German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, says Kosovo must urgently form its institutions

Following the 22nd failed attempt to constitute the Assembly, Rohde stated in a declaration to ​KosovaPress that the situation has turned into a blockade that negatively affects Kosovo's image abroad.

Rohde emphasized that the lack of functional institutions not only impacts internal decision-making processes but also prevents Kosovo from benefiting from international initiatives, such as the European Union’s Growth Plan.

“You describe the word—it’s a deadlock, a standstill. I said it last week—it makes people apathetic, and the last thing a vibrant democracy needs is a blockade. The people did their job on February 9, and now politicians must put the state first, and party politics second. So, I think it is urgently needed for Kosovo to form its institutions. But it’s not my job to do the politicians’ work—I can only observe. But I can tell you for sure, it does not enhance Kosovo’s image abroad. If you don’t have a functioning institution, it’s hard to do your homework because you don’t have the power of procure to make tough decisions, which are needed now. Whether it’s the EU Growth Plan funds, which are on hold because the Kosovo Assembly isn’t functional—you simply can’t ratify the agreement,” said Rohde.

The German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, says the deadlock in the Assembly stems from the lack of compromise between political parties.

“Quite simply, the needed compromise between political sides is lacking... I’m not here to hand out grades, but I can say that in politics, compromise is necessary. And since I’m the German ambassador, I can certainly refer to my own country. We had difficult elections, difficult results, but people compromised because they put the state first. We had elections two weeks after Kosovo, and now we have a functional parliament for a month already. I hope Kosovo follows our lead soon,” Rohde stressed.

On Tuesday, MPs failed once again to constitute the Assembly in the 22nd attempt. Even in this latest try, Lëvizja Vetëvendosje, in coalition with Guxo and Alternativa, did not manage to form the Commission for the secret vote to elect the Speaker of the Assembly.