Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani has revealed new details about the political dynamics behind her path to the presidency, stating she was convinced she could secure the necessary votes in parliament if Prime Minister Albin Kurti had formally proposed her as a candidate earlier.
In a recent interview with journalist Çim Peka, Osmani described the negotiations that took place during the political process leading to the election of Kosovo’s president. According to her, she had already established communication channels with opposition deputies and representatives of minority parties to ensure the required parliamentary support.
Her statements shed light on the internal political calculations within Kosovo’s governing majority and the broader negotiations that often determine leadership positions in the country’s parliamentary system.
Contacts with Opposition and Minority Parties
Osmani explained that during the period when the presidency was being discussed, she had actively worked to build consensus beyond her own political camp.
According to her account, discussions with opposition lawmakers and non-majority communities suggested that sufficient votes could be secured to guarantee her election as president.
She also referenced the position of Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), noting that the party leadership had not expressed a firm rejection of her name as a candidate.
“As I worked more with the opposition and we were ensuring that the votes would indeed be there — the leader of LDK himself confirmed there was no rejecting stance toward my name,” Osmani said.
These negotiations, she suggested, created a political moment in which her election appeared increasingly possible.
Kurti’s Change of Position
However, according to Osmani, the situation changed when the possibility of securing enough parliamentary votes became clearer.
She said that Prime Minister Kurti and the parliamentary group of Vetëvendosje Movement eventually informed her that they would not support her candidacy for president at that time.
“When it became clear that there was a real chance I could be elected, Prime Minister Kurti communicated a new assessment — that the parliamentary group of Vetëvendosje and he personally would not support my candidacy,” Osmani stated.
Her remarks point to internal political disagreements during one of the most delicate moments in Kosovo’s recent institutional history.
A Missed Opportunity for Political Stability?
Osmani also reflected on what might have happened if she had been nominated differently during that period.
She argued that if she had been proposed as the sole candidate from Vetëvendosje — with another formal candidate participating in the vote — Kosovo might have secured both her presidency and the government led by Kurti without prolonged political uncertainty.
“I am convinced that today we would have had both the president and the Kurti government,” she said.
Despite these reflections, Osmani emphasized that she does not view the presidency as a position she is personally attached to.
Broader Implications for Kosovo Politics
The comments come at a time when political debates in Kosovo continue to focus on institutional cooperation and political alliances.
The relationship between President Osmani and Prime Minister Kurti has often been seen as cooperative, but her recent statements reveal that internal disagreements and strategic calculations played a role during the formation of Kosovo’s leadership.
For political analysts, such revelations highlight the complex dynamics of Kosovo’s parliamentary politics, where negotiations between ruling parties, opposition forces, and minority representatives are often decisive in shaping the country’s political future.