Kosovan Politicians Against the Will of the People

Kosovo is once again making headlines across the world, and once again for political issues that only serve to damage the country. The vote of no confidence in the Kosovan parliament against Prime Minister Albin Kurti has deeply disappointed Kosovan citizens. There was great hope: for the first time in a long while, two young politicians from different parties – Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani – were cooperating in power. Without criminal pasts, well-educated, and the most-voted politicians in the last elections on 6 October. They sought to work together for the people, not for their personal interests. That hope is now gone. A guest commentary by Vjosa Çerkini.

Those who called for the government’s downfall in Kosovo were precisely from the older generation of Kosovan politicians who had failed to improve Kosovo during their time in power. On the contrary, nepotism, corruption, and crime often increased.

After just six weeks in office, a dispute over the correct strategy in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic brought down the Kosovan government. In parliament, 82 out of 120 MPs voted in favour of a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government. 32 voted against, and one abstained. The government’s collapse is the result of a rift between the two coalition partners, Kurti’s left-nationalist Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) and the conservative Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). The trigger for the dispute was the question of how to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Kurti had dismissed Interior Minister Agim Veliu, an LDK appointee, who had demanded the declaration of a state of emergency due to the coronavirus crisis, a move Kurti opposed.

President Hashim Thaçi (PDK) also intervened in this debate, siding with the LDK. This also points to a political generational divide, with the older generation pitted against the younger in Kosovan politics. The old political elites are preventing the younger, newer politicians from working effectively.

The political positions of the LDK’s most-voted woman, leading candidate Vjosa Osmani, demonstrate once again that younger politicians in the country have principles and want to take responsibility for promises made.

Yet, she too was overthrown by the older generation of politicians in the country. With the government, however, the hopes of Kosovan youth, who primarily supported Kurti and Osmani, were also dashed. The anger and frustration of Kosovan citizens reached a new peak after the vote of no confidence against the government. MPs disregarded both the days-long protests by citizens and the lengthy, well-reasoned speeches of their colleagues in the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo. Appeals to postpone these internal political disputes until the COVID pandemic had passed also went unheard.

The grab for power was deemed more important than caring for and protecting citizens from this critical health situation. And this at a time when people have to pinch every penny to buy food. The anger and frustration of these people were ignored.

This political situation is leading Kosovo into an abyss. It helps Kosovo neither with European integration nor with economic development or combating the pandemic. This internal political situation continues to disappoint citizens. However, in the next elections, they will have the opportunity to vote for those who deserve it. The citizens of Kosovo would be ready for change, but without the old generation of politicians.

Vjosa Çerkini is a journalist from Pristina/Kosovo. She works for Deutsche Welle and Perspektiva.plus https://perspektiva.plus, among others. She is involved with Paneuropa-Jugend Deutschland and Pulse of Europe -Kosovë.

Guest commentaries express the personal opinion of the author. They do not necessarily coincide with the position of the Paneuropa Movement Austria.