Kosovo MP throws eggs at PM Kurti as parliament suspends session amid political crisis

Egg attack halts parliamentary session

Kosovo's parliament was suspended on Saturday, August 8, 2026, after opposition lawmaker Time Kadrijaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) threw four eggs at interim Prime Minister Albin Kurti during a constituting session in Pristina. Kadrijaj had brought the eggs in her handbag and hurled them at the 51-year-old prime minister, who was seated in the front row, shouting "Shame on you!" as she threw. Security personnel rushed to shield Kurti, and the presiding officer ordered the live stream cut off before the session was abandoned.

The incident was triggered by Kurti's request to the speaker for additional time to negotiate a political agreement with opposition parties over the appointment of a parliament speaker. The request was granted. Kurti told the chamber that no political agreement had been reached yet and that he had asked for more time to avoid new elections. Opposition parties and some constitutional law experts had argued that convening the session was unconstitutional, citing the expiry of a 30-day deadline set by the Constitutional Court for constituting parliament.

Eighteen months of political deadlock

Kosovo has held three parliamentary elections in less than two years. The regular election in February 2025 saw Kurti's Vetëvendosje (VV) party lose its absolute majority while remaining the strongest force. After months of failed coalition talks, snap elections followed in December 2025. A third election on June 7, 2026 became necessary because the previous parliament failed to elect a new head of state within the constitutionally required quorum.

VV won the June election but holds 53 of 120 seats, four fewer than after the December 2025 vote. Kurti needs only a handful of votes from smaller minority parties to form a government, but he lacks the two-thirds parliamentary majority required to elect a president. The Constitutional Court's 30-day deadline for constituting parliament ran from the official confirmation of results on July 8 and has now expired. Since August 6, a separate 60-day deadline has been running for parliament to elect a new head of state.

Reactions from both sides

Kurti appeared calm despite visible egg stains on his jacket and trousers. Speaking to reporters after the session's cancellation, he said that if egg-throwing was the price of parties sitting down and talking, he was willing to pay it. In comments documented by the portal Koha.net, he added:

I am not complaining that they throw eggs, I am complaining that they do not engage in dialogue.

He said the future head of state must be non-partisan and that a political agreement should reflect the election result. Kadrijaj's party leader, Ardian Gjini, publicly backed her, writing on social media, as reported by Shqiptarja.com: "Timja has never refused to serve the country." Gjini accused Kurti of deliberately blocking the formation of institutions and plunging the country into a deep crisis. AAK frontman Ramush Haradinaj positioned himself protectively in front of Kadrijaj when Kurti's bodyguards approached her. Enver Hoxhaj, a PDK lawmaker and former deputy prime minister from 2017 to 2019, said Kurti treated parliament as his personal property. Other opposition parties, including the LDK and PDK, also condemned Kurti's delaying tactics while distancing themselves from the egg attack. Kurti is no stranger to parliamentary disruption: members of his own party previously threw tear gas into the chamber to protest votes when they were in opposition.