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Vjosa Osmani

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]

Vjosa Osmani
Official portrait, 2021
5th President of Kosovo
Assumed office
4 April 2021
Prime MinisterAlbin Kurti
Preceded byGlauk Konjufca (acting)
Acting
5 November 2020 – 22 March 2021
Prime MinisterAvdullah Hoti
Preceded byHashim Thaçi
Succeeded byGlauk Konjufca (acting)
6th Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo
In office
3 February 2020 – 22 March 2021
PresidentHashim Thaçi
Preceded byGlauk Konjufca
Succeeded byGlauk Konjufca
Personal details
Born (1982-05-17) 17 May 1982 (age 41)[1]
Mitrovica, SAP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia
(present-day Kosovo)
Political partyIndependent (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Prindon Sadriu
​
(m. 2012)​
[3]
Children2
EducationUniversity of Pristina
University of Pittsburgh (LLM, SJD)[4]
ProfessionPolitician and legal academic
Signature

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.

Early life and education

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]

Career

Osmani with U.S. president Barack Obama in 2009

Academia

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]

Politics

Meeting with former prime minister Isa Mustafa and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green in 2019

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]

2019 election

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]

Acting presidency

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]

Presidency

Osmani with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (center) and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti (right) in 2022

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][a] 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]

Osmani with Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski in Skopje, on 26 April 2023

Before taking the oath of office, Osmani resigned from the leadership of Guxo.[36][37][b] Newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gërvalla replaced her as Guxo's head.[39]

Official visits

World map highlighting countries visited by Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu as president

The number of visits per country where President Osmani traveled as per 1 March 2024 are:

No.CountryDateCities visitedType of visitRf.
1  Albania 17 December 2020TiranaOfficial visit[c][40]
2  Belgium 12–13 January 2021BrusselsOfficial visit[c][41][42]
3  Switzerland 2–5 March 2021BernOfficial visit[c][43]
4  Slovenia 17 May 2021KranjBrdo-Brijuni Process[44]
5  Estonia 10–11 June 2021TallinnOfficial visit[45][46]
6  Turkey 17–18 June 2021AntalyaSEECP Summit[47]
7  Austria 22 June 2021ViennaOfficial visit[48]
8  Japan 23 July 2021Tokyo2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony[49]
9  Switzerland 1 September 2021InterlakenSwiss Economic Forum[50]
10  Germany 14 September 2021BerlinOfficial visit[51]
11  United States 19–25 September 2021New York CityWorking visit[52]
12 15–16 October 2021United Nations Security Council Meeting[53]
13  Portugal 28–29 October 2021LisbonOfficial visit[54]
14  Canada 19–24 November 2021Ottawa and Halifax[55]
15  Germany 18 February 2022MunichMunich Security Conference[56]
16  Turkey 26 February–1 March 2022Ankara and IstanbulOfficial visit[57]
17  Malta 2–3 March 2022Valletta[58]
18  Turkey 11–13 March 2022AntalyaAntalya Diplomacy Forum[59]
19  Qatar 25–29 March 2022DohaOfficial visit[60]
20  United States 26–30 April 2022Washington, D.C.Funeral ceremony of Madeleine Albright[61]
21  Panama 4–6 May 2022Panama CityOfficial visit[62]
22  Costa Rica 7–9 May 2022San JoséInauguration of President Rodrigo Chaves Robles[62]
23  United States 10–11 May 2022Washington, D.C.Munich Leaders Meetings[63]
24  Lithuania 12–13 May 2022VilniusOfficial visit[64]
25  Greece 10–11 June 2022AthensSEECP Summit[65]
26  North Macedonia 16–17 June 2022Skopje and Lake PrespaOfficial visit and Prespa Forum Dialogue[66]
27  European Union 23 June 2022BrusselsEU-Western Balkans Summit
28  Thailand 24–26 June 2022BangkokOfficial visit[67]
29  Singapore 27–28 June 2022SingaporeOfficial visit[68]
30  Slovenia 4–5 July 2022LjubljanaOfficial visit[69]
31  Albania 24 July 2022TiranaInauguration of President Bajram Begaj[70]
32  United States 25–27 July 2022Washington, D.C.Working visit[71]
33  Czech Republic 30 August – 2 September 2022PragueOfficial visit[72]
34  Slovenia 12 September 2022KranjBrdo-Brijuni Process[73]
35  Germany 15 September 2022PotsdamWorking visit[74]
36  United Kingdom 19 September 2022LondonState funeral of Elizabeth II[75]
37  United States 20–27 September 2022New York CityOfficial visit[76]
38  Czech Republic 6–7 October 2022Prague1st European Political Community Summit[77]
39  France 10 November 2022ParisParis Peace Forum[78]
40  Austria 16 November 2022ViennaOfficial visit[79]
41  Tunisia 19–20 November 2022DjerbaOIF Summit[80]
42  Bulgaria30 November–1 December 2022SofiaOfficial visit[81]
43  Albania 6 December 2022TiranaEU-Western Balkans Summit[82]
44  Vatican City 23 January 2023Vatican CityOfficial visit[83]
45  ItalyRome
46  Iceland 2–3 February 2023ReykjavikWorking visit[84]
47  Montenegro 7 February 2023PodgoricaOfficial visit[85]
48  Germany 18 February 2023MunichMunich Security Conference[86]
49  Italy 11 April 2023Frascineto, Catanzaro and CosenzaWorking visit[87]
50  North Macedonia 26 April 2023SkopjeOfficial visit[88]
51  United Kingdom 5–6 May 2023LondonCoronation of King Charles III[89]
52  Montenegro 20 May 2023PodgoricaInauguration of President Jakov Milatović[90]
53  Moldova 1 June 2023Chișinău2nd European Political Community Summit[91]
54  Turkey 3 June 2023AnkaraInauguration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan[92]
55  France 14 June 2023StrasbourgThe plenary session of the European Parliament[93]
56  Luxembourg 15 June 2023Luxembourg CityOfficial visit[94]
57  Germany 16 June 2023BerlinWorking visit[95]
58  Montenegro 27 June 2023PodgoricaSEECP Summit[96]
59  Austria 27 August 2023Alpbach2023 European Forum Alpbach[97]
60  Albania 5–6 September 2023TiranaOfficial visit[98]
61  North Macedonia 11 September 2023SkopjeBrdo-Brijuni Process[99]
62  United States 17–23 September 2023New York CityWorking visit[100]
63  Spain 5 October 2023Granada3rd European Political Community Summit[101]
64  Croatia 10 October 2023ZagrebOfficial visit[102]
65  United States 23 October 2023New York City and Des MoinesWorking visit[103]
66  Singapore 6 November 2023SingaporeWorking visit[104]
67  Finland 9 November 2023HelsinkiFuneral ceremony of Martti Ahtisaari[105]
68  Portugal 15 November 2023LisbonWorking visit[106]
69  United Arab Emirates 2–4 December 2023DubaiWorking visit[107]
70  Turkey 8 December 2023IstanbulWorking visit[108]
71  Qatar 10–11 December 2023DohaDoha Forum[109]
72  European Union 13 December 2023BrusselsEU–Western Balkan Summit[110]
73  Qatar 25–27 February 2024DohaWorking visit[111]
74  Albania 28 February 2024TiranaUkraine–Southeast Europe Summit[112]
75  Turkey 1 March 2024AntalyaAntalya Diplomacy Forum[113]

Awards

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.[114]

Personal life

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]

Bibliography

  • Monograph: "Street Children in Kosovo"; Finnish Human Rights Program in Kosovo in Three Languages (English, Albanian, Serbian), 2004
  • Arbitration - A Guide for Judges and Practitioners; USAID, 2008
  • Bar Exam Manual - Section on Commercial Law; co-author; UNDP and Kosovo Chamber of Advocates, 2008
  • Business Law - Authorized Lectures; Riinvest University, Kosovo, 2008
  • The Big Impact of a Small Program on the Development of Rule of Law in Kosovo (in "The Export of Legal Education: Promoting and Impacting Transition Countries); Ashgate, 2009
  • Representing Kosovo before the International Court of Justice; Center for International Legal Education (CILE Notes), September 2010, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
  • Balkans - Foreign Affairs, Politics and Socio-Cultures (co-author of section of Kosovo's Foreign Policy); EPOKA University Publications, Tirana, October 2011; ISBN 978-9928-4044-4-2
  • Kosovo's foreign policy: Five Years On (in "Political Thought: Foreign Policy and Aspects of International Diplomacy", co-author; 2011, No 43, September 2013; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung)
  • The Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Shaping the Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kosovo; University of Pittsburgh, Law Review, except publication: FALL, 2014

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vjosa Osmani.
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo
2020–2021		Succeeded by
Avni Dehari
Acting
Preceded by President of Kosovo
Acting
2020–2021		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Kosovo
2021–present		Incumbent
Party political offices
New political party Leader of Guxo
2021		Succeeded by
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