Justina Shiroka Pula: Kosovo’s new president, elected during a crisis

Kosovo's parliament has chosen economist Justina Shiroka Pula as the country's president, just before a constitutional deadline, sidestepping another snap election in this impoverished Balkan nation. Shiroka Pula secured 81 votes, one more than the required 81, in the 120-seat parliament on Wednesday morning. Had no president been elected, it would have triggered parliamentary elections, similar to what occurred in June.

The newly elected president emphasized the shared nature of her mandate, stating, "It belongs to our citizens... I will be the president of all citizens." Shiroka Pula's election was made possible by an agreement between the ruling Vetevendosje party, led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo. This deal aimed to curtail the powers of a Kosovo war crimes court located in The Hague.

Prior to the vote, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators who demanded the court's changes be approved. Critics argue that the Hague court's sentences are excessively severe. On September 16, the court sentenced former President Hashim Thaci and three others to a total of 81 years in prison for war crimes committed during Kosovo's 1998-1999 secession from Serbia.

While the presidency in Kosovo is mainly ceremonial, it has often been a catalyst for political instability. A two-thirds majority in parliament is required to elect a president, and parties have historically found it challenging to agree on a suitable candidate. Shiroka Pula, born in 1953, currently serves as the president of Kosovo's Academy of Sciences and Arts and was a minister of economy between 2008 and 2011.