Kosovo president moves to dissolve Parliament for early election as country plunges into new crisis

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on Friday said she was dissolving Parliament to pave the way for an early election after lawmakers failed to elect her successor.

The development marks a new crisis in the Balkan country that already went through a snap vote in December after a nearly yearlong political deadlock.

Kosovo’s assembly had a deadline of midnight Thursday to elect a new president to replace Osmani, who took office in 2021. A vote late on Thursday failed due to a lack of a quorum in the 120-member assembly.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has blamed the failure on the opposition’s boycott of the session. His ruling Ventevedosje, or Self-Determination, party has asked the Constitutional Court to temporarily suspend the deadline for the process to resume.

It was not immediately clear when the court will rule and whether it could affect Osmani’s decision to dissolve the Parliament.

Osmani said in an address Friday that the situation was “completely avoidable” and lawmakers had enough time to choose a president.

“It is a great misfortune for this state that they did not choose the interests of the Republic of Kosovo,” Osmani said. “I have issued the decree for the dissolution of the assembly, and through this decree I am fulfilling the constitutional obligation that is clearly defined.”

Vetevedosje swept the early vote in December and made an alliance with ethnic minority groups to form a new government in February.

The same party won an election in February 2025 but could not muster a parliamentary majority, which led to a stalemate and snap vote in December.

A former Serbian province, Kosovo declared independence in 2008 following a 1998-99 war that ended after a U.S.-led NATO intervention. Serbia does not recognize the split and tensions have simmered ever since.

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Jovana Gec contributed from Belgrade, Serbia.