Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister and leader of the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV), Albin Kurti, and Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Lumir Abdixhiku have agreed on August 31 on Constitutional Court judge Bekim Sejdiu as their consensual candidate for the country’s presidency.

The agreement was reached after a series of meetings between Kurti and Abdixhiku focused on finding a solution to Kosovo’s political deadlock and ensuring institutional stability.

Abdixhiku said the talks had been underway continuously since July 9 and described them as difficult but exhaustive, Koha.net reported.

“We have had long meetings, with continuous and quite intense discussions. Both sides have been committed to determining a consensual name for the President of the Republic of Kosovo,” Abdixhiku said.

He said several prominent personalities had been considered during the discussions, including individuals with public support and professional and national contributions to Kosovo.

Sejdiu, who was present at the news conference following the meeting, accepted the nomination, saying he had decided to put himself at the service of Kosovo and its citizens despite having primarily pursued an academic and professional career.

“I am honored by the trust that both parties have given me. It is a great honor. Being aware of the burden and responsibility that the position of president brings, but also with the current political context, I have put myself at the service of the Republic and our citizens to serve with devotion,” Sejdiu said.

He expressed hope that Kosovo’s institutions and political parties would find a way to overcome the current situation.

The nomination comes as Kosovo faces a prolonged political crisis and institutional deadlock, following unsuccessful efforts by political parties to form stable governing institutions and elect a new president in the Parliament, after the term of former President Vjosa Osmani ended in April 2026.

However, the agreement still needs to secure support within the parties’ parliamentary groups. An LDK MP told Koha.net on condition of anonymity that Abdixhiku had not discussed Sejdiu’s candidacy with the party structures before announcing the agreement.

According to another source within the LDK, the party presidency is expected to meet on September 1, followed by a meeting with the parliamentary group. Abdixhiku is expected to seek MPs’ support for Sejdiu’s election.

Abdixhiku has meanwhile expressed confidence that the LDK will back the agreement, arguing that the interests of the state should take precedence over those of the party.

Sejdiu’s background

Bekim Sejdiu, born in 1974, has served as a judge of Kosovo’s Constitutional Court since April 2015.

Before joining the court, he was a diplomat at Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry and belonged to the first generation of ambassadors appointed by the country. He served as Kosovo’s ambassador to Turkey from 2008 to 2012 and as consul general in New York from 2012 to 2014.

He previously worked as a political adviser in the office of the first minister of Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sejdiu has also pursued an academic career. Since 2002, he has been an assistant professor of international law at the University of Pristina’s Faculty of Law.

He holds a law degree from the University of Pristina, two master’s degrees — in international relations from Bilkent University and in democracy and human rights from the University of Sarajevo and University of Bologna — as well as a doctorate in international and diplomatic studies from Nova University in Slovenia.

His public and academic work has included efforts related to social tolerance, the rule of law, human rights and gender equality.