Kosovo parliament suspended after opposition MP targets Kurti with eggs
Caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti responded to the incident by stating he was “happy to pay this price” if it facilitated dialogue, as talks to secure a two-thirds majority for a new president reach a standstill.
Kosovo’s parliament was suspended on Saturday following a disruption inside the legislative chamber, where Time Kadrijaj, an opposition lawmaker from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), threw eggs at caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Kadrijaj shouted “Shame on you!” before hurling the projectiles, an act that halted proceedings during critical negotiations aimed at breaking a political deadlock.
Kurti responded to the disruption by stating he was “happy to pay this price” if the incident facilitated political dialogue. The caretaker prime minister’s Vetevendosje (VV) party is currently attempting to secure the two-thirds parliamentary majority required to elect a new president, a threshold that has proven elusive despite the party retaining a simple majority with the support of ethnic minority MPs.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of significant political instability, with Kosovo having held three elections in over two years. Kurti’s party saw its vote share fall from 51 per cent to 43 per cent in a snap election in June, yet it maintained its governing position through alliances with ethnic minority representatives. However, the higher threshold needed for a presidential election has not been met, leading to a stalemate with no agreed candidate emerging from ongoing talks.
Tensions escalated further after a constitutional deadline to elect a speaker of parliament expired on Friday. Opposition lawmakers have threatened legal action regarding Kurti’s request for additional time to negotiate, signalling a deepening rift between the governing coalition and the opposition. The current negotiations have ground to another standstill, with neither side having agreed to a candidate for the presidency.
Kurti’s Vetevendosje party has a documented history of parliamentary disruptions, including the use of tear gas in the chamber in 2015 and 2018. The political landscape remains fragile, with Kosovo declared independent from Serbia in 2008 after the 1998-99 war. While recognised by over half of UN member states, including the United States and most European Union countries, Serbia continues to consider Kosovo part of its territory.
The suspension of the parliamentary session underscores the fragility of the current political discourse. With the deadline for electing a speaker passed and presidential talks stalled, the country faces an uncertain path forward. The opposition’s threats of legal action and the physical disruption in parliament highlight the intensity of the crisis as Kurti seeks to navigate the requirements for forming a new government structure.
