Gogic: Vjosa Osmani is playing tactically, thinking about her reelection next year

Political scientist Ognjen Gogic stated that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani is not taking a more active role in resolving the institutional crisis because she is “playing tactically” in view of her reelection bid next year.

“The problem Vjosa Osmani faces is that her political fate is not in her own hands. Politically speaking, she is not that influential, yet she wants to be re-elected president. That is her core ambition. Right now, she is acting tactically in order to secure her reelection, and that depends on how the 'cards are dealt' among the other parties,” Gogic told Kosovo Online.

Commenting on her recent series of meetings with political party leaders, Gogic noted that Osmani has done this before, but has remained reserved since the beginning of the crisis.

“President Osmani has generally remained restrained in this situation. On several occasions, she gathered party leaders, but those meetings ended without results. For example, she did not make use of the option to address the Constitutional Court herself and ask for an interpretation on how to proceed. Instead, she traveled abroad multiple times for diplomatic visits, as if there weren’t a domestic crisis that needs solving,” Gogic explained.

He believes this reinforces the impression that Osmani is “playing for time and waiting for the right moment.”

“It’s quite possible that she is already thinking about her reelection. The issue of Kosovo’s presidential election will return to the agenda in March or April next year, and she is aware that, when parties negotiate post-election coalitions and government formation, they also consider who the presidential candidate will be. And she is trying to ensure her name is among those considered,” Gogic said.

In that context, he added, it suits Osmani for the institutional crisis to continue as long as possible, and for new parliamentary elections to be held in the spring, when she could also run as a candidate for parliament.

“She likely wants to prolong this situation, so she can once again participate in parliamentary elections and have her political fate back in her own hands. By winning parliamentary seats, she could then be part of negotiations to become president again. In fact, she has not taken an active role in resolving this crisis, seemingly because she is primarily motivated by her reelection ambitions for next year,” Gogic argued.

In such a situation, Osmani is “very cautious and restrained to avoid upsetting anyone.”

“She doesn’t know which party her reelection will depend on in the spring. That is what guides her actions, and likely contributes to this political crisis dragging on, to buy time until spring, when her mandate becomes a hot topic and she can be part of a coalition deal for forming a future government,” Gogic concluded.