Kosovo's parliament elected economist Justina Shiroka Pula as president early on October 7, 2026, narrowly averting a snap election. The vote followed a last-minute deal between Prime Minister Albin Kurti's ruling party and the opposition PDK to limit the powers of the Hague-based war crimes court. The legislative changes restrict the court's jurisdiction and cap sentences, following the controversial September 16 sentencing of former President Hashim Thaci.
Election of Justina Shiroka Pula
- ▪Justina Shiroka Pula, born in 1953, is an economics professor, the president of Kosovo's Academy of Sciences and Arts, and previously served as minister of the economy between 2008 and 2011
- ▪The Kosovo parliament elected economist Justina Shiroka Pula as the country's new president early on October 7, 2026, securing 81 votes in the 120-seat legislature
The presidential election
- ▪The presidential vote in Kosovo's parliament began six minutes before a midnight deadline on October 6, 2026, averting automatic dissolution and snap parliamentary elections, which previously occurred in June 2026
- ▪Democratic Party of Kosovo leader Bedri Hamza nominated Eliza Hoxha as the opposing candidate to Justina Shiroka Pula in the presidential election
Political deal on court amendments
- ▪The election of Justina Shiroka Pula followed a last-minute political deal between Prime Minister Albin Kurti's ruling Vetevendosje party and the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo
- ▪The political agreement between Kurti's ruling party and the opposition PDK required parliament to approve legal amendments restricting the powers of the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers before electing the president
Debatable claims
- ▪Narrowing the Kosovo Specialist Chambers' jurisdiction to organ-trafficking cases is justified
- ▪The Hague war crimes court's sentences for former KLA leaders are too harsh
- ▪Kosovo should prioritize its international justice commitments over domestic political stability
- ▪Kosovo's two-thirds majority requirement for electing a president does more harm than good
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