Kosovo’s new parliament remains in limbo ahead of its constitutive session on April 15, as two opposition leaders confirmed they will not support the ruling Vetevendosje’s candidate for speaker, Koha.net reported on April 11.

Vetevendosje, which won 48 seats in the February 9 election, remains short of the majority needed to elect a speaker and form a government. According to the constitution, if the leading party fails to form a government within 15 days, the mandate can be offered to another party able to prove majority support.

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, and head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku, after registering as MPs on April 11, made it clear that their parties will not back Vetevendosje's choice for speaker, a key step in formally constituting the assembly.

Abdixhiku stated that Vetevendosje must secure at least 61 votes to elect a speaker. “A speaker without majority support should not be elected,” he added.

Vetevendosje's last-minute appeal to meet with Abdixhiku was declined, deepening the political stalemate.

Abdixhiku rejected the possibility of post-election talks with Kurti, accusing the ruling Vetëvendosje party of using language that disrespected his party and its supporters.

In a written statement, Abdixhiku criticised Kurti’s tone during and after the election campaign, saying it had made cooperation impossible.

“Amidst the ‘scum’, the ‘suffocation of the LDK’, the ‘collaborators of Serbia’ – we do not find ourselves for consultation,” he wrote. “Words have weight. And the words we’ve given our citizens carry the weight of an oath.”

Krasniqi said the PDK would be ready to form a government if given the opportunity, with Bedri Hamza as its proposed candidate. Meanwhile, the LDK reaffirmed it would join a coalition only if granted the position of prime minister.

Kurti, who has served as prime minister since 2021, voiced confidence in leading the next government but did not specify any concrete coalition plans. However, both the PDK and AAK have already ruled out entering into a coalition with Vetëvendosje.

The rejection from the LDK now further narrows Kurti’s options for forming a stable governing majority.

The final election results, announced by the Central Election Commission on March 27, showed Vetëvendosje leading with 42.3% of the vote and 48 seats in the 120-member assembly — short of the 61 needed for a majority.

Despite falling nearly 10% compared to its 2021 result, Vetëvendosje remains the strongest party and has expressed a desire to form a government by working with minority representatives who hold ten guaranteed seats in the assembly.

The PDK came second with 24 seats, followed by the LDK with 20 seats. Their potential allies, the AAK-Nisma coalition, secured eight mandates, while the Serbian List won nine. At least nine more MPs would be needed to reach a majority without Vetevendosje.