Kosovo President dissolves parliament, calls for early elections

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on Friday dissolved the country’s parliament and called for early elections after lawmakers failed to elect a new president before the constitutional deadline, deepening the political crisis in the Balkan nation.

The move came after the 120-member Assembly failed to elect a successor before midnight on Thursday. A scheduled vote collapsed due to a lack of quorum as opposition parties boycotted the session, preventing the process from moving forward.

In an address to the nation, Osmani said the situation was “completely avoidable” and that lawmakers had enough time to elect a president but failed to place national interests above political differences. Announcing the dissolution of the Assembly, she said the decision was taken in line with constitutional provisions. “It is a great misfortune for this state that they did not choose the interests of the Republic of Kosovo,” she said while issuing the decree for early elections.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti blamed the opposition for the stalemate, accusing them of deliberately boycotting the vote. His ruling Vetevendosje, also known as the Self-Determination Movement, has approached the Constitutional Court of Kosovo seeking a temporary suspension of the deadline so the presidential election process could resume.However, it remains unclear when the court will deliver its ruling and whether it could affect Osmani’s decision to dissolve parliament.

The crisis reflects broader political instability in Kosovo. Vetevendosje won the February 2025 parliamentary election but failed to secure a majority , leading to a stalemate and a snap election in December . The party again emerged as the largest force and formed a government in February with support from ethnic minority groups.Despite the coalition, the failure to elect a president has pushed the country back into uncertainty.

Kosovo is a small Balkan nation in Southeast Europe that declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following the 1998–99 war and a NATO-led intervention . Its capital is Pristina . Although recognised by many countries, Serbia and some others do not acknowledge its independence. Kosovo has a parliamentary democracy but has frequently faced political instability and coalition deadlocks.