Chaos broke out in Kosovo's parliament after a female opposition MP threw an egg at Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti during a meeting to form the new parliament amid disputes over constitutional deadlines and efforts to establish a new government in the country.
Disorder erupted in Kosovo's parliament on Saturday (8 Aug) when Taime Kadrijaj, a member of the Assembly from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), a conservative opposition party, threw an egg at Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti during a parliamentary session in Pristina.
The incident followed Kurti's request to the parliamentary speaker for an extension to continue political negotiations with opposition parties. The request was approved, but Kadrijaj shouted "shameful" before throwing the egg at Kurti, forcing the meeting to be temporarily suspended. Kurti responded that if accepting such actions was the price to pay for political dialogue, he was willing to accept it.
The meeting was convened by Kurti's Vetëvendosje (VV) party, which won the snap general election on 7 June. However, opposition parties and some constitutional law experts opposed the meeting, arguing it might violate the constitution since the 30-day deadline set by the constitutional court for forming the parliament had expired on Friday.
This incident occurred amid prolonged political negotiations as Kurti tried to secure opposition support to elect a new president, a process requiring a two-thirds majority in parliament.
Kosovo has faced an ongoing political crisis, holding three elections in just over two years. In June's election, Kurti's VV party received about 43% of the vote, down from 51% previously, but still held a parliamentary majority when combined with ethnic minority members.
The VV party itself has a history of causing disruptions in parliament, with members having set off smoke bombs and used tear gas in the assembly chamber multiple times in 2015 and 2018 to protest government actions.
The opposition has threatened legal action against Kurti's extension request, while negotiations to nominate a presidential candidate remain stalled, risking a further prolongation of the country's political crisis.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after the Kosovo War (1998–1999), which ended following Serbia's withdrawal after NATO's air campaign.
Today, Kosovo is recognized by more than half of the world's countries, including the United States and most European Union members. However, Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence and considers it part of its territory.
/sourceASSOCIATED PRESS/DW News