A Coup by Procedure? Kosovo’s Opposition Risks Democratic Collapse

As Kosovo earns global recognition for reform, internal paralysis driven by opposition obstruction now threatens to unravel its democratic progress through legal manoeuvring and procedural deadlock.

PRISTINA — Seventeen years after its declaration of independence, Kosovo is no longer classified as a fragile or conflict-affected state by the world’s two leading international financial institutions. In the same week, it also reclaimed full membership in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), a signal achievement in its institutional recovery and a striking repudiation of the political dysfunction that once defined it.

The developments mark a profound turning point for a nation long dogged by systemic corruption, political interference, and foreign-fuelled instability. They also serve as a vindication for the reformist government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose administration has sought to extricate Kosovo from the legacy of post-war decay and foreign-manipulated governance.

A Timeline of Institutional Restoration

The chain of events stretches back to 2018, when Kosovo was expelled from EQAR¹. The decision followed damning findings that the Kosovo Accr…