The American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo has expressed deep concern over the continuing political and institutional deadlock and scenes in the Kosovo Assembly that it described as unacceptable. It cited verbal and physical clashes between elected representatives, as well as incidents involving citizens visiting the Assembly chamber.

According to the American Chamber, the Assembly should be a forum for democratic debate, institutional dignity and respect for citizens. It stressed that, regardless of how significant political differences may be, they do not justify conduct that undermines public trust in Kosovo’s democratic institutions.

The Chamber believes that the prolonged political crisis is already having tangible economic and social consequences.

According to the Chamber, institutional uncertainty undermines investor confidence, delays decision-making on domestic and foreign investments, hampers the pace of reforms and infrastructure projects, and limits access to international financing. As a result, economic growth and job creation are affected, while Kosovo cannot continue to miss opportunities because of political paralysis.

The press release states that the continued operation of a caretaker government while the Assembly has yet to be constituted is an equally serious concern. Without a functioning legislature, Kosovo is effectively left without one of the fundamental instruments of democratic governance, namely effective parliamentary oversight of the executive.

The Chamber warned that the prolonged absence of parliamentary oversight, accountability and institutional checks increases the risk of misuse of public resources, reduces transparency and creates room for potential corruption and other forms of institutional abuse. According to the Chamber, this is a serious issue not only for democracy and the rule of law, but also for Kosovo’s business and investment climate.

The American Chamber also said it takes seriously the calls by the United States Government for Kosovo’s political leaders to establish functioning institutions in accordance with the Constitution and the decisions of the Constitutional Court. It also takes into account warnings that the continuing deadlock is causing Kosovo to miss important opportunities.

Although all parliamentary parties have an obligation to contribute constructively toward reaching a solution, the Chamber believes that the burden of responsibility is not the same for everyone. The political force that received the largest number of seats from voters bears the primary responsibility for creating the conditions needed to constitute the Assembly and make the institutions functional. According to the Chamber, electoral victory brings not only the right to govern, but also the obligation to enable the institutions to function.

Finally, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo called on all political actors to de-escalate tensions without delay, restore dialogue and prioritize democratic stability, economic development, the rule of law and Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic interests over narrow political calculations.

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