Buzhala: Osmani is seeking help from Edi Rama and Hashim Thaçi for a second term
In Nacionale, Berat Buzhala reads recent political moves as a bid to secure a second presidential term — a strong claim that warrants measured scepticism.
PRISHTINA — Berat Buzhala, columnist and owner of Nacionale, has published a piece that has drawn political attention: he argues that President Vjosa Osmani is seeking the backing of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi to secure a second term at the Presidential Palace.
In Buzhala’s reading, the strained relationship between Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti has pushed the president to build an alternative network of influence beyond LVV. The columnist alleges this network involves ties to official Tirana and discreet outreach to circles still loyal to Thaçi, even as the latter faces charges before the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
Buzhala frames the analysis as a warning to both the Kurti government and the opposition, who in his view must understand that the contest for the presidency does not begin in an election year but many months earlier.
The Argument
The argument is provocative and, as such, deserves caution. Buzhala is not a neutral observer — Nacionale has openly critical positions on LVV and frequently on Osmani. This does not invalidate his thesis, but it does require readers to separate what is documented (the chilly Osmani-Kurti relationship) from what is conjectured (a tacit pact with Rama and Thaçi).
A balanced view would note that consultation among regional leaders is normal practice, and that political proximity between Pristina and Tirana does not automatically translate into a quiet deal over the presidency. Equally, any link to Thaçi would carry reputational cost — something Osmani is unlikely to assume without strong evidence.
Paraphrasing Buzhala, presidencies are not won by popularity alone; they require careful and sometimes uncomfortable alliances — a general observation that holds true even if the specific case is debatable.
The most useful takeaway is the reminder that half of Kosovo’s politics happens behind the curtain. Regardless of individual claims, citizens have a right to demand transparency on the appointments and consultations that shape the country’s highest institutions.
Source: Nacionale — Opinion column by Berat Buzhala