Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani dissolved the Assembly on March 6, triggering new early elections after MPs failed to elect a new president, and sparking a political dispute over the legality of the move.

The move deepens Kosovo's political crisis, as it would be the third election in just over a year. The last vote was held on December 28, 2025, when PM Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje won a clear majority and formed a government after a year of dysfunctional institutions.

Speaking at a news conference, Osmani, whose mandate expires on April 5, said the decision followed parliament’s failure on Thursday night to elect a president by the March 5 deadline, leaving the country without a clear institutional solution and forcing a return to the polls.

She stressed that the outcome was “neither accidental nor careless, but carefully calculated and planned,” Koha.net reported.

"This situation could have been completely avoided. It is deeply unfortunate that those representatives did not choose to prioritise the interests of the people," she was cited as saying.

Osmani’s decision to dissolve parliament was immediately challenged by Kurti and his ruling Vetevendosje Movement. The prime minister described the move as unconstitutional and vowed to challenge it before the Constitutional Court of Kosovo.

Kurti argued that the presidential election process had not progressed far enough to justify dissolving parliament. Under Kosovo’s constitution, the Assembly can be dissolved if no candidate secures enough votes after three rounds of voting.

“Article 86 clearly states that the Assembly is dissolved if no candidate is elected in the third vote,” Kurti said at a press conference. “We have not reached that point. The first round was not even completed, let alone the third.”

Two candidates from Vetevendosje — Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Mulhaxha Kollcaku — had been presented during the session on March 5, but the vote could not proceed because several opposition MPs were absent. Their absence prevented the quorum of at least 80 deputies required for the presidential election process.

Kurti criticised the absence of opposition lawmakers, saying none had formally notified the speaker of their reasons for not attending the session.

The prime minister also warned that holding new elections would not necessarily resolve the political deadlock. According to Kurti, electing a president requires the presence of at least 80 deputies in the chamber, a threshold he believes would remain difficult to achieve even after another vote.

“I see enthusiasm for new elections, but I do not see how they can be a solution right now,” Kurti said. “This is not a question of 61 votes but of 80. Repeated elections may only prolong the institutional and legislative agony.”

Kurti also pointed to the financial cost of a new election, estimating it would cost about €10mn while likely producing a similar parliamentary balance.

Both the government and the Vetevendosje Movement said the final decision now rests with the Constitutional Court, which is expected to determine whether Osmani’s decree to dissolve parliament complies with the constitution. Until then, Kosovo faces growing political uncertainty as the dispute between the presidency and the government deepens.

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the opposition Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, said after meeting with Osmani that several possible dates for early elections had been discussed.

“April 5, 12 or 19 are among the options, although another date is also possible,” he told the media.