After nearly a year without an effective government, Kosovo’s assembly was constituted last night in its tenth legislature, clearing the way for a new cabinet led by Albin Kurti. The procedural steps that had produced months of institutional deadlock were completed within minutes after the December vote. Albulena Haxhiu, who had previously failed to be elected speaker of the assembly more than 50 times during repeated sessions between spring and autumn of last year, was finally voted into the position last night.

Kosovo has been in institutional limbo since the February 2025 election. Although Kurti’s Vetëvendosje (VV) emerged as the largest party with around 42% of the vote, it fell short of the parliamentary majority needed to secure key positions unilaterally, including that of assembly speaker.

At the centre of the impasse was the nomination of Haxhiu as speaker of the assembly, a senior Vetëvendosje figure and former justice minister. Opposition parties — the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) — accused VV of refusing to compromise, while VV argued the opposition was deliberately obstructing the institutional process. The dispute led to several referrals to the Constitutional Court, prolonging the vacuum of power and raising concerns among diplomats and civil society groups about governance, budget implementation and Kosovo’s European Union (EU) path.

The prolonged deadlock ultimately pushed the country to new elections in December, in which VV secured its strongest result to date, 51.10% consolidating its position as the dominant political force. Following that vote, political agreement allowed the procedural steps to move forward, and Haxhiu was elected speaker.

The election of deputy speakers — another sticking point during the deadlock — was also resolved. In particular, the appointment of a deputy speaker from Srpska Lista, the main Kosovo Serb political party, had previously been blocked by VV. In a notable reversal, the issue was settled with VV’s support.

Shortly afterwards, MPs voted to approve a new government. The cabinet proposed by Kurti was approved by 66 votes in favour and 49 against. VV secured 57 parliamentary seats and obtained the support of nine additional MPs from the non-Serbian national minority seats. Opposition parties — PDK, LDK and AAK — and Lista Srpska did not support the new executive.

This marks the third time Kurti has been elected prime minister, following his short-lived mandate in 2020 and his full term from 2021 to 2025.

Before presenting his cabinet, Kurti delivered an address outlining what he described as the government’s achievements during his second term, including economic growth, employment and social protection measures.

He then set out priorities for the new government centred on defense, education, healthcare, economic development and social support, placing particular emphasis on strengthening Kosovo’s defence capacities and investment in the security sector.

Much of the address reiterated commitments presented during the recent election campaigns.
Kurti’s most notable pledge is a strong focus on defence, including a planned 1 billion euro investment over the next four years aimed at strengthening strategic alliances, recruiting new soldiers, expanding the officer corps, operationalising an ammunition factory, developing a domestic military industry, and producing combat drones “Made in Kosovo” to increase the country’s defensive capacity and self-reliance in security.

In education, the government pledges to continue reforms to link school programmes to labor-market needs and expand early childhood education. In healthcare, Kurti pledged universal access to family doctors, annual medical check-ups, the construction of new hospitals in Mitrovica and Ferizaj, and an increase in the essential medicines budget to 100 million euros.

Additional commitments include support for farmers, investment in sports infrastructure, expansion of renewable energy and water resources, development of domestic manufacturing, measures to support women’s employment, recognition of grandparents’ caregiving roles and a minimum-wage increase.

Opposition MPs criticised Kurti for failing to present a detailed governing programme and the list of ministers ahead of the parliamentary session. Meanwhile, concerns surrounding the integrity of the December elections — including a full recount and an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged irregularities involving the possible diversion of votes within party lists — went unmentioned during the parliamentary session, with neither MPs nor Prime Minister Kurti addressing it in their speeches. The silence itself drew criticism, as observers noted the absence of any reference to the allegations or the ongoing investigation, including from Kurti.

Who are the new ministers?

The composition of the new government combines continuity and selective reshuffling compared with the cabinet formed in 2021. Kurti’s third government retains several ministers in the same positions while introducing a smaller group of new figures, new portfolios and institutional adjustments.

The most significant shift concerns Glauk Konjufca, who moves from his previous role as speaker of the assembly to become first deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and diaspora.

Several key ministries remain under the same leadership as in the previous mandate. Hekuran Murati continues as minister of finance, Arben Vitia as minister of health, Xhelal Sveçla as minister of internal affairs, Elbert Krasniqi as minister of local government administration, Artane Rizvanolli as minister of economy, Nenad Rašić as minister for communities and returns, and Ejup Maqedonci as minister of defense.

Some ministers remain in government but with different portfolios. Donika Gërvalla continues in the executive as second deputy prime minister and minister of justice, while Fikrim Damka serves as third deputy prime minister for minority affairs and cooperation, and Hajrullah Çeku serves as minister of education, reflecting shifts in institutional roles compared with the 2021 cabinet.

More visible change appears among first-time ministers, including Fitore Pacolli (environment and spatial planning), Mimoza Kusari-Lila (industry, entrepreneurship, trade and innovation), Rasim Demiri (regional development), Saranda Bogujevci (culture and tourism), Armend Muja (agriculture, forestry and rural development) and Dimal Basha (infrastructure and transport), none of whom held a ministerial office in the 2021 government.

The new government also introduces four new ministries that will cover labor, family and veterans; public administration and digitalisation; and youth and sports, transport and infrastructure, bringing the total number of ministerial portfolios to 19. These are led respectively by Andin Hoti, Lulëzon Jagxhiu and Blerim Gashani.

This marks the first time Kosovo has introduced a ministry explicitly dedicated to family or to veterans, but combining these two with labor blurs the mandate of each area, leaving it unclear what these ministries are intended to address and what specific responsibilities they will ultimately encompass.

A few ministers from the 2021 government are absent from the new cabinet, including Arbërie Nagavci and Rozeta Hajdari, while former First Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi is not included in the new executive structure.

Women hold five of the 19 ministerial posts, accounting for around one quarter of the cabinet.

What’s next?

Kurti called the first meeting of his government today, just hours after it was voted in. The agenda was dominated by a review of draft laws awaiting ratification of international financial and development agreements, including arrangements with the EU under the Growth Reform Instrument and financing agreements with the World Bank.

All of these draft laws had been postponed during the prolonged deadlock, which effectively froze legislative work and left several draft laws pending approval. As a result, international agreements worth millions of euros remained unratified despite their direct impact on economic development, public services and social policies.

At the same time, political instability has stalled progress on other pressing fronts. The EU-mediated Kosovo–Serbia dialogue remains frozen, depriving Kosovo of momentum in a process with significant implications for the country’s regional standing and broader Euro-Atlantic aspirations. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas congratulated Kurti on the formation of the new government, stating that it creates “new momentum to advance EU–Kosovo relations and the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue,” expressing readiness to host a high-level meeting soon. No such high-level meeting has taken place since 2023.

Despite securing 66 votes in the assembly, looking ahead, the new government’s parliamentary majority cannot yet be considered fully stable, particularly in light of the presidential election expected in March.

The mandate of President Vjosa Osmani ends in April 2026, and the election of a new president requires at least 80 MPs in the assembly for the vote to be valid. Past experience shows that presidential elections in Kosovo have often triggered prolonged political crises.

Although there has been no public indication of an agreement with opposition parties on the presidential vote, the cooperation between Vetëvendosje and opposition MPs to overcome the recent institutional deadlock — particularly through the package vote on the assembly’s deputy speakers — may signal the potential for a broader political compromise. Without such an agreement, the process risks producing another period of institutional paralysis.

Feature image: Ferdi Limani / K2.0

A year of institutional deadlock, unlocked in minutes

MPs vote to form the Kurti III government.

Gentiana Paçarizi