Kosovo Assembly Deadlock Pits Parties Against Each Other, Raising Questions Over Reasons for Political Impasse

The process of constituting the Kosovo Assembly remains deadlocked, as the political parties have yet to find common ground on how to resolve the situation.

Although a compromise remains elusive, the PDK is insisting that the constitutive session continue.

This insistence has sparked debate over whether the PDK’s aim is to get the institutional process back on track or to exert pressure on the other parties.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the political parties should step up efforts to reach an agreement before the session resumes, so that the process is not dragged out any further.

The parties’ inability to reach a compromise is leaving the Assembly in deadlock and delaying the establishment of functioning institutions.

Under these circumstances, questions are also being raised about the consequences Kosovo could face if the political forces continue to fail to agree on a common way forward.

Avdimetaj Calls for Session to Continue and for Parties to Take Responsibility for Ending Institutional Deadlock

Analyst and activist Shefqet Avdimetaj told “Bota sot” that the PDK is right to call for the Assembly session to continue. According to him, in a parliamentary democracy, MPs should be inside the institution, not outside it.

He believes the call to continue the session can be interpreted as an attempt to get the process back on an institutional track and end a deadlock that has lasted beyond any reasonable limit.

However, Avdimetaj cautions that the resumption of the session must not end in another political confrontation without any result.

“If there is no willingness to vote and assume the responsibility entrusted to them by the citizens, then even the continuation of the session could turn into another form of obstruction,” he said.

According to Avdimetaj, responsibility for breaking the deadlock lies with all political forces, including the PDK, LDK, AAK and Vetëvendosje, which must sit down together and find an institutional solution.

He emphasizes that compromise is an element of democracy, but it cannot be used by one party to impose its will on another. At the same time, he says, the election result must be respected.

“We cannot demand democracy only when we like the result,” Avdimetaj said. He added that the opposition has the right to oppose, criticize and challenge the majority within the Assembly, but it cannot override the will of the citizens through political obstruction.

On the other hand, he stresses that the majority must also understand that a democratically secured mandate does not give it the right to ignore everyone else.

“Kosovo does not need temporary winners of a political battle. It needs functioning institutions,” Avdimetaj said.

He warns that the continuation of the political impasse risks undermining citizens’ trust both in politics and in the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo.

In his assessment, the main concern is not which party may win the political confrontation, but the possibility that “the citizens and the state will be the losers.”

In conclusion, Avdimetaj called on MPs to continue the session, vote and exercise the responsibility entrusted to them by the citizens.

“In a democracy, power is not seized through obstruction. Power is won through the vote and lost through the vote,” Avdimetaj concluded.

Dashi: Kosovo Is Not the Property of Political Parties; Personal and Party Interests Must Yield to the State

Commentator and activist Gazmend Dashi, analyzing the latest developments on the political scene, says the PDK’s approach deserves to be welcomed if its aim is to break the deadlock and make the institutions operational. However, he warns that such actions would be harmful to Kosovo if they are driven by narrow personal or party interests.

“Kosovo cannot be treated as the property of any political party or as a means of advancing individual interests,” Dashi told “Bota sot.” He added that such an approach would further damage Kosovo’s image in the international arena.

Dashi describes the current institutional situation as worrying, arguing that the failure to establish and operationalize stable institutions is pushing the country toward a cycle of political uncertainty. According to him, institutions must serve the citizens and the state, rather than be used as instruments for controlling power.

Referring to the LDK, he says the party has placed state and national interests above narrow party interests. Dashi says that, even under the current circumstances, the LDK is trying to contribute to finding a solution and overcoming the institutional collapse.

He calls on the political parties to abandon grudges, confrontations and narrow calculations, because, according to him, Kosovo stands above every party and is more important than any individual.

Dashi calls for a healthy balance to be created in politics so that no political party can govern without accountability and institutional oversight. He argues that democratic pluralism can be protected and the concentration of power prevented only through such a balance.

Finally, the commentator calls for respect for the Constitution, the establishment of functioning institutions and the development of a new political culture in which an opponent is regarded as part of democracy rather than as an enemy.

“Parties come and go, individuals change, but the state remains,” Dashi concluded, ending his message with the appeal: “Kosovo above all! The state above the party! The national interest above personal interest!”