Bekim Sejdiu, considered one of the last possibilities for overcoming the deadlock surrounding the election of the president, has withdrawn his candidacy. He said he made the decision after failing to secure the necessary support from political parties, making the process of electing the head of state even more difficult.

Adnan Rrustemi, a lawmaker from the Vetëvendosje Movement, said his party would continue seeking a candidate acceptable to all sides, with the aim of preventing Kosovo from going to new elections.

In an interview with Ekonomia Online, Rrustemi said Sejdiu’s decision was respected, but argued that the professor’s withdrawal represented a missed opportunity for the country. He recalled that Sejdiu had made the reason for his withdrawal public and had informed Prime Minister Albin Kurti and LDK leader Abdixhiku.

Rrustemi said Sejdiu’s candidacy had been proposed as a consensual and nonpartisan figure following the agreement reached between LVV and LDK, which was the result of difficult negotiations. According to him, the decision was also linked to the refusal of 6 LDK lawmakers to support or implement the agreement. He added that such a president would bring an end to the political crisis related to this issue.

The LVV lawmaker described Sejdiu’s withdrawal as a blow to the process, particularly following the opposition to the agreement by, according to him, 6 LDK lawmakers. However, he stressed that this would not stop Vetëvendosje from seeking a candidate for president and trying to avoid fourth consecutive elections, which he described as unnecessary, costly and harmful.

Rrustemi said he had no information on whether a new invitation would be extended to opposition parties to discuss the presidency. He stressed that LVV had continuously invited political entities, while, according to him, LDK had responded, whereas PDK and the Alliance had not.

He underlined that the election of the president requires consensus and that no entity should use the process as a reason to obstruct the functioning of institutions. According to Rrustemi, the election of the president requires the support of 2/3 of the lawmakers in the Assembly of Kosovo, meaning it cannot be achieved by a single party.

Rrustemi confirmed that the search for a consensual figure would continue, but added that the process also requires readiness and political will from the other opposition parties. He called on parties and lawmakers to assume political and constitutional responsibility for maintaining institutional stability and not turn the election of the president into part of the confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition.

According to him, a cross-party and nonpartisan candidate would be the most appropriate solution for Kosovo and would make it possible to overcome the current political crisis.

During the interview, Rrustemi also spoke about the issue that the Democratic Party of Kosovo has referred to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitution of the Assembly.

He said he expected the Constitutional Court to confirm the continuation of the functioning of the central institutions. Rrustemi recalled that PDK had publicly called for the constitution of the Assembly, but after the process was completed, it opposed it and referred the matter to the Constitutional Court.

The LVV lawmaker said he expected the court to determine that the constitution of the Assembly had been unavoidable following the certification of the election results and that the work of the institutions should continue. He added that he did not expect the legal issue to affect possible talks on the election of the president, although he said it remained to be seen how the situation would develop.

Rrustemi described the election of the president as a primarily political process that depends on the will of parliamentary entities. He said that if the opposition parties showed a willingness to reach an agreement, he was convinced that a solution would be found.

However, he warned that the process would become more difficult if the other parties viewed the presidential issue as a means of obstructing Vetëvendosje’s governance and pushing the country toward elections, which, according to him, appeared to be their aim.

The post Rrustemi: Sejdiu’s candidacy was a missed opportunity, but a solution for president is still within reach appeared first on Albeu.com.

The Vetëvendosje Movement has expressed regret over Professor Bekim Sejdiu’s decision to withdraw his candidacy for president of the Republic of Kosovo. According to VV, Sejdiu was the joint candidate resulting from the political agreement between it and the Democratic League of Kosovo.

In a reaction posted on Facebook, VV blamed some LDK lawmakers, as well as the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Alliance, for preventing the presidential election process from moving forward. According to the party, after several months of dialogue and compromises, an agreement was reached and the candidacy was determined, but when it was supposed to be put to a vote in the Assembly, the process was blocked.

The party assessed that the opposition of some LDK lawmakers to the candidacy, which had also been approved by their own political entity, as well as the decision by the PDK and the Alliance not to participate in the process, created the circumstances that made it impossible to elect the president in the Assembly.

VV stressed that non-participation in a vote, when used to obstruct the process, does not simply constitute a political stance toward a candidate, but rather a blockage of the constitutional procedure itself and a risk of elections being held again.

According to the reaction, the political agreement had created an opportunity for Kosovo to avoid a new period of institutional uncertainty and for the presidential issue to be concluded in the Assembly. However, after it was reached, the agreement was opposed and obstructed.

The Vetëvendosje Movement said it stood by the agreement and the joint candidate to the end. It thanked Bekim Sejdiu for his willingness to serve the Republic and for the dignity he demonstrated throughout this process.

“For months, dialogue, compromise and an agreement were sought. Dialogue took place, a compromise was reached, the agreement was finalized and a joint candidate was found. When the time came for the Assembly to vote on the agreement, efforts to obstruct it began,” VV said in its reaction.

The party added that Kosovo had the agreement and the joint candidate, as well as the opportunity for the president to be elected in the Assembly, but the process was blocked once again. Under these circumstances, Bekim Sejdiu decided to withdraw from the race.

The post VV responds to Bekim Sejdiu’s withdrawal: The agreement was reached, but the process was obstructed appeared first on Albeu.com.

Alternativa leader Mimoza Kusari-Lila has reacted following Bekim Sejdiu’s decision to withdraw his candidacy for president of the Republic of Kosovo. She described the development as evidence of the deep divisions and the dire state of the country’s political system.

The Vetëvendosje MP, whose party is part of a pre-election coalition with VV, wrote on Facebook that Sejdiu had been proposed by the Democratic League of Kosovo and received the support of the Vetëvendosje Movement coalition. According to her, the lack of consensus has seriously undermined the process.

“Prof. Bekim Sejdiu’s withdrawal from the presidential race, after being proposed by the Democratic League of Kosovo and supported by the Vetëvendosje Movement coalition, once again demonstrates the vast divide and the wounded political system in our country,” Kusari-Lila wrote.

She said that the inability to overcome political clashes, even when the functioning of the state is at risk, demonstrates a pronounced lack of political maturity and stability.

Kusari-Lila said that the consequences of this approach are not limited to political parties, as citizens and the state of Kosovo itself also bear the cost.

According to her, the agreement on Sejdiu’s candidacy was not about a personal position or party interests, but about preserving institutional stability and respecting the office of the president.

“The agreement on Prof. Bekim Sejdiu was not an agreement over a personal position. It concerned a state office. It was not about party gain, but about institutional stability and the dignity of the office of the President of the Republic,” she said.

The Alternativa leader also emphasized that Sejdiu had academic experience, personal and professional integrity, as well as the willingness to assume this responsibility at a sensitive time for the country.

She said his withdrawal, which came after the prospects of reaching an agreement had diminished, should be viewed more as a loss and a setback for the state than as a triumph by one political group over another.

“With this withdrawal, we have all lost. And if an agreement on the president is not reached, the country is rapidly at risk of returning to elections once again,” Kusari-Lila said.

“Kosovo,” she added, “does not need one party to defeat another, but for the state to rise above political spite.”

In conclusion, Kusari-Lila thanked Sejdiu for his willingness to serve the country at a difficult time. She wished him success in his professional, academic and personal endeavors.

Bekim Sejdiu announced that he was withdrawing from the race for president of the Republic of Kosovo because of a lack of the necessary support in the Assembly and after the process had become entangled in internal political clashes.

The post Kusari-Lila after Sejdiu’s withdrawal: Without an agreement on the president, Kosovo could head to elections again appeared first on Albeu.com.

Ardian Gola, deputy speaker of Parliament and a representative of the Vetëvendosje Movement, has commented on Bekim Sejdiu’s withdrawal from the candidacy for president of Kosovo.

According to Gola, the failure of Feride Rushiti’s and Bekim Sejdiu’s candidacies to pass represents a “bad omen” and demonstrates the consequences of a “sick political legacy.”

He claims that in Kosovo, agreements between political entities are being influenced more by “tenders, diplomatic positions and horse-trading” than by professionalism and integrity.

Gola also criticized the opposition, stating that opposition to independent candidates with professional reputations is depriving the state of the opportunity to choose figures who would represent Kosovo with dignity, both inside and outside the country.

“When a political system begins rejecting valuable people precisely because they are not beholden to anyone, then it is not the candidates who are failing, but the system and the political culture,” Gola wrote.

The full post:

The post Vetëvendosje reacts after Bekim Sejdiu withdraws from presidential race appeared first on Albeu.com.

Analyst Ilir Deda has reacted to Bekim Sejdiu’s decision to withdraw from the race for president of Kosovo.

In a Facebook post, Deda said the withdrawal denied Kosovo the opportunity to have a different leadership approach at the helm of the state. According to him, it involved a figure who would place the state above the party, the Constitution above immediate interests, and public responsibility above personal ambition.

Deda stressed that, paradoxically, it was precisely the defense of the Constitution that came at a political cost to Sejdiu’s candidacy.

He added that, with this development, Kosovo lost the opportunity to demonstrate that it knows how to value people who do not place themselves at the center.

In conclusion, Deda raised the question of whether a path can now be found beyond the polarization, mistrust and hatred present among citizens.

The post Ilir Deda: Bekim Sejdiu’s withdrawal cost Kosovo another model of leadership; now it remains to be seen whether a path beyond polarization exists appeared first on Albeu.com.

LDK Chairman Lumir Abdixhiku has reacted following Bekim Sejdiu’s decision to withdraw his candidacy for president of Kosovo.

Abdixhiku praised Sejdiu’s conduct throughout the process, saying that his withdrawal in the face of what he described as “political hysteria” showed that he would have been a suitable candidate for the post of president.

“Bekim Sejdiu showed dignity. His withdrawal, in the face of political hysteria, proves precisely why a person with such character would have been the right choice for president,” Abdixhiku wrote.

The LDK leader expressed regret that Kosovo continues to be without a president. According to him, the lack of a political agreement has left the country in chaos, institutional deadlock and heading toward new elections.

“It is regrettable that today we do not have a president. Instead of a solution, we have political chaos, deadlock as a tool and new elections, once again, as the goal,” he said.

Abdixhiku also criticized the attacks directed at Sejdiu, saying that he was unfairly targeted and that the efforts to damage his reputation were not really about him.

“It is also regrettable for Bekim, who was unjustly made the target of unprecedented attacks aimed at destroying his character. The smearing of him had the least to do with him,” the LDK leader wrote.

According to him, hatred and personal resentment have become more powerful tools than responsibility toward the country. Abdixhiku stressed that in today’s politics, harming one’s opponent appears to matter more than protecting institutional interests.

“Hatred as a tool and personal resentment as an inexplicable characteristic of today’s politicians have become stronger than responsibility toward the country. What matters is harming the other person,” he said.

He also expressed concern that Kosovo is driving good people away, emphasizing that the country needs them but often rejects them too easily.

Abdixhiku described Kosovo’s current political situation as “political PISA,” criticizing the blockages, stagnation, personal attacks and the possibility that the country could once again end up in elections, even after the upcoming electoral processes.

“This is Kosovo’s political PISA. What matters is destroying every normal effort today! We become blocked, stagnate, hate, destroy people’s character and end up in elections again. Even after them, in the next ones,” Abdixhiku wrote.

Concluding his statement, the LDK chairman thanked Sejdiu for the willingness and dignity he had consistently demonstrated, describing these virtues as valuable in today’s political climate.

“Thank you, Bekim, for the willingness and dignity you have consistently shown. In today’s political climate, these virtues are valuable,” Abdixhiku’s statement concluded.

The post Abdixhiku praises Sejdiu’s withdrawal: He showed dignity in the face of political hysteria appeared first on Albeu.com.

The European Union has confirmed that NATO informed it of the gradual transition of KFOR’s permanent presence away from the Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica.

In response to the matter, the EU called on the Kosovo Police to ensure security for all communities.

“It is up to NATO to decide on the deployment of the NATO mission in Kosovo. We can confirm that the EU has been informed by NATO. The EU’s position on the bridge has always been clear and based on the need to ensure that it serves all the communities and municipalities it connects and contributes to cooperation and good relations among them,” an EU spokesperson said in a response to KOHA.

The EU official said that following the transfer of power in the northern municipalities, cooperation between the municipalities concerned and central-level institutions needs to improve.

“It is important for the Kosovo Police to provide security and protection for all communities, in accordance with democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, so that everyone feels safe,” the response said.

“All decisions concerning the bridge must take into account the interests and concerns of all communities.”

The post KFOR Announces Withdrawal from Ibar Bridge, EU Responds: We Have Been Informed; Kosovo Police Must Ensure Security for All Communities appeared first on Albeu.com.

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has announced that it has begun the process of gradually changing its permanent presence on the main bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica.

According to KFOR’s response to Radio Free Europe, the decision is linked to an assessment that the security situation in Kosovo has improved. The mission considers the move part of an effort to optimize the positioning of its forces.

The process, it explained, will be carried out gradually and will depend on conditions on the ground. KFOR said it is coordinating the process with all relevant stakeholders, including Kosovo’s institutions, international organizations, the Kosovo Police and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

According to KFOR, the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Milan Mojsilović, has also been regularly briefed on developments surrounding the process.

The NATO mission has said that its personnel are positioned to respond to any significant developments, in accordance with its longstanding UN mandate.

KFOR also stressed that it will maintain a visible presence in both southern and northern Mitrovica, as well as in northern Kosovo, to help preserve a safe environment for all communities.

Earlier the same day, KFOR also announced the start of the Kosovo Police’s gradual integration into the mission’s security framework at the Visoki Dečani Monastery.

The Kosovo Police has not yet responded to questions from Radio Free Europe about whether its officers have been deployed on the Ibar Bridge and whether they will remain there after KFOR troops leave.

The Serb List, the main political party representing Kosovo Serbs, has opposed any withdrawal or reduction of KFOR’s presence on the main bridge over the Ibar.

The party announced that it had requested an urgent meeting with KFOR Commander Major General Özkan Ulutaş to present the concerns of the Serb community in the north and demand that the measure’s implementation be halted.

According to the Serb List, decisions on the presence of security forces in the area should be made carefully, given the political and security situation and the tensions that have affected the area around the bridge in the past.

The party claimed that the Kosovo Police had failed to earn the trust of Serbs in the north, while describing KFOR’s presence on the bridge as an important element of stability.

The Serb List called on KFOR to maintain an appropriate presence on the main bridge and continue its commitment to security and stability.

The bridge connecting South Mitrovica, where most residents are Albanian, with North Mitrovica, where the majority are Serb, currently remains open only to pedestrians. It has repeatedly been a flashpoint for ethnic tensions.

Since the end of the war in 1999, the bridge has been continuously guarded by KFOR forces.

In July 2024, the Kosovo government announced plans to open the bridge to vehicle traffic. The announcement triggered tensions and reactions from the international community.

Kosovo and Serbia agreed to open the bridge to traffic in 2014 as part of the dialogue to normalize relations. The agreement provided for the bridge’s reconstruction and the removal of all barricades erected by local Serbs.

Following disagreements over how previous agreements should be interpreted, the parties agreed on a new implementation plan in 2016, under which the bridge was to be opened to vehicles in January 2017.

Work to revitalize the bridge was completed in June 2018. Despite an investment of approximately 1.5 million euros, it was never opened to vehicle traffic and continued to serve pedestrians only.

Near the main bridge, the Kosovo government has also built two other bridges, one for pedestrians and one for vehicles. They are intended to connect North and South Mitrovica in a city that has remained divided along ethnic lines since the war.

The post KFOR Begins Gradual Withdrawal from Ibar Bridge, Serb List Calls for Continued Military Presence appeared first on Albeu.com.

Activist Rron Gjinovci has reacted to KFOR’s announcement of the start of a gradual withdrawal from its permanent presence at the main bridge in Mitrovica.

In a social media post, he questioned the role of former political leaders who emerged from the KLA, who, according to him, have held important state positions over 27 years, including those of prime minister, minister, and president, while simultaneously engaging in businesses and real estate.

Gjinovci has claimed that the political functions and the wealth they created have been justified by ‘liberation,’ emphasizing that Kosovo’s liberation was achieved by NATO.

According to him, the Ibri Bridge has remained closed for 27 years as a symbol of Serbian control in the north. After KFOR began its withdrawal, he called on former officials to use their expensive vehicles and go to see the situation in the north, freely passing by the bridge.

At the end of his reaction, Gjinovci wrote: ‘Down with Albin Serbia!’

The post KFOR begins gradual withdrawal from Ibri Bridge, Rron Gjinovci criticizes former KLA leaders appeared first on Albeu.com.

The Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) convenes today to discuss several key issues for the country’s justice system.

One of the central topics is addressing the request from the acting President, Albulena Haxhiu, as well as the notifications submitted by Serbian magistrates and administrative personnel who have changed their minds about their departure.

In an official letter dated June 19, 2026, addressed to the KJC chair, Rrustem Thaqi, acting President Haxhiu called on this institution to make a final decision on the status of the resignations previously submitted by the Serb judges and support staff, who had abandoned their posts in northern Kosovo.

This issue comes to the fore at a time when some of these individuals have signaled their willingness to rejoin the institutions, informing that they are withdrawing their previous resignations. Expectations are that the Council’s decision will play a key role in the full revitalization of the judicial mechanism, especially in Serb-populated areas.

In addition, the meeting agenda includes other issues, among them the selection of the new deputy chair of the KJC.

The post KJC agenda: return of Serb judges to duty appeared first on Albeu.com.