Tomic: With Shiroka Pula's election, neither Kurti nor the opposition got exactly what they wanted, the people are the winners of the process

Political scientist Ivan Tomic said that citizens gained the most from the election of Justina Shiroka Pula as president because they will not have to go to the polls again, adding that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “lowered the temperature” and agreed to a compromise solution.

“It seems to me that the broader media picture, and what analysts had been saying for weeks and months, was that they were not particularly optimistic that a final agreement on the election of the president would be reached. And yesterday went in that direction as well. We saw statements by Kurti and Hamza, their media sparring, with Albin Kurti putting forward some of his proposals. Until 10 or 11 p.m., we were absolutely convinced that they would not be able to reach any kind of agreement, and then there was a change,” Tomic told Kosovo Online.

He stressed that with the election of Justina Shiroka Pula, neither Kurti nor the opposition got exactly what they wanted.

“The fact is that Pula is not a member of Self-Determination and that she was previously in the PDK. She held some important positions, and now she is a respected member of the academic community. From that perspective, we can say that a kind of compromise was reached. Neither Kurti got what he wanted, nor did the opposition get exactly what it wanted. But it certainly seems that Kurti ‘lowered the temperature’ somewhat and ultimately agreed to a compromise solution by proposing Shiroka Pula, who was then elected president,” the political scientist said.

Asked about Shiroka Pula’s future relationship with Kurti, Tomic stressed that the president has no executive powers and that she will not have significant influence over the legislative branch or political processes.

“The position of the president is such in democratic societies that it is largely ceremonial. There are absolutely no executive powers, so in that context I do not see how and in what way she could have such a significant influence on the legislative branch or on certain political processes. It is quite certain that the president should be someone who creates a certain social balance, who is there to represent all citizens and all political parties, and to follow the government’s policies. I think that to some extent this will also shape how she approaches the position and what awaits her during her five-year term,” our interlocutor said.

As he added, it cannot be said whether the presidency, as the third institution, went to Self-Determination or the PDK, but the people of Kosovo are certainly the ones who gained.

“Certainly, the president should not be a party figure, nor someone who specifically represents one political party. On the other hand, Pula was politically active in the past. But every person has a particular political option they support, so in that context, I would not look at this as someone having won or lost. The people gained the most by not having to go to the polls again, especially because this concerns the position of president, which is not a crucial institution. I think the people are the absolute winners of this process,” Tomic said.