Stevic: Elections in the fall without pressure from the international community

Journalist from North Mitrovica Lazar Stevic stated that the formation of new institutions after the confirmation of the election results will depend on Self-Determination's willingness to make political compromises, pointing out that otherwise Kosovo could face new snap elections as early as the fall.

Stevic believes that the reaction of the international community following the elections should influence Self-Determination leader Albin Kurti to agree to certain compromises and form the institutions as soon as possible.

"The international community reacted immediately. Kaja Kallas even congratulated Self-Determination on its victory and called for the urgent formation of institutions. Whether Self-Determination will listen to the international community and invite someone from the opposition parties, some of the stronger Albanian parties, to jointly form a government, and whether it will make certain concessions, remains to be seen," Stevic told Kosovo Online.

Stevic adds that, after the final election results are announced, Self-Determination will not be able to form a government on its own, nor with the support of its previous partners, and that it will need the backing of at least one additional political actor.

"What we know from the previous period is that Albin Kurti is not someone who likes to make concessions or give anything away. He is a man who likes to have everything in his own hands, to hold all the power. We saw what happened with Vjosa Osmani, when he did not want to nominate her for a new presidential term. In my opinion, unless the international community exerts additional pressure on the political actors in Kosovo, there will most likely be new elections in the fall," Stevic said.

According to him, another possibility is that the opposition parties that won the most votes after Self-Determination could form a government, but they would also need the support of the Serb List.

"Even with the Serb List, it would not be a large number of MPs, only slightly above what is required to form the Assembly. A major complication is also created by Kosovo's Constitution, which stipulates that parliament must first be constituted, then the president elected, and only after that does the president give the mandate to form a government to the person or party with the most votes, which is Self-Determination. It is very important whether the Albanian parties will be able to agree on the name of a candidate for the new President of Kosovo and whether everyone will vote. We can hear in the Albanian media that there are now calls to forget those red lines, sit down at the negotiating table, and see what can be agreed upon, because it is very important that these institutions finally be formed after a year and a half, or even longer," Stevic said.

If a new president is not elected, he reiterates, new elections will most likely follow in the fall.

"If some kind of agreement is reached, Albin Kurti would most likely offer them the presidency. I do not believe he would give away anything more concrete or significant within the government. The position of prime minister will certainly remain with Self-Determination as the party that won the most votes. Perhaps there could be a ministry as well. Nenad Rasic, who openly supported Albin Kurti and took that one seat out of ten from the Serb List, will most likely be part of it. But we will see what the opposition parties are willing to accept. Whether they will agree to just that, or perhaps demand another ministry and some additional position in the new government," Stevic said.