Bro, what's new in the news! I was sitting quietly with my coffee when I stumbled upon a story that made my jaw drop: Kosovo, man, that little country next to us, is calling people to vote again! The third parliamentary election in the last 18 months, no joke. I mean, the seats from the previous elections haven't even cooled down yet, and it's their turn again. Why? Well, because the parties couldn't manage to elect a president, so they kept postponing until their term ran out. As Reuters, dpa, and EFE say, the parliament couldn't muster the quorum of 80 votes out of 120 to elect a head of state. So, that's it, back to the polls again!
The favorite is the same: Albin Kurti, with his left-wing party, Vetevendosje. He got 51% in December, 42% in February last year, but still couldn't get the two-thirds majority needed for president. So, in April, they dissolved parliament, and now on June 9, it's voting time again. Over 900 candidates from 17 parties and three coalitions are fighting for 120 seats. 2.1 million registered voters, of which over 130,000 from the diaspora – who, supposedly, support Kurti. I think they'd better get their act together, because this can't go on like this, like in our country, with elections until people get bored.
The European Union, of course, came with advice: "Create stable institutions, make reforms, otherwise you won't join the EU." Well, bro, look what they're doing! You think if they didn't manage in 18 months, they'll succeed now? I doubt it. Kosovo, since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008, is still Europe's youngest nation, but it seems they've taken the Romanian model: scandal, lots of talk, few deeds. Mioara was telling me yesterday: "Look, it's the same there as here, except they at least have more frequent elections, so they can feel alive."
Now, what's next? After the elections, they'll have to elect the president again, because Vjosa Osmani's term expired on April 4. So, if they don't agree now, they'll enter a vicious circle, like at slot machines. I think of my neighbor, Uncle Gheorghe, who always says: "Politics is like a shawarma: when it's hot, it's good, but if it sits, it gets cold and you don't like it anymore." Well, Kosovo is exactly that: hot elections, but nobody gives them flavor. Maybe they should call a referee, like we do on the terrace when we argue about football. Until then, I'm going to tell Brian to stop making a fuss over phones, because even in Kosovo it's chaos, but people survive.
