The political crisis and institutional delays have negatively affected the implementation of European reforms, undermining Kosovo’s performance in the rule of law, public administration and economic development. According to government estimates, the country may have lost more than 40 million euros from the European Union’s Growth Plan, although the final figure is expected to be confirmed by the EU.
These estimates were presented at a roundtable organized by the Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS), which focused on the topic “Kosovo’s path to the EU after the political deadlock: From momentum to reforms.” Participants discussed the implementation of the Reform Agenda and Kosovo’s European perspective.
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GLPS Executive Director Njomza Arifi said that the political deadlocks, which have lasted more than two years, have had significant consequences for the country. She stressed that the cost was linked not only to lost time, but also to the weakening of institutional performance and the lack of improvements in citizens’ lives.
Arifi said that, based on the estimated figures through June, potential losses from the benefits of the Growth Plan could exceed 40 million euros. However, she underlined that the exact assessment must be made by the European Union.
She also warned that Kosovo has little time available to implement 27 additional measures, whose deadline expires on December 31 of this year. Meanwhile, the entire Growth Plan, or Reform Agenda, must be completed by the end of August next year.
According to Arifi, the urgency to fulfill the measures should not lead to formal and low-quality reforms. She said implementation must be both swift and sustainable so that the reforms are not carried out merely to be considered part of the agenda.
Regarding Kosovo’s perspective in the European Union, the GLPS director said the country should prepare not only for possible future membership. According to her, opportunities for earlier inclusion in European policies and mechanisms should also be explored, including forms of gradual integration.
Arifi stressed that the high level of citizens’ support for Europe and political statements are not enough to advance the process. She said concrete reforms and measurable results are needed, while the European Union must offer Kosovo a clear perspective.
During the presentation of the update to the Reform Agenda for the third semester, the report’s author and GLPS researcher, Besar Gërgi, said that the government had reported the implementation of 18 reforms out of the 62 envisaged so far.
Gërgi said the government had reported the completion of 7 of the 13 reform steps whose final deadline was June 2026. These steps belonged to the second semester, June 2025, and had a one-year grace period, until June 2026. According to him, this represents an implementation rate of just over 50 percent.
He also referred to the government’s first official report, published on the website of the Office of the Prime Minister, which states that 18 of the 62 reforms, or around 29 percent, have been completed. Gërgi assessed that this does not represent the highest possible implementation rate.
In financial terms, the researcher explained that Kosovo could benefit from up to 883 million euros from the Growth Plan, while so far it has received only the 7 percent pre-financing.
According to Gërgi, the main obstacle was the failure to ratify the agreements, which had prevented the Kosovo government from officially reporting to the European Commission. The first official report was submitted on July 15, and the European Commission’s assessment is now awaited. It will provide a complete overview of the measures that have been implemented and those that have not.
He said that June marked the end of the fourth of the Reform Agenda’s seven semesters. The fifth semester is expected to conclude at the end of the year, while the entire growth instrument will end in September next year.
Gërgi stressed that Kosovo no longer has a full year available to carry out the reforms. According to him, the low implementation rate and numerous delays are largely linked to the political crisis.
Referring to institutional developments, he said that Parliament was constituted on February 11 and the government was formed during the same period. Just two days later, two agreements—the facility agreement and the borrowing agreement—were ratified, while the national coordinator was appointed on March 19.
