Kosovo opposition MP throws eggs at acting PM Kurti in parliament amid political crisis

Egg-throwing halts Kosovo parliament

Kosovo's parliament suspended its session on Saturday, 8 August, after opposition MP Time Kadrijaj threw eggs at acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti while he sat in the front row of the assembly. Kadrijaj, a member of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (Aleanca), pulled the eggs from her bag and hurled them at Kurti, shouting "Shame on you". The projectiles were filled with egg yolk. The assembly's president ordered the live broadcast cut, and security officers rushed to shield the prime minister. The incident occurred as Kurti attempted to delay a crucial vote, telling parliament he needed more time to hold talks with opposition parties before proposing a candidate for speaker following the snap election in June. Kurti had invited opposition members to begin talks on forming a majority and a government after the recent elections.

Kurti, 51, remained composed. In the chamber, he declared that if being pelted with eggs was the price for dialogue, he was happy to pay it. Speaking to journalists afterward, he expanded on that view.

If throwing eggs is the price to pay to get to the negotiating table, I am in favor of paying it. The eggs don't bother me. What disappoints me is that they don't want to hold the session.

The session was nonetheless suspended.

Political deadlock

Kosovo, Europe's youngest democracy, has held three elections in less than two years, with successive parliaments collapsing under deep political divisions. The country has been stuck in a political deadlock for nearly two years. Kurti's Vetevendosje (VV) movement won the most seats in the parliamentary elections of 7 June. The Central Election Commission concluded the vote count in mid-June, with VV winning 53 of 120 seats according to Tgcom24, while lastampa.it reports the figure as 58 of 120 seats. The party holds enough seats to govern but falls short of the two-thirds majority required to elect a new president, obliging Kurti to negotiate with opposition parties. Those negotiations have so far produced no agreement.

The constitutional deadline for forming the parliament expired on Friday, 7 August, returning Kosovo's political situation to uncertainty. Kurti had been conducting negotiations with opposition parties for several days over the nomination of a new president but requested additional time to continue talks. Several MPs threatened legal action in response to that request. Kurti asked for more time to reach an agreement on the parliament presidency and avoid a new vote.

A pattern of parliamentary disruption

This is not the first time Kosovo's parliament has witnessed extraordinary disruption. Members of Kurti's own Vetevendosje party previously threw tear gas canisters into the chamber to protest votes when they were in opposition. The 51-year-old has been elected prime minister three times since March 2021. Kosovo's recent politics have been defined by a cycle of government formation and collapse. The current crisis risks triggering yet another early election, which would be the fourth in under two years if the parliament again fails to produce a stable government.