Kasolli: The relationship between Osmani and Kurti reached the point of no return

Political analyst from Pristina, Afrim Kasolli, tells Kosovo Online that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani's speech in Parliament clearly demonstrated that relations between her and Prime Minister Albin Kurti have reached a point of no return. He considers this more of a personal conflict with Kurti than an effort to strengthen Kosovo's weak position on the international stage.
Osmani criticized the government for "gambling with allies," but Kasolli disagrees with claims by some opposition politicians in Pristina who describe her actions as a "tactical game."
“Her conflict with Prime Minister Kurti, as well as with the Kosovo government and Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla, reflects ongoing tensions between power centers in Kosovo. However, her recent speech in the Kosovo Parliament clearly showed that these conflicts have deepened further and that disagreements between them have reached a point of no return, despite their prior partnership,” he said.
Kasolli notes that the crisis Kosovo faces today, particularly on the international stage, is not accidental, and that Osmani had remained silent about it until recently.
“This crisis has been evident for a long time. Kosovo is isolated, under sanctions, and has strained relations with international partners. President Osmani had been silent about these disputes between Kosovo and its international partners until recently. Her critiques seem to stem more from personal interests and disagreements she may have with Prime Minister Kurti rather than a commitment to addressing Kosovo’s inadequate position in these processes,” the analyst from Pristina stated.
He believes that this rift between the president and the prime minister will not significantly affect the course of the dialogue.
“This is because the dialogue process is largely shaped by external factors that transcend Kosovo's internal political relations and depend on how determined these external actors are in pushing the dialogue agenda forward. Ultimately, according to a prior Constitutional Court decision, the dialogue process is the exclusive responsibility of the Government of Kosovo, despite the fact that the president also represents the state in foreign policy,” Kasolli explained.
He reminds that Kosovo is currently preparing for new parliamentary elections, and as a result, no new dynamics in the dialogue between the two countries can be expected. He says that much will depend on the stance of the European Union's new High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, who will soon assume the role from Josep Borrell.
Kasolli also notes that Kallas’ speech to Members of the European Parliament was not "particularly promising" regarding increased engagement in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.
“The dialogue is largely constrained by the position of the new US administration, which remains unclear, as well as by how dynamic the new EU foreign policy chief will be and how much she will push for the finalization of this process. Furthermore, internal political relations between the president and the government are far from stable, especially in a pre-election context where the future composition of power in Kosovo is yet to be determined,” Kasolli concluded.
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