The Assembly of Kosovo held an indirect election for president in 2026.

Under Article 86 of the Constitution of Kosovo, the Assembly must elect a president no later than 30 days before the end of the incumbent's term.

An initial attempt on 5 March 2026 failed due to lack of quorum, opening a 34-day constitutional window. President Vjosa Osmani dissolved the Assembly the next day and moved toward snap elections; Vetëvendosje challenged the decree. On 9 March the Constitutional Court suspended it. On 25 March the Court ruled the dissolution had no legal effect and gave the Assembly until 28 April to elect a president.

Osmani's term expired on 4 April. Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu (LVV) became acting president for up to six months. A second attempt around 27–28 April was boycotted by the main opposition parties (PDK, LDK, AAK), who called it a "propaganda show." The Assembly again failed to elect a president by the Court's deadline and was dissolved. Haxhiu called snap parliamentary elections for 7 June 2026.

Vetëvendosje and its allies once again won a majority in the June election but still lacked the two-thirds support needed for a president. On 31 August, LVV and LDK agreed to nominate Bekim Sejdiu (former Constitutional Court judge, diplomat, and law professor) as a consensus candidate. Internal LDK opposition (six MPs) immediately blocked the required 80-vote quorum in the first two rounds (or 61 in a third). LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku later indicated the rejection pointed toward new snap elections.

If no President is elected by then, on 4 October (which is the deadline for the acting president's term), the Acting President role will once again transfer to the Speaker of the Assembly, sparking speculation in the media about whether newly elected on 9 September Speaker and President Albulena Haxhiu will be able to constitutionally remain in her Acting President role beyond 4 October.

Disputes over deputy speakers continued to delay full inauguration until 13 September when, despite the non participation of the second biggest party, PDK, the Assembly was constituted as all other deputy speakers were elected by LVV and it's allies' parliamentary majority. The same day the Fourth Cabinet of Albin Kurti was sworn in obtaining the support of a majority of 62 MPs, triggering at the same time a 60-day window to elect the president before snap elections would have to be held.

On 23 September the Constitutional Court shortened the time window, ruling that lawmakers must elect a new president by October 6, failing to do so would lead to new snap elections, the fourth in two years.

Background Incumbent president Vjosa Osmani took office on 4 April 2021, and her five-year term ended on 4 April 2026. Under the Constitution, she was eligible to seek one further term.

Instead of nominating her, on 4 March 2026, Vetëvendosje nominated Glauk Konjufca as its presidential candidate ahead of the Assembly session. No other party submitted a candidate. Speaker of the Assembly Albulena Haxhiu said that a session to elect the president could not be called without at least two candidates. Opposition parties, including the LDK, PDK and AAK, rejected Vetëvendosje's approach and called instead for a consensual candidate, contributing to the deadlock that led to the failed 5 March session.

Proposed constitutional amendments

On 5 March 2026, amid the deadlock over the presidential election, President Vjosa Osmani submitted constitutional amendments that would have changed the method of electing the president from an Assembly vote to direct popular election. The proposal was based on earlier draft amendments prepared in 2011. Vetëvendosje supported the initiative, and the Assembly's Committee on Legislation approved sending it forward, but opposition parties criticised the move and argued that such changes could not be adopted through a rushed procedure. Because constitutional amendments in Kosovo require a two-thirds majority of all deputies, including two-thirds of deputies holding reserved or guaranteed seats for non-majority communities, the proposal faced long odds. Later that day, the Assembly failed to vote on the amendments because there was no quorum.

Constitutional Court ruling and April 28 deadline

After the Constitutional Court's ruling of 25 March 2026, which invalidated the dissolution of the Assembly, lawmakers were given until 28 April 2026 to complete the presidential election. Although the Assembly retained that deadline, President Vjosa Osmani's term ended on 4 April 2026. Under Kosovo's constitutional arrangements, Speaker of the Assembly Albulena Haxhiu then assumed the office of acting president until a new president is elected. The Court's ruling also restored the Assembly's role in continuing the interrupted election process.

Albulena Haxhiu as Acting President

On 4 April 2026, Vjosa Osmani's five-year term as president ended, and Speaker of the Assembly Albulena Haxhiu became acting president in accordance with Kosovo's constitutional procedure. She will remain in office until the Assembly elects a new president, for up to six months if necessary. The Constitutional Court had previously set 28 April 2026 as the deadline for the Assembly to complete the presidential election. Haxhiu said she would exercise the office in accordance with the Constitution and in the public interest.

On 3 September 2026, as Haxhiu's constitutional six-month mandate neared its expiration on 4 October, the Presidency of Kosovo clarified the institutional succession path. The office stated that the country cannot remain without an acting head of state and announced that once the 11th legislature of the Assembly is fully constituted, the role of acting president will automatically transfer to the newly elected Speaker of the Assembly until a full-term president is officially chosen. Furthermore, the Presidency noted that it remained open to requesting a legal clarification from the Constitutional Court if the Assembly fails to elect a new president by the 4 October deadline.

Electoral system

Initially, a candidate is required to receive at least 80 votes, equivalent to two-thirds of the 120 members of the Assembly, in order to be elected. However, if no candidate succeeds during the first two rounds, a third round is held between the top two candidates of the second round, and the requirement is reduced to a simple majority of 61 votes. If the third round also does not produce a successful candidate, the Assembly is dissolved, with new elections to take place within 45 days.

Article 86 states that the election of the President shall take place no later than 30 days before the end of the current president's term of office. Additionally, Article 82 also states that the Assembly will dissolve if they do not elect a President within 60 days from the date of the beginning of the president's election procedure. With the inaugural voting session having convened on 5 March, this 60-day countdown has been officially activated.

Following the unsuccessful parliamentary session on 5 March due to a lack of a quorum, Lëvizja Vetëvendosje formally petitioned the Constitutional Court of Kosovo to impose a temporary measure suspending these strict constitutional deadlines until the court issues a final judgment. The party argued that the intentional obstruction of the quorum by members of parliament who refused to participate constitutes a constitutional violation. In their request, they asked the court to mandate that all deputies have a binding obligation to participate in the presidential vote—whether voting in favor, against, or abstaining—to prevent the country from being forced into early legislative elections due to political blockades. On 30 March, the Constitutional Court rejected Vetëvendosje's request and declined to impose an interim measure, thereby determining that deputies are not obliged to remain in the parliament for the presidential vote.

Despite securing 74 votes for Bekim Sejdiu, the coalition fell short of the 80-deputy quorum required by Article 86, allowing just six dissenting LDK MPs to block the election.

Candidates Confirmed candidates On 4 March 2026, media outlets reported that the PDK had proposed Justina Pula, President of the Academy of Sciences and Arts, as a potential candidate for president. However, both Pula and PDK leadership later denied the claims.

Independent For President Justina Pula Signatures for candidacy 30/120 (25%)

Democratic Party of Kosovo For President Eliza Hoxha Signatures for candidacy 30/120 (25%)

Candidates from the previous legislature On 27 April, following the withdrawal of Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Kollçaku from the candidacy, the Speaker of the Assembly Albulena Haxhiu, announced that Vetëvendosje has proposed two candidates, Feride Rushiti and Hatixhe Hoxha. Based on electoral rules, both candidates are no longer considered candidates because the parliament has been dissolved, and Legislature X which had the responsibility to elect the president, failed to fulfill this duty, leaving it to the next legislature to carry out the election of the president.

Independent For President Feride Rushiti Signatures for candidacy 30/120 (25%)

Vetëvendosje For President Hatixhe Hoxha Signatures for candidacy 30/120 (25%)

Withdrawn On 3 March, according to media in Kosovo, Prime Minister Albin Kurti is expected to nominate Glauk Konjufca for president. On 4 March, Vetëvendosje nominated the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Glauk Konjufca, for President of Kosovo. On 5 March, Vetëvendosje also nominated its second candidate, Fatmire Mullhaxha-Kollçaku, who received 34 signatures for her candidacy. On 27 April, Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Mullhaxha Kollçaku withdrew from their candidacies for President of Kosovo. On 29 August, reports emerged of a possible agreement between Vetëvendosje (VV) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) on the election of Bekim Sejdiu as President of Kosovo. On 31 August, after numerous meetings and discussions between the LDK and LVV, an agreement was reached that Bekim Sejdiu would be the candidate for president. On 1 September, one day after the agreement to select Bekim Sejdiu as the consensus candidate for President, six LDK MPs declared that they would neither vote for him nor participate in the parliamentary session to establish the required quorum. Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the move as a "negative announcement," labeling the behavior of the six LDK MPs "absurd and irresponsible", warning that it could lead to harmful new elections. On 2 September, LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku stated that there was no broader governing agreement with LVV since LDK had decided to remain in opposition, and clarified that the rejection of Sejdiu candidacy definitively sealed the country fate, leading toward new snap elections. On 14 September, Bekim Sejdiu stated: "Given the circumstances, characterized by the lack of the necessary parliamentary support for my election as President and the entire process being drawn into a vortex of internal political dynamics and conflicts, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for President of the Republic of Kosovo."

Vetëvendosje For President Glauk KonjufcaMinister of Foreign Affairs Signatures for candidacy 30/120 (25%)

Vetëvendosje For President Fatmire KollçakuMember of Assembly Signatures for candidacy 34/120 (28%) Independent For President Bekim Sejdiu

Expressed interest