Leader of the ruling Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa warned on August 25 that his party may seek a government reshuffle at any time if the party’s coalition partners do not support the government strategy on the dialogue with Serbia.

The fragile government led by Avdullah Hoti from the LDK has a slim majority of 61 MPs in the 120-seat parliament.

Mustafa’s warning followed repeated criticism by the LDK’s coalition partner, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) led by former PM Ramush Haradinaj, regarding the government’s handling of the dialogue with Serbia and threats to leave the coalition which came to power in early June this year.

“LDK will demand that the government be ready to make reconfigurations and changes at any time for those who do not understand the order and discipline of governing, who follow personal or party agendas, or who are wasting public money,” Mustafa said in a Facebook post.

Mustafa recalled that the political process the country is facing requires the cooperation and mutual trust of all actors.

“The dialogue with Serbia for mutual recognition, whether in Washington or Brussels, will be more substantial and more stable, if the shareholders of this dialogue are from the government and the opposition,” Mustafa underlined. 

Kosovo is engaged in EU-mediated normalisation dialogue with Serbia, and the US is also involved in the negotiation process. Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo will meet in Washington on September 4 and before that expert delegations will hold another round of meetings in Brussels on August 27. 

Kosovo, which seceded from Serbia in 2008, wants the final agreement to include the recognition of Kosovo by Belgrade.

Mustafa added that the dialogue strategy should be an issue discussed and formulated by the prime minister and his close cabinet with coalition partners and opposition leaders.

If the AAK leaves the government, a new coalition would most likely be formed with the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo.

A previous coalition between the LDK and Vetevendosje, the largest party in the current parliament, fell apart earlier this year.