for governing jointly with Vetëvendosje, but said that zero demands are known.

In the professor’s view, without a clear platform, the negotiations appear more like efforts to secure personal benefits than a process aimed at building institutions.

Bytyçi stated that the three representatives of Rugova’s former party went to Tuesday’s meeting to bargain, not to serve Kosovo’s interests. According to him, this was to be expected because LDK has been, is, and remains divided. He described the 172 votes with which Abdixhiku was re-elected party leader as evidence of division because another 152 were against him. The professor said his opponents find it difficult to rally behind the re-elected leader’s alternative and that this situation has weakened Abdixhiku even among those who support him. According to him, his supporters see the leader as weak and can more easily exert greater pressure on him. He linked this pressure to the fact that many of them voted for him out of self-interest, which has nothing to do with either the Democratic League’s program or Kosovo, but rather with the posts they could obtain from a potential agreement with Kurti.

Analyzing the possibility of an LVV-LDK coalition, Bytyçi warned that divisions within LDK make it harder to establish a stable partnership and weaken the prospects of a long-term agreement.

He recalled that the talks had begun before the LDK Assembly was held. According to his interpretation, those who voted for Abdixhiku automatically also supported a coalition government with LVV, while those who opposed him are also against such a coalition. Under these circumstances, Bytyçi considered it very difficult to establish a stable coalition between the two parties. He said supporters of joint governance are calculating the share of the “pie” they would receive in the coalition, while opponents are increasing pressure to prevent a consensus from being reached.

According to the professor, Abdixhiku is thus caught between two fires: on one side are his “loyalists,” who want power and positions, while on the other are his many opponents within the party. Bytyçi said Abdixhiku does not have the power to decide, although his personal interest is to enter a coalition government with LVV so that he can consolidate his position among the slim majority of his supporters. However, according to him, those seeking positions, including those aiming for the presidency, will not allow him to do so. He added that it appears Vjosa Osmani is not the only one seeking this position, but that Lutfi Haziri is as well. As long as it does not resolve its internal conflict, Bytyçi said, LDK cannot break the deadlock over the formation of the institutions.

The professor also said LDK’s repeated willingness to sit down for talks with Kurti has exposed the party to intense public pressure.

He said the fact that LDK representatives agreed for the umpteenth time to hold talks with Kurti puts the party in a difficult position. According to him, the public sees that LVV, as the winner, is willing to govern with the Democratic League, but the latter has no consensus on taking such a step. For this reason, LDK has once again become the target of blame. Bytyçi warned that citizens will interpret its lack of willingness as an attempt to secure positions in government rather than a desire to provide the country with stable institutions.

In his analysis, Bytyçi also addressed Kurti’s invitations to PDK and AAK for talks, stressing that the two parties’ positions on governing jointly with LVV are already known.

He said Kurti had also invited the two other Albanian parliamentary parties, PDK and AAK, for negotiations, most of whose members oppose governing jointly with him. Bytyçi stated that he could not say whether Serbia has any role in this matter, certainly through Richard Grennell. He added that this time Abdixhiku was criticized by the “Batons,” from Grennell’s positions, because he responded to Kurti’s invitation.

In conclusion, the professor called for the main focus to be placed on forming the new institutions and overcoming the political crisis.

Bytyçi said the most important thing is to establish the institutions and noted that the plenary session begins on Thursday. He does not believe the vote on the new government will take place this week, while tomorrow, according to him, only the presidency of parliament and the speaker may be elected. For this reason, Saturday and Sunday appear likely to be used for further talks. The professor stressed that this time Kosovo must have its president and new government, while it remains to be seen whether this will be achieved. He said Tuesday’s developments show that the process is not easy because consensus is lacking, although it could be reached within a minute if politicians’ personal wishes were fulfilled. Bytyçi called this shameful, concluding his remarks to “Bota sot.”