After nearly seven months of political stalemate since the February 9 general election, Kosovo’s Assembly elected a new speaker on August 26. However, the constitutive session of the new parliament has still not been completed as MPs failed to approve a deputy speaker from the country’s Serb minority. 

45-year-old Dimal Basha of the ruling Vetevendosje Movement was elected speaker with 73 votes in favour, securing support not only from his own party but also from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). 

Following the vote, Basha called for cooperation and unity among political forces.

“Although we represent different parties, citizens expect us to stand together on key goals — advancing economic development, strengthening the rule of law, and above all safeguarding territorial integrity,” he said, Koha.net reported.

His election brings at least partial relief to Kosovo’s paralysed institutions, though significant challenges remain before a new government can be formed.

Following his confirmation, the Assembly also elected the vice-presidents from Albanian parties and from the non-majority, non-Serb communities. However, disputes emerged over the nomination of a vice-president from the Serbian List.

After several failed attempts and the withdrawal of nominees on August 26, Basha decided the session would continue on August 28. 

The constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly thus remains unfinished despite 58 attempts to conclude it. Under Kosovo’s constitution, the assembly is not considered fully constituted until all vice-presidents are elected.

The prolonged political deadlock had prevented the assembly from functioning and blocked the formation of new state institutions.

Fatmir Limaj, chairman of the Social Democratic Initiative (Nisma), criticised Vetëvendosje for months of inaction.

“Let them give an explanation why they have delayed the country so far for so many months. I hope they will have an explanation to the citizens of Kosovo why the country has been delayed so far,” Limaj said after the vote in the parliament, as quoted by Koha.net.

Nisma’s three MPs abstained, holding to their position that Limaj himself should have been elected speaker.

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), meanwhile, voted against Basha. Its leader, Lumir Abdixhiku, sharply criticised the outcome, describing it as “a victory of ignorance and an unforgivable mistake of its supporters”.

In a Facebook post, Abdixhiku said that Kosovo “must aspire higher” and warned that political “accidents and triumphs of historical ignorance” could damage the country’s democratic trajectory.

Despite the criticism, Basha’s election marks the first step toward restoring institutional functionality.

Kosovo’s Constitutional Court ruled earlier this month that deputies have 30 days to complete the process of constituting the assembly through public votes. While this provides a legal framework, the outcome will ultimately depend on political compromise.

The political deadlock has already taken a heavy toll on Kosovo’s governance and economy. The Kosovo Business Alliance warned that the institutional paralysis has inflicted “unprecedented damage” on economic development, cutting off access to crucial international funding and undermining investor confidence.

According to business groups, more than €60mn in EU pre-financing under the €880mn EU Growth Plan and another €90mn from the World Bank remain frozen due to the non-functioning of parliament.

Over the past six months, political and legal uncertainty has resulted in estimated losses of around €300mn, including a drop of up to 25% in production capacities, suspension of international contracts, and the withdrawal of foreign investors.

The crisis has also delayed progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia, which has already been hampered by unrest in Serbia and what analysts describe as the EU’s limited capacity to push the process forward.

The stalemate in Kosovo began in April, when the inaugural session of the new parliament collapsed amid disputes over the speaker’s election.

Vetëvendosje, the largest parliamentary party led by acting prime minister Albin Kurti, had nominated MP Albulena Haxhiu for the post, but she repeatedly failed to secure the required 61 votes. Opposition parties refused to back her candidacy and rejected forming a coalition with Vetëvendosje.

While Basha’s election represents a breakthrough, the difficult part lies ahead: unblocking the broader institutional impasse and enabling the formation of a new government.