Who's Who – Albulena Haxhiu: The would-be Assembly President who views signing the CSM Agreement as Kosovo's greatest mistake

Albulena Haxhiu (38), former Minister of Justice in both "Kurti 1" and "Kurti 2" governments, has once again failed — for the fifth time — to be elected President of the Assembly, despite being the Self-Determination Movement’s candidate.

To be elected to this position, at least 61 MPs must support the candidate, but so far, Haxhiu has only managed to secure 57 votes.

“Haxhiu is not the unifying figure needed to lead the Kosovo Assembly,” stated Pal Lekaj, an official from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, two days ago.

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) also made it clear that they could not compromise on a candidate they find unacceptable, "given her approach to institutionalism and the democratic pillars of Kosovo."

Whether the lack of support is due to her affiliation with Self-Determination or dissatisfaction with her previous work as Justice Minister, the fact remains that the opposition has often criticized her over the years for failing to reform the judicial system and for interfering with the judiciary. She has been repeatedly accused of violating the Constitution, with calls for her resignation.

In response to such demands, Haxhiu maintained that her resignation was sought by those whose interests were threatened by the government's serious efforts to reform the judiciary.

Haxhiu entered politics in September 2010, joining Self-Determination when it was still an extra-parliamentary movement.

In the 2010 elections, at just 23 years old, she became the youngest member of that parliamentary session. During her time as an MP, she chaired the Committee on Legislation and the Subcommittee on Mandates, Immunities, and Parliamentary Rules of Procedure.

One of the scandals during her tenure as Minister of Justice occurred in 2022, when blood samples related to the "Dehari case" disappeared from the Toxicology Laboratory of the Institute of Forensic Medicine. Astrit Dehari, a Self-Determination activist, had been found dead in 2016 in a detention cell in Prizren, and his death remains unresolved. At the time, the opposition once again demanded her resignation.

Haxhiu cites the establishment of the Institute for War Crimes Committed in Kosovo as one of the key achievements of her ministry, and she has repeatedly stated that Kosovo’s institutions are working on preparing a lawsuit against Serbia for genocide.

She believes that Pristina made its gravest mistake in 2013 by signing the Brussels Agreement with Belgrade, which foresaw the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM), and an even greater mistake by ratifying it in the Kosovo Parliament. She has stated that there will be no CSM with executive powers.

Regarding criticisms from former U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier that Kosovo’s government was not acting in line with its dialogue obligations, Haxhiu said last September that the international community was unfairly pressuring Kosovo’s government and that pressure should instead be directed at Serbia.

She denied claims from the families of detained Serbs in Podujevo, as well as their lawyers, that prison staff were treating them poorly, failing to provide adequate medical care and food, and violating the Law on the Use of Languages. According to her, there were no cases of mistreatment based on ethnic grounds.

Recently, she called the Serbian List a “ticking time bomb” in Kosovo, criticizing the opposition for allowing the party to be certified to participate in the February 9 elections.

When 12 Serbs were arrested earlier this month in Prizren while visiting monasteries — and later released to await trial — Haxhiu criticized Kosovo’s judiciary, saying it was “alarming how easily they were released.”

Her husband, Alban Krasniqi, was appointed in August 2022 as the political advisor to the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi. At the time, Minister Krasniqi stated that he was honored to have the husband of Minister Albulena Haxhiu on his team, emphasizing that his services would be provided free of charge and would not impact Kosovo’s budget.

A Lawyer from Pristina

Haxhiu was born in Pristina on May 11, 1987. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Pristina and pursued postgraduate studies in criminal law at the South East European University.

She is a member of the Presidency of the Self-Determination Movement and, in 2022, was elected President of the "Women for Self-Determination" organization. In 2023, Prime Minister Albin Kurti appointed her as the National Coordinator for Combating Domestic Violence, Violence Against Women, and Gender-Based Violence.

She is married and the mother of three children.