Lumir Abdixhiku pauses Kosovo talks on forming new institutions

Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of Kosovo’s Democratic League (LDK), announced that the party will suspend all negotiations with Vetëvendosje (LVV) on forming the country’s new institutions. The decision follows an internal LDK initiative that gathered 148 signatures calling for Abdixhiku’s removal and a call for an extraordinary party congress. Abdixhiku said the move forces him to withdraw from the institutional talks, warning that citizens will bear the consequences and that the party’s mandate is now in question.

LVV responded that it remains open to dialogue and urged the opposition not to block the process. Other political figures, including PDK leader Bedri Hamza and OSCE Secretary‑General Feridun Sinirlioğlu, called for swift institution formation to end the prolonged political dead‑lock. EU officials reiterated that the return of Serbian judges and prosecutors to Kosovo’s justice system is part of the ongoing normalization dialogue and should not be delayed.

LDK insiders such as Deputy Chair Lutfi Haziri and Trade‑Minister Mimoza Kusari stressed that internal party disputes must not affect the broader negotiation with LVV. The pause comes after a series of meetings between Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Abdixhiku aimed at reaching a power‑sharing agreement following the June parliamentary elections. The delay threatens the constitutional assembly, which must be convened by early August, potentially postponing the election of the parliamentary speaker and the formation of a new government.