21 Civil Society Organisations Write to Vyosa Osmani, These are their demands

One of these concerns the country's 2026 budget approval.

Full letter:

Dear President Osmani,

In the absence of a political agreement on forming the new government, and after public statements by leaders of the largest parliamentary parties that they have no interest or opportunity to create Government even if such an opportunity is offered, the country is heading towards new parliamentary elections.

In these sensitive circumstances for the country's institutional and economic stability, by relying on your previous willingness to consult civil society and your invitation to share with you our concerns and proposals whenever we consider them important to the country, we, as civil society organisations and professionals engaged in the field of government, public finance, and democracy feel the civic and professional obligation to address our current situation with some concrete proposals for responsible and legal overcoming it.

We are aware that there are many issues that require urgent attention from the Kosovo Assembly in this sensitive political period. However, we appreciate that two of them are especially necessary and that broad reconciliation can be achieved among all political forces. The adoption of next year's budget and the adoption of agreements between the Republic of Kosovo and the European Union for the Growth Plan prior to the dissolution of the Parliament.

According to Article 24 of the Public Finance Management and Responsibilities Law, in cases when the budget law is not adopted before the start of the fiscal year and we have national elections in the latter part of the year, then temporary extensions of the preliminary budget (2025) can occur only until the end of February of next year. After the end of this period, if the acute Assembly does not authorize an extension until March of next year, as the highest law allows, then no budgetary organisation can authorize expenses, except payments on public debt. Such a situation would paralyse payments for the salaries of teachers, doctors, public administration, for social transfers of hundreds of thousands of Kosovo citizens, the realisation of public work, and more.

Also, as a result of the multi-month institutional blockade, Kosovo is the only country in the region that has not yet ratified agreements with the European Union on the Growth Plan. This is unable to collect the first tranche for measures implemented under this agreement and the loss of an important opportunity to restore the trust of the European Union and citizens in the devotion of the country's institutions to the European integration process.

In view of your constitutional and consensual role, we call on you to undertake the initiative for political mediation, inviting parliamentary parties to find a temporary and functional solution to the budget and agreement issue in question before the current Parliament and the country can go to the polls.

We propose these possible legal and applicable ways:

The government in charge of handing over the 2026 budget bill to the Parliament, in accordance with the competencies given to the Law on Government, and in accordance with the laws and Constitutional Court judgments, so that the current Parliament will adopt a regular budget for next year with accelerated procedure. This is also the best and safest option, given that establishing new institutions could drag on for months, as happened this year. We stress that the new government, after the transition, can complete and change the budget and adjust some of the lines to its schedule.

If you try higher, then the current Assembly will at least vote for an extension of the current budget by the end of March 2026, based on provisions of Article 24 of the Public Finance Management Law, in order to ensure the basic functioning of the state and financial stability until the formation of new institutions.

Such a step, in addition to avoiding the risk of an unprecedented budgetary crisis, would bring greater calm and security to citizens, especially those dependent on salaries and public transfers, saving them from feelings of anxiety and economic uncertainty during the election period. Such financial and institutional stability would also be essential for the prosperity of the democratic process, enabling citizens to exercise their right to vote freely, and without feelings of economic pressure or uncertainty about the future.

To ratify the Constitutional Agreement, already negotiated and signed by the European Commission and the Government of Kosovo. Also sign the Loan Agreement by the acting deputy minister in charge of the MPPT, since there is no deputy mandate. We want to stress that signing this agreement does not violate the Law on Government, since its initiative took place on December 4th, 2024, at the time the Government had a full mandate. Only when these two agreements are ratified can Kosovo benefit from the Development Plan.

We recommend that in the service of accelerated procedures, Article 123 of the Parliament's Rules for Cross-terms and other procedural actions in order to adopt the budget and ratify the agreements be made at the speed required by the emergency of the situation.

The country's financial future and the well-being of citizens should not be held hostage by political blockades. We believe that your experience, authority and unifying role as president of the Republic may be determining to avoid a crisis that would affect many families in Kosovo, as well as strengthen trust in institutions and partnership with the European Union at this crucial moment for the country.

With respect,

GAP Institute
Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF)
Institute for Development Policy (INDEP)
Kosovo Institute for European Policy (EPIK)
Group for Jury and Political Studies (GLPS)
Kosovar Institute for Local Governance (KLGI)
SHL-Kosovo
Balkan Green Foundation (BGF)
Community Building Mitrovica (CBM)
Community Development Fund (CDF)
Kosovar Centre for Gender Studies (QKSGJ)
Activism Roots
Forum for Citizen Initiative (FIQ)
Social Group Development Centre (CSGD)
Kosovo
EC Change it.
YMCA Kosova
TOKA
Organization for Partnership, Engineering and Development (OPED)
Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC)
Pristina Institute for Political Studies (PIPS)