Vjosa Osmani’s recent visits to several cities in Kosovo are also being interpreted as signals for a possible return of the former president to active politics, at a sensitive moment for the country due to the risk of early elections in the event of failure to elect a new president. How could it materialize and what weight would it have?
Visits to Gjilan, Istog, Suhareka, Peja, Gjakova, Deçan… Within a few days, in recent weeks, in these cities of Kosovo, former president Vjosa Osmani met dozens – if not hundreds – of citizens, raising the question: is she preparing for a return to the political race? All this is happening at a sensitive political moment in Kosovo. If an agreement is not reached for the post of president within less than two weeks, the country will face new early parliamentary elections – the third within about 16 months. This context makes every move by political actors, including Osmani, who was aiming for a second term as president, more significant. According to Donika Emini, researcher at the Balkan Policy Advisory Group in Europe – BiEPAG, Osmani’s visits should be read as part of a well-thought-out strategy.
She believes these moves indicate an attempt to restore and consolidate the connection with the electorate after a mandate focused mainly on foreign policy. “Moreover, these visits can also be seen as damage management from the parting of ways with [Prime Minister] Albin Kurti, and as a need to re-emphasize and strengthen her narrative in this process,” Emini tells Radio Free Europe.
The rift between Osmani and Kurti is linked, according to political experts, mainly to differences in relations with the United States, a lack of institutional coordination and competition for political influence. This year, Osmani was not nominated for a new term as president, five years after being elected to this post on the proposal of Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement (LVV). But her political engagement had begun within the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Osmani was first elected as a deputy to the Assembly of Kosovo in 2011, and was re-elected for several consecutive terms, becoming one of the most prominent figures of the LDK. In 2019, she led the party’s electoral list and was its candidate for prime minister, representing an attempt at internal reform.
The split from LDK in 2020 marked an important turning point in her career. She then built an alliance with Kurti and LVV, through the GUXO initiative, a political format that, according to Emini, was not fully consolidated as a genuine entity.
In 2021, Osmani was elected president of Kosovo, moving into a new role in which, as an institutional representative, she was supposed to stand above party divisions. In this position, she has often been criticized by the opposition, who accused her of siding with the LVV. And now, according to Emini, Osmani is entering a new phase of her career, whether through a new entity or a strategic repositioning within a party. The timing of the upcoming elections will be crucial for how Osmani’s comeback could be made. Emini argues that if the country goes to early elections due to the failure to elect a president – in late May or early June – the space for building a new entity would be limited and Osmani could be forced to rely on an existing structure.
In a regular election cycle, she would have more time to shape a political project, but with the risk of losing momentum and relevance. “In both cases, her influence on the political scene remains significant, but the way this influence manifests itself varies significantly depending on the time of the election,” Emini believes.
Discussions about Osmani’s future have intensified after statements from the LDK, whose organizational secretary, Visar Azemi, has left open the possibility of Osmani’s return to the party. Osmani herself, however, has avoided any firm statement. REL has contacted her team for a position, but has not been able to receive a response. Osmani’s return to the political race could occur at a time when, according to Emini, the opposition in Kosovo is facing a lack of leadership and convincing narratives. In this context, Osmani represents a “different profile”, she says. According to Emini, the former president is one of the few figures who can challenge the balance and increase the level of political competition.
“She could attract disaffected voters from different parties, including Vetëvendosje and opposition parties. This makes her potentially a factor that ‘grabs’ votes more than an actor that mobilizes only a certain camp,” says Emini. “Her entry into active politics would not only be an addition to the scene, but potentially a factor that could ‘shake’ existing balances,” she concludes. (RFE)