Albin Kurti, the acting prime minister, and Lumir Abdixhiku, chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo, are expected to meet today to continue discussions on forming the new institutions.
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This will be their second meeting since the certification of the June 7 election results. It will also be their first meeting since Abdixhiku survived a no-confidence motion before his party’s delegates.
Shortly before the Vetëvendosje Movement sent an invitation to LDK, Glauk Konjufca, the acting foreign minister and deputy chairman of LVV, spoke about the possibility of more in-depth talks.
On Monday, Konjufca said that further political meetings between the parties could take place before the Assembly’s constitutive session, scheduled for Thursday.
According to him, these contacts would aim to resolve the current situation and create the conditions needed to form the new institutions.
Konjufca said he expects LVV to send an official invitation to the Democratic League of Kosovo in the coming days to begin talks.
He explained that August 6 had been set specifically with the aim of holding additional meetings by then and inviting LDK to discuss a possible agreement.
The LVV deputy chairman expressed optimism that, once the Assembly is constituted, the formation of the other institutions could proceed quickly. He said he expects an agreement with LDK on all senior positions in the Republic of Kosovo.
Konjufca said these positions also include the presidency. He said there is hope regarding this issue and that negotiations with LDK will be conducted at a deeper level to determine the outcome of the process.
Konjufca added that LDK has also expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with the Vetëvendosje Movement. For this reason, he believes the parties can reach a solution on all senior state positions.
However, his remarks about the presidency come after LDK deputy chairman Lutfi Haziri said, a few days after the June 7 election results, that the party’s MPs could vote as a unified bloc in exchange for the presidency.
Haziri said LDK’s 18 elected MPs could support LVV, the leading party in the June 7 snap parliamentary elections, if the latter included the presidency in the agreement.
According to him, LDK’s parliamentary group could unite only if the presidential candidate came from within the party rather than from outside it.
Haziri mentioned Lumir Abdixhiku, in his capacity as party chairman, or himself as possible candidates. He said Abdixhiku would be the first choice because of the position he holds, while Lutfi Haziri himself would command the greatest consensus within LDK after him.
Will the New President Be Chosen from LDK’s Ranks?
Analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu interprets Glauk Konjufca’s statement as part of a typical phase of negotiations in which LVV and LDK are seeking to maximize their gains before agreeing on a deal.
Spahiu told “Bota sot” that both sides are trying to lower each other’s demands, which, in his view, shows that the talks have entered a more concrete stage and that their willingness to compromise is now being assessed.
He emphasized that Lutfi Haziri’s position—that LDK MPs could vote together only for a candidate from the party—does not guarantee that the next president will necessarily come from LDK. In his assessment, the statement reflects the party’s effort to use its number of MPs to secure as much influence as possible in the process.
According to Spahiu, LDK is seeking to turn the presidency into a means of strengthening its position after the elections. LVV, on the other hand, is trying to retain control over the process and avoid major concessions.
The analyst sees a difference between Haziri’s strong statements after the elections and the more conciliatory language used by Konjufca. He believes that immediately after the elections, both parties needed to consolidate their support bases and therefore used harsher rhetoric.
However, as constitutional deadlines approach and pressure mounts to make the institutions operational, Spahiu says public positions have softened, creating room for more in-depth negotiations.
Regarding possible LDK candidates, Spahiu believes a figure with institutional experience and a less divisive profile on the political scene would have a better chance of securing consensus.
He mentioned Lutfi Haziri and other prominent LDK figures as names that could be discussed, but stressed that the decision would depend on LVV’s willingness to accept the candidate and LDK’s ability to keep its parliamentary group united.
According to Spahiu, an agreement between LVV and LDK on the presidency would also have a significant impact on the other opposition parties.
He believes such an agreement could mark the creation of a new axis of cooperation between the two largest Albanian parties, while PDK and AAK would remain in a more peripheral role in decision-making processes.
Such an agreement would also send a message of institutional stability and political responsibility, particularly at a time when the country needs functioning institutions and international partners expect greater political consensus.
Offers, the Presidency and the Possibility of New Elections
In comments to “Bota sot,” analyst Nexhat Haziri discussed the offers that he believes Albin Kurti may make to Lumir Abdixhiku.
Haziri claims that, according to his sources, Kurti’s position on the election of the president remains unchanged.
According to the analyst, despite statements by Glauk Konjufca and Lutfi Haziri, Kurti’s offer to LDK would be limited to three or four ministries and, as another possibility, the position of Assembly speaker.
Haziri explains that this would bring LDK into the governing coalition as a partner without significant political power and one that would not create difficulties for Kurti while governing. He also links this to LDK’s internal situation, saying that Abdixhiku controls only nine MPs.
Under this scenario, he says, Kurti could remove Abdixhiku from the coalition whenever he deemed it necessary without putting the parliamentary majority at risk.
However, Haziri considers the presidency to be the central issue in the negotiations. He says that, according to his sources, Kurti is determined that the position should belong to LVV and that a coalition agreement with LDK would not automatically mean support for electing the president.
The analyst adds that Kurti has so far neither demonstrated nor expressed any willingness to allow the presidency to go to another party or a potential coalition partner, including LDK.
Haziri believes that, under these circumstances, a few ministries and participation on boards would be enough for Abdixhiku, mainly to appease his supporters and continue his internal confrontation with rivals within LDK.
Regarding the election of the president, Haziri believes LDK does not have enough votes to complete the process on its own.
He says that if Kurti wants to form the new institutions and overcome the political and institutional crisis, he must seek a compromise agreement with all political parties so that the presidential candidate is nominated by the opposition parties.
According to Haziri, no other attempt would produce a result, including today’s meeting between Albin Kurti and Lumir Abdixhiku.
He concludes that the country may be heading toward new elections, while LDK would face a fragmented situation. Such a development, he says, would benefit LVV, as Kurti could use the opportunity to increase his share of the vote.
