Bedri Hamza announced on Wednesday his irrevocable resignation as leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), less than a year after taking over its leadership. Until internal elections are held, the party will be led by Secretary-General Vlora Çitaku in an acting capacity.
Hamza made the decision public at a press conference after a meeting of the PDK Presidency. He clarified that he was leaving the leadership position, but not the party: “I am not leaving the PDK.” Hamza said he would continue to be a member and loyal voter of the party.
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Hamza had hoped to return the leadership to Thaçi and Veseli
Hamza said that he had taken on the responsibilities after 2020, when the former PDK leaders were sent to The Hague, not for personal interests but out of a sense of duty to Kosovo and the party. He mentioned his candidacy in Mitrovica, the three consecutive contests for the post of prime minister and his leadership of the PDK.
According to Hamza, until the final moments he had believed that after September 16 he would hand over the party leadership to Hashim Thaçi and Kadri Veseli. However, on that day Thaçi, Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi were convicted of war crimes. He described September 16 as one of the most difficult days of his life, saying that efforts for justice and their return to Kosovo would continue.
He added that his leadership had taken place under unusual circumstances, as the repeated elections had not given the party time to consolidate internally. Hamza said his departure created an opportunity for a new electoral process within the PDK and for greater involvement by young people.
Çitaku will lead the party until the internal elections
The PDK media office announced that the party’s governing bodies had appointed Vlora Çitaku as acting chairwoman. Blerta Deliu-Kodra, an MP and member of the Presidency, confirmed that Çitaku had been the only proposal and that her name had been put forward by Hamza himself.
Çitaku will remain in the position until the internal elections are completed. She has served as Minister of European Integration and as Kosovo’s ambassador to the United States. If elected chairwoman, she will become the first woman to lead the PDK.
In a public statement, Çitaku expressed her gratitude to Hamza, saying that he had taken over the leadership of the PDK to serve the party and Kosovo, not out of personal ambition. She also mentioned his efforts to support former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders who are on trial in The Hague.
Three candidacies for prime minister in 11 months
Hamza became chairman of the PDK at the November 17, 2025, convention, several days after Memli Krasniqi’s resignation. In his speech after being elected, he promised to unite the party and open it up to new figures. Under his leadership, the PDK’s lists of parliamentary candidates included many new names.
In the February 2025 elections, those of December 28, 2025, and the June 7, 2026, contest, Hamza was the PDK’s candidate for prime minister. The party ranked second behind Vetëvendosje in all three cases. According to the results certified by the Central Election Commission, in the June elections the PDK secured 19.44 percent of the vote and 22 seats, while Vetëvendosje won 53 seats.
Before taking over the leadership of the PDK, Hamza had served as minister of finance, governor of the Central Bank of Kosovo from 2013 to 2017, and mayor of South Mitrovica.
Grateful reactions and differing assessments
Memli Krasniqi, Hamza’s predecessor, thanked him on Facebook. He wrote that the PDK had faced major challenges during this period and had achieved good results. Sami Lushtaku, mayor of Skenderaj, said that he had not had and did not have ambitions to lead the party, while Ramiz Lladrovci, mayor of Drenas, stated that the PDK needed an independent leader capable of making decisions.
Commentator Labinot Bala said on Klan Kosovo’s “Rubikon” program that Hamza’s and Krasniqi’s resignations had not come as a result of the election results. According to him, Hamza overcame the crisis after two electoral processes, mobilized the PDK for the contest and thus completed his mission.
Commentator Rrahman Paçarizi offered a more critical assessment. He described Hamza as a bureaucratic figure, capable of maintaining the party but not of dealing with extraordinary situations. Paçarizi said that Hamza withdrew after the expectation that Thaçi and Veseli would be released after September 16 was not fulfilled.
The internal process and names mentioned as possible successors
The PDK is expected to hold internal elections at all levels, but Hamza did not say when the process would begin. During the summer, the Presidency had considered the possibility of starting the elections in September of this year.
Several names have been mentioned in television discussions as possible candidates to lead the party. Analyst Selam Hajrizi mentioned Vlora Çitaku and former Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj. Përparim Gruda, Uran Ismaili and Arian Tahiri were also mentioned on the “Debat Plus” program. By the time this article was published, none of them had officially announced their candidacy.
