Eva Palatová, Head of the EU in Kosovo ad Interim, has called on Kosovo's political leaders to form a functioning government and end more than a year of institutional stalemate, warning that repeated elections risk voter fatigue and that a window of EU integration opportunity should not be missed. In an op-ed published on 8 July 2026 by the EU Office in Kosovo, Palatová noted that Kosovo's citizens have voted three times in 18 months — in February 2025, December 2025 and on 7 June 2026 — each time in peaceful and well-administered elections, but that no stable government has emerged.
The February 2025 elections did not lead to a government, the December 2025 vote failed to produce the parliamentary majority needed to elect a president, and the Assembly functioned only briefly before the country returned to the polls. Turnout in the June 2026 elections fell significantly compared to December 2025, a sign, Palatová argued, that repeated elections without clear outcomes risk creating frustration among citizens. The Constitutional Court has repeatedly been called upon to resolve disputes, but Palatová stressed that courts cannot substitute for political leadership.
Palatová pointed to the EU's renewed focus on enlargement, citing European Council President António Costa's recent visit to Pristina, during which he called enlargement a geostrategic necessity. Kosovo can benefit from up to €882.6 million in grants and favourable loans under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans by the end of 2027, and an additional €300 million from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and the Western Balkans Investment Framework for 2026-2027. However, Palatová emphasised that these opportunities require institutions capable of seizing them, and that the EU cannot do Kosovo's homework.
She echoed calls by Commissioner Marta Kos and High Representative Kaja Kallas for swift formation of institutions, urging the winning party to reach across the political spectrum to build compromises that will lead to the constitution of the Assembly, formation of a government, and election of a president, fully respecting constitutional requirements. All elected parties, she said, share a responsibility to engage in good faith and to prioritise Kosovo's EU integration above party divisions.
The op-ed concludes that the coming weeks are about restoring political functionality, rebuilding public confidence, and ensuring Kosovo benefits from the favourable momentum in the EU enlargement process. "Kosovo has voted. Now it is time to govern — and to move decisively forward on the EU integration path," Palatová wrote.