Vjosa Osmani handed over the presidency on Saturday. In an official ceremony, Speaker of Parliament Albulena Haxhiu officially became acting president.
At the official ceremony, Osmani declared that he is leaving behind extraordinary work, while Haxhiu pledged that during the exercise of his duties he will act in accordance with the Constitution.
Support the TIME. Preserve the truth.
Professional journalism is in the public interest. Your support helps it remain independent and credible. Contribute too. 1 euro makes a difference.
Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeAt the end of the ceremony, Osmani handed over the Constitution of Kosovo to Haxhiu.
Speaker of Parliament Haxhiu will be acting president, after the Assembly failed to elect a president at the end of Osmani's term.
The Assembly has until April 28 to elect a new president. The deadline was set by the Constitutional Court in a decision last week, declaring a decree by Osmani to dissolve the Assembly invalid. Osmani had issued the decree on the grounds that the Assembly had until March 5 to elect the president – a month before the end of its mandate. The Constitutional Court ruled on March 25 that the Assembly still has 34 days to elect the president – noting that the 60-day election procedure began on March 5 when the Assembly did not put the candidacies of Glauk Konjufca and Fatmire Mulhaxha of Vetëvendosje to a vote, due to the lack of a quorum.
Prime Minister and VV leader Albin Kurti has said that he is in contact with the leaders of the two largest opposition parties regarding the presidential issue and has announced meetings with them next week.
Kurti had held separate meetings with Hamza and Abdixhiku even before the case was sent to the highest court in the country and before it issued its verdict.
However, these meetings did not produce any results.
Osmani had expressed ambitions for a second term, while warning that in case of failure he would continue his political engagement.
Osmani was the sixth president of Kosovo. She took office on April 4, 2021, after winning with the Vetëvendosje Movement.
Osman's address at the end of his mandate: Kosovo never surrenders
President Vjosa Osmani has made a public address on the occasion of the end of her mandate. In her address to the citizens, Osmani said that there is no greater honor than serving the state.
She said that during her mandate, the protection of the interests of the state and Kosovo's alliances was essential.
"My orientation as your representative has been and remains clear, that of President Rugova: a free, independent, democratic Kosovo, integrated into Euro-Atlantic structures and in permanent alliance with the United States of America. This has not been just a vision; it has been my daily guide. And Kosovo of these five years has been guided every day by this clear strategic orientation," Osmani declared in her address.
Osmani also stated that during her mandate she has understood that Kosovo can face challenges and injustice, but never with a lack of courage.
"And if there's one thing I've learned from you, it's this: that Kosovo is not only strong when it wins, but it is invincible because it never gives up," she declared.
Full address:
Dear citizens of the Republic of Kosovo,
Dear diaspora, the force that keeps Kosovo connected to the world!
There is no greater honor than serving the Republic.
There is no greater, or more noble, responsibility than to shoulder the trust of your citizens.
Thanks to your commitment to democratic values and perseverance in creating sustainable institutions, I have had the honor and great responsibility to ensure that your will and your voice are worthily represented.
From day one, I have taken on this task with a clear conviction: that integrity is not negotiable, that the state does not bend, and that the trust of citizens is not abused.
This has been my compass even when the path has not been easy and extremely challenging.
Your support has been clear, vocal, and continuous.
I have felt it in every neighborhood, in every village and city, in every meeting, in every message, and in every opportunity I have had to meet you.
That support, above all, was trust.
And for this trust, I bow before you with the deepest and eternal gratitude.
Because the trust of citizens is the force that gives meaning to every public responsibility. I have turned that trust into loyalty, to you, to the principles of the state, to our common national and democratic values. Loyalty, solely to the Republic of Kosovo, its sovereignty, its independence and the inviolability of its borders.
For me, it has been and remains essential to protect the interests of the state and our citizens, to connect the difficult history of the sacrifice of our people with the vision of the founding father of the Republic, President Rugova, to honor our liberation war and to protect alliances with our security allies who, even 27 years after the war, together with our institutions, still protect our border with Serbia. Protecting the alliance of freedom with the USA, with European countries and all peace-loving countries around the globe has been and remains the stable foundation for the protection of peace. I do not move from this vision, because this is the vision of our state, this is the vision of the citizens of my country.
Dear citizens,
My orientation as your representative has been and remains clear, that of President Rugova: a free, independent, democratic Kosovo, integrated into Euro-Atlantic structures and in permanent alliance with the United States of America. This has not only been a vision; it has been my daily guide. And Kosovo of these five years has been guided every day by this clear strategic orientation.
With deep humility, as always, today I honor the heroes, the martyrs of freedom, the martyrs of the Kosovo Liberation Army; all those who were forcibly disappeared by Serbian genocidal forces; all the survivors of sexual violence during the war and all those who gave everything for this country, because our freedom bears their name and our Republic stands on their sacrifice.
These have been the permanence of my actions and the guiding compass of every work, in each day of my commitment to our beloved Republic, always remaining faithful to the principles of our state, now on the last day of my mandate, as on the first day of it.
Because a Kosovo that opens its doors to the outside is stronger inside.
Because a Kosovo that is heard in the world is always safer at home.
Osmani: Kosovo
In every meeting, in every visit, in every conversation with world leaders, I have had a single message: Kosovo is a sovereign, democratic republic, with inviolable borders and determined to contribute to peace, stability and international security, both in our region and beyond, and a state destined for a Euro-Atlantic future.
This work has never stopped. I am deeply proud that we are leaving this institution more respected in the world, with open doors and strengthened alliances.
By bringing new recognitions to Kosovo; by achieving visa liberalization with the EU and many other countries; by taking concrete steps towards the country's integration into the EU and the Council of Europe; and also concrete steps towards the future in NATO, by providing strong guarantees for the inviolability of our borders; by building partnerships to strengthen our army; by making Kosovo part of platforms where it had no access before, such as with the historic participation in the NATO Summit, by making it a founding member of the Peace Board; by returning Kosovo to the center of global agendas: from the Agenda for Women, Peace and Security to the protection of children in the digital world. By significantly advancing relations with other countries, until yesterday hesitant to establish relations with our country; by opening new perspectives for political relations with many other countries all over the globe, in these 5 years we have proven that even a small country can have a big voice.
Because this was our vision from the first day I was sworn in at the Assembly, but above all when I was sworn in before you: for Kosovo to not only be part of international tables, but also an active contributor to them.
Dear citizens,
As Supreme Commander of the KSF, I have seen up close the true strength of this country: our people in uniform. Women and men who do not seek applause, but carry our security on their shoulders.
But the future requires more than achievement. It also requires vigilance.
We live in a time where truth is challenged every day.
Where propaganda is disguised as opinion.
Where slander and manipulation attempt to replace the truth.
So I beg you: don't lose your compass.
Because only when the truth is known and defended does manipulation lose its power and the moral compass remains unshakable.
In recent weeks, meeting you all over Kosovo, I have seen something that cannot be fabricated: trust that is not easily extinguished.
But I have also seen your expectation and demand, for more justice, more dignity, a clearer future, and unity around values.
And this expectation is right. Because Kosovo may be a small country, but it is a country with a great memory, and it deserves an even brighter future.
Sometimes, in politics, it is precisely loyalty to principles, consistency with the values of your people, the vision to defend the state and to stand firmly alongside past and present allies, and above all, loyalty to Kosovo, that becomes an obstacle for some.
On this journey, I have learned another truth: that sometimes, the greatest challenges do not come from outside.
They come when consistency in principles begins to be seen as an obstacle rather than a value, and when loyalty to the state does not align with daily interests.
And it is in those moments that a leader must choose: comfort or integrity.
I firmly believe that I have chosen integrity.
Because for me, the Republic is not an instrument. It is a trust. It is a trust.
Dear citizens,
In every meeting with you these days, I saw gratitude in your eyes, but also the expectation that Kosovo will achieve even more, better, and faster.
This is our Kosovo.
A small place on the map, but big in spirit.
A people who have learned to stand, rise, and move forward, always doing more than is expected of them.
To everyone I have met: thank you from the bottom of my heart!
For those I haven't been able to meet: our paths will cross, and we will be together, side by side, in the challenges and goals that await us.
During these 5 years, we have stood by women, youth, children, migrants, athletes, people with special needs, non-majority communities and our citizens throughout the country, because a strong Republic is only built when every citizen feels included, heard and represented.
There is no greater calling than to serve a cause greater than yourself.
Being the President of the Republic of Kosovo means being an uncompromising defender of our glorious past, a daily fighter for the present, and a determined guarantor of a better future.
Today I bow before every citizen who has trusted us. Because trust is the most precious currency of democracy, and the easiest to lose when the truth is replaced by slander. Therefore, I invite you to defend the truth together.
We can face challenges. We can face injustice.
But never, never, will we face a lack of courage. I promise you this. Because this people has always chosen to stand up for what is right.
And if there's one thing I've learned from you, it's this: that Kosovo is not only strong when it wins, but it is invincible because it never gives up.
Dear citizens,
Our Republic will continue to strengthen:
for girls growing up with big dreams,
for the boys who believe in this country,
for the mothers and fathers who sacrifice every day,
for the grandparents who kept hope alive,
Because this Republic is greater than any mandate, than any individual, and stronger than any political moment.
Kosovo will move forward. Together we will move forward.
I will continue to be with you, for you and for the state that we have all built together and that we will defend forever. I will continue to be on the side of the Republic of Kosovo.
Of course, political engagement means that the price of our positions is often paid by our families. Therefore, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart my two daughters and my husband, as well as my entire family, who stood by me every step of the way, no matter how difficult this journey became. Family is the strongest foundation of this society, and only by preserving the family values that have always been our strength, will we be able to strengthen our country.
I would like to express special thanks to my cabinet and my colleagues here at the Presidency who have done a tireless and extraordinary job over the years. I also thank the administration and the many partners who, with dedication, often out of the public eye, have carried the weight of this mission with us. I thank our institutions, the friends of Kosovo with whom we collaborated to make Kosovo stronger, more heard and more respected.
Dear citizens,
The deepest gratitude always belongs to you.
Thank you for your trust.
Thank you for your support.
Thank you for the love.
Thank you for the greatest honor in life that you gave me: to serve our Republic!
Kosovo is and will remain independent and sovereign, inviolable within its borders, open to partnerships and alliances of values, unstoppable towards the EU and NATO, and eternally side by side with the United States of America. I wish that every President or Presidents in the future preserve and continue this legacy and this journey.
President Rugova built this institution as a strong institution, with integrity and allies. And as such, I am leaving it behind.
Today I step down from this duty, but not out of devotion to our beloved homeland.
May God bless the Republic of Kosovo and its people!
God bless you and your families!
Thank you!
Haxhiu pledges to act in accordance with the Constitution as acting president
The Speaker of the Parliament, Albulena Haxhiu, has pledged that during her term as president she will act in accordance with the Constitution and legislation in force, emphasizing that she understands the responsibility and constitutional obligations she has assumed.
Haxhiu thanked the former president Vjosa Osmani for her commitment to serving Kosovo and expressed that it is very important that at the head of institutions there are people with high integrity and professional morals, who take the state and citizens into account in every decision.
"Thank you for your commitment to serving Kosovo. It is very important for Kosovo that at the head of institutions there are people with high integrity, professional morals and in every decision they make, they take into account the state and citizens of Kosovo," said Haxhiu as he accepted the assignment from Osmani on Saturday at the Presidency.
Haxhiu emphasized that the Constitution does not allow her to remain in office as acting president for more than six months and expressed hope that the Assembly will elect a new president as soon as possible, emphasizing that elections are not good for either the citizens or the state.
Haxhiu called on the deputies to find a solution to the president's issue as soon as possible, leaving aside political differences and resentments.
"The elections are not good for the citizens or the state. I call on the deputies to find a solution to the presidential issue as soon as possible. To put aside political differences, political resentments, and continue after electing the president," Haxhiu added.
Osmani: We are leaving behind an extraordinary work
"We are leaving behind extraordinary work," declared Vjosa Osmani at the handover of the presidency to Parliament Speaker Albulena Haxhiu on Saturday.
At the official ceremony at the Presidency, Osmani said that she is happy that a woman will hold the position, while wishing that there will be a woman in this position after Haxhiu.
"I welcome you, Madam Speaker of the Assembly and from tonight at midnight, also Acting President of the Republic. It has always been one of my great wishes that whenever I leave this office, I leave a woman behind. This wish is being fulfilled today and I very much hope that, as the people say, you will also raise your foot so that there will be a woman in this office after you. With full confidence that women always show special care towards the institutions and towards every citizen of the Republic. On behalf of all the collaborators here in the Presidency and many others who are not here at the moment, I wish you much success during the time you will remain here as Acting President", Osmani initially declared.
Osmani said that Haxhiu's job will not be easy. She also said that she hopes that the Assembly will elect a new president as soon as possible.
"It will not be an easy task. I have also tried both in 2021 as both Speaker of Parliament and Acting President. As much as they have their challenges, being the head of state and leading the country's foreign policy and its army, and other duties such as representing unity are an extraordinary responsibility and we wish you much success and health in the coming period. At the same time, we very much hope that the Assembly will elect the new president as soon as possible in the hope that we will have institutional stability at a time when not only our country and our region, but the entire world is going through major crises. When I came to this office in November 2020, there were extraordinary circumstances. Today, we are leaving behind you an extraordinary work. We will have the opportunity during the meeting to talk about many processes that have started and successfully completed, but also those that have started and I hope that you will continue them. There are a number of folders here, 1 percent of the work just to start, that also cover foreign policy both the justice sector, and defense and other areas. What is important is that I and the staff will be at your complete disposal, every day 24/7 for whatever is needed for this country, information, support that our country needs, because commitment to the state is never linked to the positions we hold. And it will not be from now on. Whatever you need, we are just a call away", said Osmani.
She stated that the institution of the Presidency is being handed over "strong, with integrity and strong alliances", saying that President Ibrahim Rugova built it as such.