With 71 votes in favor from the 82 lawmakers present, the Parliament of Kosovo elected today Vjosa Osmani, as Kosovo’s new President. The 38-year-old reformist Osmani won in the third round of voting against Nasuf Bejta, while in the first two rounds she couldn’t receive the necessary number of votes to be elected President. Two opposition parties and the Serb minority party did not attend the process, since they considered Osmani a dividing figure.
Last November, Osmani took the role of Acting President of Kosovo after former President Hashim Thaçi resigned ahead of his impending war crimes trial in the Netherlands. During the last general election of the 14th of February, the joint ticket between Albin Kurti for Prime Minister and Vjosa Osmani for President managed to win the largest number of votes, receiving 378,550 votes, or 47,85% of the votes. “Today is the day where your will expressed in the 14th of February is being fulfilled,” declared Osmani in her first speech to the nation after elected President. “Today Kosovo once again elected a woman president, and to all the young girls who may be watching us in these moments, I hope you will always remember what I am saying to you right now: girls deserve to be in the place where they want to be, in the place where they dream each night to be,” said Osmani. In her speech, Osmani talked also about the dialogue with Serbia, saying that peace “will be achieved only if we see remorse from Serbia.”
Osmani is Kosovo’s second female president following Atifete Jahjaga, who served as president between 2011 and 2016. Osmani’s political career began in her teens, as an activist for the LDK, while during her political life, she has held a number of high ranking positions, including being a member of the Kosovo Assembly for three terms and Speaker of the Assembly. She is known for her contribution to Kosovo Independence.
