President Barbie might be the real deal after all.
Sporting a bright pink blazer on Wednesday, Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani had a message to close out a press conference for journalists.
“This Barbie is the president,” she said, gesturing at herself as the room erupted in applause.
Osmani — who was elected as Kosovo’s second female president in 2021 — has been an advocate for gender equality in the small Balkan country, speaking out against violence against women and presiding over the most gender-equal Cabinet in Kosovo’s history.
“In education, sports, culture, business, science or politics, women have demonstrated that they are capable of reaching the heights of success … To all the women and girls of the republic, today and every day: Never stop dreaming, but most importantly, never stop believing,” Osmani said in a statement on International Women’s Day this year.
Barbie, the summer 2023 Hollywood blockbuster, has another surprising link to Pristina. The film includes a cameo by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa, who was appointed Ambassador Barbie — sorry, honorary ambassador — of Kosovo in 2022.
There’s currently no word on whether Barbieland recognizes Kosovo.
CORRECTION: This article has been corrected to note that Vjosa Osmani is Kosovo’s second female president.
