Protesters clashed with police outside Kosovo’s government and parliament buildings on Monday, demanding legislation to restrict the powers of the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers. The unrest escalates a deepening political crisis, as Parliament races against a constitutional deadline to elect a new president.
The standoff highlights ongoing political paralysis in the country. Although the ruling Vetëvendosje party won all three elections held since February 2025, it lacks the parliamentary majority required to elect a president and has failed to reach a consensus with opposition parties.
Tensions intensified following a September ruling by the Specialist Chambers, which sentenced former President Hashim Thaçi and three other former Kosovo Liberation Army commanders to lengthy prison terms for war crimes. The verdicts sparked widespread public anger and weeks of demonstrations.
On Monday, lawmakers approved the first reading of amendments to the court’s governing law. However, a final vote remains stalled. The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has conditioned its support for the presidential vote on the passage of this bill, while Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje party insists the president must be elected first. An afternoon meeting between Kurti and PDK leader Bedri Hamza failed to break the impasse.
Following the meeting, demonstrators attempted to block lawmakers from leaving the parliament building, demanding an immediate final vote. Police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd after protesters threw firecrackers and stones. Authorities confirmed at least 17 injuries, including six police officers, and three arrests.
The proposed legal amendments seek to cap prison sentences at 15 years, permit appeals to Kosovo’s Supreme Court, allow sentences to be served domestically, and grant the president amnesty powers.
Prime Minister Kurti expressed skepticism over the changes, labeling them “rushed and insufficiently analyzed.” Consequently, Vetëvendosje lawmakers declined to support a second vote on the PDK-sponsored amendments on the same day.
The Specialist Chambers was established in 2015 under international pressure to prosecute crimes committed during and after the 1999 war. Last month, the court sentenced the 58-year-old Thaçi to 25 years in prison for war crimes, including murder and illegal detention, committed during his tenure as a senior KLA commander.
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