Kostadinovski: Constitutional justice must be based on dialogue, not rivalry for power with the legislature

Constitutional dialogue, mutual respect for competences, and interpretation of the Constitution based on arguments were the messages conveyed by the President of the Constitutional Court, Darko Kostadinovski, during an international conference in Pristina. According to him, the protection of constitutional values requires courts that have the courage to take even unpopular decisions, but that at the same time show restraint so as not to replace the legislature.

The international conference “The role of constitutional courts in the protection of democracy and the democratic functioning of institutions” was held on 22 October 2026, on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the establishment of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo. In addition to Kostadinovski, the delegation included judges Prof. Dr. Ana Pavllovska-Daneva and MSc Fatmir Skender.

In the second panel, titled “Constitutional courts, democracy and the rule of law,” Kostadinovski discussed the way constitutional justice protects democratic values and the balance between institutions, as well as the limits within which constitutional review is exercised. He focused mainly on judicial activism as a guarantee for preserving democratic values.

He stressed that the strength of a constitutional court is not determined by the amount of power it holds, but by the authority it enjoys to protect constitutionality. In this context, Kostadinovski highlighted the weight of legal reasoning, consistency and independence, together with trust in constitutional justice.