Vjosa Osmani | |
---|---|
5th President of Kosovo | |
Assumed office 4 April 2021 | |
Prime Minister | Albin Kurti |
Preceded by | Glauk Konjufca (acting) |
Acting 5 November 2020 –22 March 2021 | |
Prime Minister | Avdullah Hoti |
Preceded by | Hashim Thaçi |
Succeeded by | Glauk Konjufca (acting) |
6th Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo | |
In office 3 February 2020 –22 March 2021 | |
President | Hashim Thaçi |
Preceded by | Glauk Konjufca |
Succeeded by | Glauk Konjufca |
Personal details | |
Born | [1] Mitrovica,SAP Kosovo,SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo) | 17 May 1982
Political party | Independent (2021–present) |
Other political affiliations |
|
Spouse | Prindon Sadriu (m. 2012) |
Children | 2 |
Education | University of Pristina University of Pittsburgh (LLM, SJD) [4] |
Profession | Politician and legal academic |
Signature | |
Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu (born 17 May 1982) is a Kosovar Albanian jurist and politician who has served as the 5th and current president of Kosovo since 4 April 2021. [5] [6]
Osmani was born and raised in Mitrovica, Yugoslavia and studied law at the University of Pristina and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She worked as an advisor to the president of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu before she was elected to the Assembly. Osmani held the position of Speaker of the Assembly from February 2020 to March 2021, and also served as acting president between November 2020 and March 2021 after the resignation of President Hashim Thaçi. Upon her election as president, Osmani became the second woman to hold the position, as well as the first person to have served as both acting president and president of Kosovo.
Osmani successfully ran on an anti-corruption platform and has expressed a desire to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Since taking office, Osmani has returned the flag of Dardania as the official symbol of the presidency.
Vjosa Osmani was born on 17 May 1982 in Mitrovica, Kosovo, then a part of the Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia to ethnic Albanian parents. [1] [7] She grew up with four siblings, and completed her primary and secondary education in her hometown. [7] [1] Osmani was a teenager during the Kosovo War, and she once stated that she "can still feel" the barrel of an M70 rifle that a soldier forced into her mouth after her home in Mitrovica had been raided. [7]
Osmani earned her bachelor's degree in law from the University of Prishtina. [8] [9] She continued with graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law), earning a master's degree in law (LLM) in 2005 and a doctorate in juridical science (SJD) in 2015. [10] [4] [11] Her doctoral dissertation addressed the applicability of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) in Kosovo as Kosovo's legal status has evolved since 1988, when the CISG first entered into force. [11]
Osmani has been a teaching assistant at the University of Pristina, [9] [12] a lecturer at RIT Kosovo, [9] [1] and a visiting professor at the University of Pittsburgh. [9] [10]
Osmani's political career began in her teens, as an activist for the centre-right Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). [1] On 27 August 2009, she was elected chief of staff for then president Fatmir Sejdiu. [1] Osmani had also served as legal counsel and foreign policy advisor to the president. [10] She was a member of the Assembly of Kosovo for three terms, and once received the largest number of votes for a female politician in Kosovan parliamentary history. [10] [1]
Osmani contributed to the independence of Kosovo, as the president's representative for the Constitution Commission, the body that prepared the Kosovan constitution. She represented Kosovo in a case at the International Court of Justice, where she defended the legality of Kosovo's independence. [13]
As part of her parliamentary duties, Osmani served as the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Diaspora and Strategic Investments and the Committee on European Integration. She also served as the vice-chair of the Committee on Constitutional Reforms in Kosovo. [10]
In 2014, Osmani clashed with LDK leadership, including party leader Isa Mustafa, when she criticized the LDK for forming a coalition government with its long-time rival party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), breaking a previously made pledge. [14] [15] Osmani also boycotted the presidential election in 2016, in which PDK leader Hashim Thaçi was elected president as part of the coalition agreement. [14] [16]
Osmani was viewed as a possible prime minister of Kosovo by the LDK in the 2019 snap parliamentary election. [13] [17] While campaigning for the election, she said the Kosovan people were ready for a female prime minister, and that she could fight corruption and make free market reforms for Kosovo. [18] [19] She lost the election to Albin Kurti, leader of the left-wing anti-establishment party Vetëvendosje, and had received 176,016 votes. [20]
On 20 June 2020, Osmani was removed from her position as her party's deputy leader, after LDK leader Mustafa called for her dismissal due to her public opposition of decisions made by the party. [15] [21] Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti replaced her as LDK deputy leader. [15] Osmani later quit the LDK altogether on 7 September 2020, stating that the party had left her no choice, but adding that she would return if the party were reformed. [22] [23]
In 2020, Osmani was appointed acting president of Kosovo after President Thaçi resigned following an indictment by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor's Office in The Hague. [24]
In preparation for the 2021 Kosovan parliamentary election, Osmani announced the founding of her own political party, Guxo, on 2 January 2021. [25] She also aligned with Kurti's Vetëvendosje party. Running on an anti-corruption platform, both parties scored landslide victories, and Osmani personally received more than 300,000 votes. [24] The election also gave women a third of the 120-seat parliament and an unprecedented six positions out of fifteen in the cabinet. [24]
In contrast, the LDK, Osmani's former party, did very poorly in the elections, as predicted by LDK members who had publicly criticized the earlier ouster of Osmani in 2020. [26] [15] [27] The LDK lost roughly half of its seats in parliament, and party leader Mustafa resigned on 14 March. [28] [29] [30] [31]
On 4 April 2021, the assembly elected Osmani as Kosovo's president during its third round of voting. [32] [8] Although the vote was unattended by two opposition parties as well as a party representing the ethnic Serb minority in Kosovo, 82 members of the 120-seat parliament cast their votes during the second day of the extraordinary session. [33] [24] [lower-alpha 1] She won 71 of the votes, while 11 votes were declared invalid, and was subsequently sworn in for a five-year term later that day, becoming Kosovo's second female president. [33] [8] Osmani said that she hoped to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia, while also calling for Belgrade to apologize for the war that led to Kosovo's declaration of independence and to prosecute those who had committed war crimes. [32] [33]
Before taking the oath of office, Osmani resigned from the leadership of Guxo. [36] [37] [lower-alpha 2] Newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gërvalla replaced her as Guxo's head. [39]
The number of visits per country where President Osmani traveled as per 6 May 2024 are:
No. | Country | Date | Cities visited | Type of visit | Rf. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Albania | 17 December 2020 | Tirana | Official visit [lower-alpha 3] | [40] |
2 | Belgium | 12–13 January 2021 | Brussels | Official visit [lower-alpha 3] | [41] [42] |
3 | Switzerland | 2–5 March 2021 | Bern | Official visit [lower-alpha 3] | [43] |
4 | Slovenia | 17 May 2021 | Kranj | Brdo-Brijuni Process | [44] |
5 | Estonia | 10–11 June 2021 | Tallinn | Official visit | [45] [46] |
6 | Turkey | 17–18 June 2021 | Antalya | SEECP Summit | [47] |
7 | Austria | 22 June 2021 | Vienna | Official visit | [48] |
8 | Japan | 23 July 2021 | Tokyo | 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony | [49] |
9 | Switzerland | 1 September 2021 | Interlaken | Swiss Economic Forum | [50] |
10 | Germany | 14 September 2021 | Berlin | Official visit | [51] |
11 | United States | 19–25 September 2021 | New York City | Working visit | [52] |
12 | 15–16 October 2021 | United Nations Security Council Meeting | [53] | ||
13 | Portugal | 28–29 October 2021 | Lisbon | Official visit | [54] |
14 | Canada | 19–24 November 2021 | Ottawa and Halifax | [55] | |
15 | Germany | 18 February 2022 | Munich | Munich Security Conference | [56] |
16 | Turkey | 26 February–1 March 2022 | Ankara and Istanbul | Official visit | [57] |
17 | Malta | 2–3 March 2022 | Valletta | [58] | |
18 | Turkey | 11–13 March 2022 | Antalya | Antalya Diplomacy Forum | [59] |
19 | Qatar | 25–29 March 2022 | Doha | Official visit | [60] |
20 | United States | 26–30 April 2022 | Washington, D.C. | Funeral ceremony of Madeleine Albright | [61] |
21 | Panama | 4–6 May 2022 | Panama City | Official visit | [62] |
22 | Costa Rica | 7–9 May 2022 | San José | Inauguration of President Rodrigo Chaves Robles | [62] |
23 | United States | 10–11 May 2022 | Washington, D.C. | Munich Leaders Meetings | [63] |
24 | Lithuania | 12–13 May 2022 | Vilnius | Official visit | [64] |
25 | Greece | 10–11 June 2022 | Athens | SEECP Summit | [65] |
26 | North Macedonia | 16–17 June 2022 | Skopje and Lake Prespa | Official visit and Prespa Forum Dialogue | [66] |
27 | European Union | 23 June 2022 | Brussels | EU-Western Balkans Summit | |
28 | Thailand | 24–26 June 2022 | Bangkok | Official visit | [67] |
29 | Singapore | 27–28 June 2022 | Singapore | Official visit | [68] |
30 | Slovenia | 4–5 July 2022 | Ljubljana | Official visit | [69] |
31 | Albania | 24 July 2022 | Tirana | Inauguration of President Bajram Begaj | [70] |
32 | United States | 25–27 July 2022 | Washington, D.C. | Working visit | [71] |
33 | Czech Republic | 30 August – 2 September 2022 | Prague | Official visit | [72] |
34 | Slovenia | 12 September 2022 | Kranj | Brdo-Brijuni Process | [73] |
35 | Germany | 15 September 2022 | Potsdam | Working visit | [74] |
36 | United Kingdom | 19 September 2022 | London | State funeral of Elizabeth II | [75] |
37 | United States | 20–27 September 2022 | New York City | Official visit | [76] |
38 | Czech Republic | 6–7 October 2022 | Prague | 1st European Political Community Summit | [77] |
39 | France | 10 November 2022 | Paris | Paris Peace Forum | [78] |
40 | Austria | 16 November 2022 | Vienna | Official visit | [79] |
41 | Tunisia | 19–20 November 2022 | Djerba | OIF Summit | [80] |
42 | Bulgaria | 30 November–1 December 2022 | Sofia | Official visit | [81] |
43 | Albania | 6 December 2022 | Tirana | EU-Western Balkans Summit | [82] |
44 | Vatican City | 23 January 2023 | Vatican City | Official visit | [83] |
45 | Italy | Rome | |||
46 | Iceland | 2–3 February 2023 | Reykjavik | Working visit | [84] |
47 | Montenegro | 7 February 2023 | Podgorica | Official visit | [85] |
48 | Germany | 18 February 2023 | Munich | Munich Security Conference | [86] |
49 | Italy | 11 April 2023 | Frascineto, Catanzaro and Cosenza | Working visit | [87] |
50 | North Macedonia | 26 April 2023 | Skopje | Official visit | [88] |
51 | United Kingdom | 5–6 May 2023 | London | Coronation of King Charles III | [89] |
52 | Montenegro | 20 May 2023 | Podgorica | Inauguration of President Jakov Milatović | [90] |
53 | Moldova | 1 June 2023 | Chișinău | 2nd European Political Community Summit | [91] |
54 | Turkey | 3 June 2023 | Ankara | Inauguration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | [92] |
55 | France | 14 June 2023 | Strasbourg | The plenary session of the European Parliament | [93] |
56 | Luxembourg | 15 June 2023 | Luxembourg City | Official visit | [94] |
57 | Germany | 16 June 2023 | Berlin | Working visit | [95] |
58 | Montenegro | 27 June 2023 | Podgorica | SEECP Summit | [96] |
59 | Austria | 27 August 2023 | Alpbach | 2023 European Forum Alpbach | [97] |
60 | Albania | 5–6 September 2023 | Tirana | Official visit | [98] |
61 | North Macedonia | 11 September 2023 | Skopje | Brdo-Brijuni Process | [99] |
62 | United States | 17–23 September 2023 | New York City | Working visit | [100] |
63 | Spain | 5 October 2023 | Granada | 3rd European Political Community Summit | [101] |
64 | Croatia | 10 October 2023 | Zagreb | Official visit | [102] |
65 | United States | 23 October 2023 | New York City and Des Moines | Working visit | [103] |
66 | Singapore | 6 November 2023 | Singapore | Working visit | [104] |
67 | Finland | 9 November 2023 | Helsinki | Funeral ceremony of Martti Ahtisaari | [105] |
68 | Portugal | 15 November 2023 | Lisbon | Working visit | [106] |
69 | United Arab Emirates | 2–4 December 2023 | Dubai | Working visit | [107] |
70 | Turkey | 8 December 2023 | Istanbul | Working visit | [108] |
71 | Qatar | 10–11 December 2023 | Doha | Doha Forum | [109] |
72 | European Union | 13 December 2023 | Brussels | EU–Western Balkan Summit | [110] |
73 | Qatar | 25–27 February 2024 | Doha | Working visit | [111] |
74 | Albania | 28 February 2024 | Tirana | Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit | [112] |
75 | Turkey | 1 March 2024 | Antalya | Antalya Diplomacy Forum | [113] |
76 | United States | 6–9 May 2024 | Dallas | 2024 US-Africa Business Summit | [114] |
During Osmani's master's studies at the University of Pittsburgh, the university presented her with the Excellence for the Future Award twice. [1] In 2017, the University of Pittsburgh Center for International Studies awarded her the Sheth International Young Alumni Achievement Award for her contribution to democracy and human rights. [10] [13]
On 28 February 2022, Osmani was awarded a Honoris Causa from Ankara University. [115]
In 2012, Osmani married Prindon Sadriu, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [3] They have twin daughters. [24] Osmani speaks Albanian, English, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, and Turkish. [1]
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