The US Again Calls on Kosovo’s Leaders to Establish Institutions

Washington has reiterated its appeal to Kosovo’s political leaders to cooperate in establishing institutions while respecting the Constitution and the rulings of the Constitutional Court.

A spokesperson for the US State Department told Radio Free Europe that cooperation among political leaders is essential to overcoming the institutional deadlock.

“This continuing political stalemate is resulting in missed opportunities for Kosovo. It is time for the leaders to give priority to progress and stability, in the interest of all citizens,” the spokesperson said.

The latest message marks the second identical call from the US side within a short period. On August 12, the US Embassy in Pristina also spoke about the need for cooperation among the parties.

The new appeal comes as Kosovo’s Assembly remains unconstituted following the June 7 elections.

The constitutive session of the new legislature opened on August 6. The deputies completed their oaths, but a vote for the speaker of the Assembly could not be held.

Albin Kurti, as leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement, requested time for further consultations with the parties, stating that an agreement on the formation of institutions had not yet been reached. For this reason, the session was suspended and its continuation was scheduled for August 8.

No candidate for the post of Assembly speaker was presented at the August 8 session either. Kurti again requested additional time for talks with the parties, after which AAK MP Time Kadrijaj threw eggs in his direction. Following the incident, Avni Dehari, who was chairing the session, suspended the proceedings.

Since then, the process has remained frozen. Dehari has said that the next session will be called only after the parties reach an agreement on resolving the crisis, arguing that holding it merely for the sake of formality makes no sense without a political accord.

In an effort to break the deadlock, Kurti met on August 18 with LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku. The talks focused on the election of the next president. After the meeting, both said there was a willingness to find a solution and agreed that at the next meeting they would discuss specific names for president.

Meanwhile, the PDK and the Alliance have called for the Assembly’s proceedings to continue without being conditioned on reaching a political agreement. On August 12, deputies from the two entities gathered in the Assembly chamber and asked Dehari to schedule the continuation of the session. Clashes with LVV deputies also took place during this period.

The parties had previously also been urged by the European Union to find a swift solution to the institutional crisis. According to the EU, the political deadlock and delays in implementing reforms could weaken Kosovo’s ability to benefit from European support.

Through the Growth Plan, Kosovo has been allocated 882.6 million euros in grants and favorable loans through the end of 2027. The disbursement of these funds depends on the implementation of the steps set out in the Reform Agenda.

The European Commission has identified 111 reform measures for Kosovo. For 13 of them, which together are worth 90.8 million euros, the first deadline for completion was June 30, 2026. Meanwhile, 27 other steps, worth 165.9 million euros, must be completed by the end of December.

The International Monetary Fund has also found that the prolongation of the political crisis has hindered Kosovo’s progress in implementing the reforms under the Growth Plan and securing external financing.