After discussions with the heads of parliamentary groups, the Speaker of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, announced that the budget session has been postponed to Monday at 10:00. The vote on the 2026 budget in first reading was met with opposition from opposition parties, which requested more time to read the 700-page document.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeBudget session postponed
Photo: Driton Pacharada
After discussions with the heads of parliamentary groups, the Speaker of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, announced that the budget session has been postponed to Monday at 10:00.
The vote on the 2026 budget in first reading was met with opposition parties, who requested more time to read the 700-page document.
Opposition MPs have said they need to read the document to be able to make proposals.
Haxhiu then called the heads of the parliamentary groups for consultation and decided to postpone the session.
The budget is worth 4 billion euros.
To enter into force as law, the budget must also be approved on second reading.
Hamza: The budget does not reflect the promises Kurti made in the presentation
Photo: Driton Pacharada
The leader and MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Bedri Hamza, has said that the planned budget for 2026 does not reflect the promises made by Prime Minister Albin Kurti during the presentation on the formation of the government two days ago.
Hamza requested three days to prepare proposals and discussions before voting on the budget in first reading.
"I believe it is quite clear that the topic is not about the blockade and the risk that the country will be without a budget. All MPs voted yesterday on the decision to continue budget allocations for the month of March. No one intentionally asked for time to be wasted, for the country to be put in difficulty. We asked for a reasonable deadline, three days. This budget is not in line with the Prime Minister's presentation. All those promises are not reflected in this budget, they are wishful thinking. Withdraw and bring it back in three days, you are convinced that we will vote for it to enter an accelerated procedure," said Hamza.
Murati: This is an emergency budget, we will approve a revised one next month
Photo: Driton Pacharada
Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, has said that the planned budget for 2026 is an emergency budget and has asked opposition parties to support it until the approval of a revised budget, which he said will happen next month at the latest.
"The goal was an emergency budget, to have a bridge until we approve a revised budget, next month at the latest. The budget extension for March only provides for current expenses. Any new procurement by municipalities is blocked without the budget being approved," Murati said in the Assembly.
Abdixhiku: How can we vote on the 2026 budget when four ministries do not have a single euro allocated?
Photo: Driton Pacharada
The leader and MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, has criticized the procedure followed for the 2026 Draft Budget, which is scheduled to be voted on for first reading in the Assembly today.
He said that it is not serious that MPs are given only three hours to review such an important document as the state budget. According to Abdixhiku, the budget does not even reflect the government since four ministries are not involved at all.
"It is not serious to review the entire budget in three hours. This budget does not even reflect this government. Four or five ministries do not have a budget for themselves. We are not talking about the pledges made the day before yesterday (by Kurti) that this and that will be done, which are not in the budget at all, but four ministries here do not have the budget foreseen", declared Abdixhiku in the Assembly hall.
He called on the majority to treat the country's most important financial document with more seriousness, requesting more time for review and for Prime Minister Albin Kurti to be present.
"Be more serious. Give the MPs three or four days to read it. Adjust it with your cabinet first. Adjust it with the municipalities. Pristina has approved the budget for some time, but you don't have it in the budget. It's good to have the master of the house here, the prime minister. Take it seriously. Four ministers had to come out here because this budget is not in order," he said.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) also came out against this budget. The head of the parliamentary group, Arian Tahiri, asked for three days to review the voluminous document. Tahiri said that two days ago they voted for the continuation of budget allocations and therefore they have no reason to rush to vote on the budget.
A similar statement was made by the head of the Parliamentary Group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Besnik Tahiri, who said that the 2026 budget is the same as the 2025 one.
"I need Superman to read this budget. What I saw there, there is a lot to debate. This is not the 2026 budget, but the 2025 budget. The budget lines are the same, except for a few changes in the text," said Tahiri.
The budget for 2026 is set to be 4 billion euros.