Europe13 September, 20262 min read
Kosovo Assembly Approves Albin Kurti’s Fourth Term Government With 62 Votes
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Kosovo parliament approved a new government led by Albin Kurti with 62 votes. The vote secures Kurti a fourth term as prime minister.
Kurti wins fourth term
Kosovo’s Assembly approved a new government led by Albin Kurti of the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV) with 62 votes in favor, eight against and no abstentions, giving Kurti his fourth term as prime minister. The cabinet was backed by 62 lawmakers in the 120-seat assembly, with parliamentary speaker Albulena Haxhiu saying the approval ended three months of post-election deadlock. RTSH said LVV holds 53 seats and that nine lawmakers from non-majority communities also supported the government, including eight representing non-Serb communities and one, Nenad Rašić, representing the Serb community.
RTSH added that lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance did not attend the session, while eight of the nine Serb List lawmakers attended and voted against the government. BSS also framed the vote as progress that still leaves political instability expected to continue in Europe’s youngest democracy.
Opposition boycotts, court fight
The investiture was finalized after snap elections held in June, but El Horizonte said the opposition’s rejection kept the political crisis open for more than 18 months. El Horizonte reported that the session was boycotted by opposition legislators, who accused the ruling party of violating post-election procedures, including a disagreement over the Assembly not completing the designation of its vice presidents before submitting the government formation to a vote. Los Angeles Times said opposition lawmakers boycotted the session and accused Kurti of violating post-election procedures, while also noting that lawmakers failed to elect the assembly’s vice presidents.
El Horizonte said the unhappy parties announced they will appeal to the Constitutional Court to determine whether irregularities occurred during the Parliament’s formation. RTSH said PDK lawmaker Përparim Gruda stated the party had temporarily suspended its nomination until the Constitutional Court clarifies the issue.
Presidency vote and EU stakes
After the government approval, the next key political challenge is the election of Kosovo’s president, with a 60-day deadline already started, RTSH said. RTSH reported that LVV and LDK agreed to support Bekim Sejdiu, but six of LDK’s 18 lawmakers said they will not back his candidacy, and if the Assembly fails to elect a president within the 60-day deadline, Kosovo will hold another round of extraordinary parliamentary elections. Al Jazeera said Kosovo’s parliament approved the new government while setting the stage for a constitutional showdown over the presidency, noting that if parliament fails to elect a new president, Kosovo will have to hold another snap election, the fourth in only two years.
Al Jazeera also linked the deadlock to European Union integration, saying months of paralysis have stalled legislative reforms required for European Union integration, threatening Kosovo’s access to some pre-accession funds. BSS added that the cabinet was backed by 62 lawmakers in the 120-seat assembly, while parliamentary speaker Albulena Haxhiu said the approval ended three months of post-election deadlock but did not remove the expectation of continued instability.