Kosovo Has Voted. Now It’s Time to Govern

Over the past eighteen months, Kosovo's citizens have gone to the polls three times to elect their Parliament.

They voted in February 2025. They voted again in December 2025. And on 7 June this year, they cast their ballots once more.

Each election was peaceful, competitive and well administered. Together, they demonstrated the resilience of Kosovo's democracy and the commitment of its citizens to shaping the country's future through democratic means.

But democracy does not end on election day.

The purpose of elections is to produce institutions capable of governing and delivering for citizens. Here, Kosovo has faced a challenge.

The February 2025 elections did not lead to the formation of a government. The December 2025 elections did not produce the parliamentary majority required to elect a President. The Assembly functioned only briefly before the country returned to the polls again. As a result, Kosovo has experienced political and institutional stalemate for much of the past year and a half.

The consequences are becoming visible.

Turnout in the June elections fell significantly compared to December 2025. While voter participation is influenced by many factors, repeated elections without clear political outcomes inevitably risk creating frustration and fatigue among citizens. People expect their vote to lead not only to representation, but also to effective governance.

The Constitutional Court has repeatedly been called upon to resolve disputes and interpret constitutional provisions. The Court has fulfilled its role responsibly and helped safeguard constitutional order. Yet courts cannot substitute for political leadership. Democratic systems ultimately depend on elected representatives finding solutions through dialogue, compromise and a shared sense of responsibility.

This is not unique to Kosovo. Across the European Union, political parties compete vigorously during elections but are expected to work together afterwards in the interest of institutional stability. Compromise is not a sign of weakness. It is an essential democratic skill and lies at the heart of the European Union’s daily decision-making. As Kosovans aspire to join the EU, reaching a political compromise today would send a clear and concrete signal that Kosovo’s political leaders are ready to embrace the political culture on which the EU is built.

Today, the need for that political culture and the skill to compromise is greater than ever because Kosovo has before it a window of opportunity that should not be missed.

The European Union has placed enlargement firmly back at the centre of its political agenda. As European Council President António Costa said during his recent visit to Pristina, enlargement is a geostrategic necessity for Europe and an investment in the peace, stability and security of our continent.

The European Union remains Kosovo's strongest and most reliable partner and the largest provider of financial assistance. Through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, Kosovo can benefit from up to €882.6 million in grants and favourable loans by the end of 2027. At the same time, the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for 2026 and 2027 and the Western Balkans Investment Framework will together mobilise fresh €300 million for reforms and investments in the next few years. 

These investments can help modernise infrastructure, strengthen energy security, support businesses, improve public services and create opportunities for young people.

But there is a simple reality: opportunities require institutions capable of seizing them.

As President Costa put it clearly, the European Union can support Kosovo, but it cannot do Kosovo's homework. The responsibility for advancing Kosovo's European future ultimately rests with Kosovo's political leaders and institutions.

The reforms linked to the Growth Plan, additional IPA funding and Kosovo's broader European path require political decisions, legislative action and effective implementation. No external partner can replace domestic political leadership.

This is why the European Union has consistently encouraged all political actors to make Kosovo's EU integration a priority that transcends party divisions. Political competition is a normal and healthy feature of democracy. Advancing Kosovo's European future should be a shared objective.

Commissioner Marta Kos recently stressed that political forces must come together to build institutional stability. High Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas similarly called for the swift formation of institutions and noted that the June elections provide an opportunity to turn the page on more than a year of political deadlock.

This is crucial and urgent: too much time has been lost already.

Following the certification of the election results, the priorities are clear: the winning party bears a particular responsibility to reach out across the political spectrum to help build compromises which will not only lead to the constitution of the Assembly and formation of a government, but also to the election of a President, fully respecting the constitutional requirements and majorities needed. At the same time, all elected parties share a responsibility to engage in these negotiations in good faith, to achieve that objective. And together, they need to move on with reforms which will place Kosovo's EU integration at the centre of their decisions and demonstrate that compromise in pursuit of Kosovo’s European future is possible.

Kosovo's citizens have done their part. They have voted repeatedly in free and democratic elections, each time producing a broadly similar political outcome: an Assembly whose composition requires cross-party cooperation, dialogue and compromise, as is the case in democracies across Europe. Citizens now deserve to see their message heard and their political leaders form institutions capable of delivering results.

The coming weeks are therefore about more than government formation. They are about restoring political functionality, rebuilding public confidence and ensuring that Kosovo fully benefits from a favourable momentum in the European Union's enlargement process.

Kosovo has voted. Now it is time to govern — and to move decisively forward on the EU integration path.