How urgent is the formation of the new Government of Kosovo?

Is there or is there not an urgency for the formation of new institutions? This is the dilemma of recent days in Kosovo.

The public seems divided, with each group having its own arguments. This mood is also reflected in the beliefs of political experts we contacted on this topic.

For Bekim Salihu from the Institute for Advanced Studies - GAP, the current situation of vote recounts and complaints is not new, because political parties have usually used all available legal mechanisms to address objections or complaints of various natures related to elections.

"Data from past elections shows that the average period it took the Central Election Commission to certify the results was 21 to 30 days, so we are still within the margin of a past practice," he says.

Salihu believes that the process is currently developing with normal dynamics, which could result in the formation of a government in an orderly manner:

"Kosovo is not without a Government. Within 10 days, the Government can transition to a caretaker Government, and as a caretaker Government it cannot proceed only with the approval of laws, otherwise all other functions are permissible. Of course, elections are held to form a new Government, and it is important that it is formed, but currently there is no deficiency or gap."

"Kosovo does not have the luxury of dragging out processes"

The February 9 parliamentary elections were won by the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV), which is currently in power, but does not have enough votes to form a new government.

The current Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, who is also the chairman of the LVV, vows to form the new executive, but without specifying how.

Voices within his party mention the possibility of a coalition with non-Serb minorities, and count on the support of some MP from the major Albanian parties, even though this scenario is not considered to produce stability.

The major Albanian parties have rejected the possibility of cooperating with Kurti, and have even set conditions for reaching any eventual coalition with each other.

Vullnet Bugaqku, senior researcher at the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI), believes that, based on the geopolitical situation in the world, the dynamics within the new administration in the United States and new developments in the European Union, there seems to be a complete mobilization of the authorities there to be prepared and vigilant against danger and threats, both to security and to the territory.

"I don't think Kosovo has the luxury of wasting much more time in this regard, given the fact that we also have many obligations ahead of us, especially the obligations we have in the dialogue with Serbia," Bugaqku said, also mentioning the efforts of the administration of US President Donald Trump to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.

Therefore, he sees it as appropriate to "have a dynamism and broad focus on the issue of the Balkan region as well."

Parliament, the "only emergency"
For Salihu, the only urgency should be in the constitution of the Kosovo Assembly:

"There are around 800 million euros that the European Union has dedicated to Kosovo and, as was understood, the EU expects these agreements, these funds, to be initially approved by the Kosovo Assembly, to enable further proceedings, according to the nature of their allocation."

The Assembly is constituted when its president and vice-presidents are elected. LVV, as the winner of the elections, is responsible for proposing the name of the president, but if this party does not put forward a name, the process freezes in place.

Salihu does not believe that something like this will happen, since, according to him, this scenario would harm the party in question, because "it could be seen as a kind of sabotage, opposition, negligence, irresponsibility."

Bugaqku does not see much urgency in this regard, and believes that the current government benefits from this situation:

"It suits ministers, deputy ministers, those who still hold high state positions, due to the fact that everything is related to the creation of institutions, and since there is no rush in this whole situation of uncertainty with results, with the doubts and complaints that are being made, someone can think and see an even longer-term stay in power."

However, Bugaqku mentions that very soon even these officials may have restrictions, or may not be able to sign and ratify international agreements, therefore an Assembly that holds the executive accountable should exist as soon as possible.

Under Kosovo law, within 30 days of the certification of the results, the country's president must convene the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly. If the speaker and deputy speakers are elected, then Vjosa Osmani must ask the winning party, LVV in this case, to propose a candidate to form the Government.

Until then, all eyes on the CEC!