Earlier this year the prime minister, who declined POLITICO’s requests for comment, refused to support her reelection bid in parliament, and instead backed nominees from his own party. But after none of the candidates secured the necessary votes, the country lurched into a crisis that ultimately led to this Sunday’s snap vote.
The parliamentary election, which is the third to be held in just over a year, is unlikely to resolve Kosovo’s complex domestic political situation. Although no reliable polls are available, political analysts predict the ruling Vetëvendosje party will once again secure the most seats, allowing Kurti to remain prime minister.
But it remains unclear who will become president: no party is expected to control the two-thirds majority of the parliament required to elect a new head of state, which means complex negotiations are on the horizon.
Osmani is standing for parliament in Sunday’s elections but is keen to once again occupy the presidency, which gives its holder the power to return legislation to lawmakers for reconsideration and appoint key judicial and administrative figures.
An independent who was previously a high-ranking member of center-right Democratic League of Kosovo, she accused Kurti of seeking to consolidate power by weakening the presidency.
“He wants to control all institutions in their entirety,” she said, citing efforts to install “a president who is silent abroad and entirely limited at home.”