Vujinovic: A hot summer awaits Kosovo; I do not expect any substantive talks

Without an agreement on the election of the president, there is no point in discussing any stabilization of Kosovo's institutions, only the prospect of new elections, security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic has said, adding that Kosovo is in for a "hot summer."

"I believe we will see a great deal of public speculation and alleged negotiations, but I do not expect any substantive talks. I think we are going to witness a situation similar to the one after February last year, with Kurti delaying the constitution of the Assembly, as he has the means to do so. He can nominate a candidate who is unacceptable to the other parties in parliament," Vujinovic told Kosovo Online.

He explained that constituting the parliament is problematic because, once that institution is constituted, the deadlines for electing the president begin to run.

According to him, this means that without an agreement on the election of the president, there can be no discussion of stabilizing the institutions, and preparations should instead begin for the next elections. He is convinced that this is also the objective of the Self-Determination Movement.

"That would likely be sometime in December, when the missing 120,000 to 130,000 votes from the diaspora—the number they fell short of in these elections—would come in, enabling them to secure a significant majority and, consequently, the number of votes needed to elect the president. I expect continued institutional instability and the staging of negotiations. I do not see any willingness on the part of the opposition to engage in talks. Not to mention the Serbian community, which has been completely sidelined," Vujinovic said.

He also pointed out that the next 30 days will show whether there will be an attempt to create an "incident" by putting forward Nenad Rasic as a candidate for Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, despite the Constitutional Court having ruled that such a move would be unconstitutional.

"I believe Kosovo and Metohija are in for a hot summer—not only because the weather will be hot, or because the institutions are incapable even of ensuring a regular electricity supply. The world is going through geopolitical upheavals. I think this will once again become a waiting game," Vujinovic concluded.