Milenkovic: Osmani is maneuvering to maintain support for possible re-election

Marko Milenković
Source: Kosovo Online

Marko Milenkovic from the non-governmental organization "New Social Initiative" based in North Mitrovica says that Vjosa Osmani has not adequately engaged during the political crisis in Kosovo and is, in a way, maneuvering in order to remain in the running for re-election as President of Kosovo.

Speaking to Kosovo Online, Milenkovic assesses that Osmani has not shown a proactive approach to resolving the crisis in the Assembly.

“President Osmani has not been adequately engaged so far in the political crisis. Above all, we haven’t seen a proactive approach, in the sense that she is leading a deliberate process to resolve the crisis and help bring about the unblocking of the Assembly. In that regard, she has not used the power she holds as President—currently the only fully functional institution due to the absence of other formed institutions—and which carries some political influence and authority,” Milenkovic stated.

He notes that so far, Osmani appears to be maneuvering in order to retain the support of Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination Movement) for her re-election.

“It’s possible she is considering running for president again and, in that context, needs their support, since she does not lead a political party of her own that could back her candidacy or provide the necessary support, given that the president is elected within the parliament. In this context, her maneuvering could be aimed at helping Vetëvendosje and the position Albin Kurti evidently enjoys—holding onto power with a caretaker government during a time when a new government cannot be formed. The continued paralysis of the Assembly suits Vetëvendosje, and any proactive steps Osmani might take could likely be seen as confronting Vetëvendosje, which would in turn endanger her chances of running again or securing their support for re-election,” he added.

Milenković emphasizes that there is a divergence in approach between Vjosa Osmani and Albin Kurti.

“It has been suggested that if Vjosa Osmani were to form a political initiative or a new political option, it would likely draw a significant portion of Vetëvendosje’s electorate, thereby threatening the movement as a political force. In that sense, I do see Osmani’s maneuvering as something she will likely continue in the future. Accordingly, she supports the initiatives launched by the Constitutional Court, thus deflecting responsibility from herself as an institution that could have initiated the procedure. Although there were demands from other political parties for Osmani to initiate a case before the Constitutional Court, she did not do so—it happened on the initiative of opposition parties. So I believe this positioning will persist, and we will have to wait and see what happens and what the Constitutional Court decides,” he further stated.

He believes that Osmani’s political ambitions have grown, especially in terms of trying to maintain support for a future candidacy.

“It does seem her political ambitions have grown, in the sense that it’s now clear that if Osmani does not retain the votes and support of Vetëvendosje, she likely won’t be re-elected as president—unless she forms her own political option to support her, which I don’t think she currently has time to do. But it appears that, through this maneuvering, she wants to stay aligned with Vetëvendosje and, without risking too much, try to position herself as a potential candidate for re-election. However, I think after everything we’ve seen—the differences in approach between Kurti and Osmani—it’s unlikely she will be Vetëvendosje’s candidate again. Simply put, Kurti’s approach is not inclusive, nor is he politically inclined to build consensus for her candidacy,” Milenkovic concluded.