PRISTINA — Kosovo lawmakers voted into office a new government led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Sunday. The assembly session concluded with the approval of the cabinet, ending a period of political uncertainty that has persisted for more than 18 months.

The new government received support from 62 lawmakers in the 120-member assembly. Parliamentary Speaker Albulena Haxhiu stated that the new government was backed by 62 lawmakers out of the country’s 120-seat assembly.

Opposition lawmakers boycotted the parliamentary session. They accused Kurti of violating postelection procedures and insisted on the election of deputy speakers before the vote on the new government was held. Opposition parties said they will take alleged postelection procedural mistakes to the Constitutional Court.

An early election in December 2025 resulted in Kurti forming a government, but parties could not agree on a president. Choosing a president requires a quorum of at least 80 lawmakers in Kosovo’s 120-member assembly. Albin Kurti did not have the required quorum of 80 lawmakers to choose a president.

Why It Matters

Months of political paralysis have stalled legislative reforms required for European Union integration. Kosovo's political deadlock since 2025 has delayed EU integration reforms, risking access to pre-accession funds critical for economic development. The stalled reforms threaten Kosovo’s access to some pre-accession funds.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Kosovo is recognized by the United States and most EU countries. Serbia, Russia, and China do not recognize Kosovo's independence. Pristina and Belgrade have been told they must mend relations to move forward with their EU membership bids.

Timeline

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 on February 17, 2008. The political crisis began after an election in February 2025 when no party won enough votes to form a government on February 1, 2025. An early election in December 2025 resulted in Kurti forming a government, but parties could not agree on a president on December 1, 2025.

Kurti's ruling center-left Vetevendosje party won the most votes in the June election on June 1, 2026. Vetevendosje received fewer votes in the June election than in previous elections on June 1, 2026.

On August 31, 2026, Kosovo's Vetevendosje and LDK formally agreed to support law professor Bekim Sejdiu as president, though six LDK lawmakers later rejected the deal. In late August, Kurti reached a deal with the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) to back law professor Bekim Sejdiu as president on August 31, 2026. Six LDK lawmakers stated they would not respect their leader’s decision to back Bekim Sejdiu on September 1, 2026.

What's New

In February 2025, Kosovo faced a political crisis that led to the formation of a new government, but the crisis persisted until September 2026 when a new government was finally approved. The earlier crisis involved similar political deadlock over the formation of a government and the election of a president, which also led to snap elections.

Kosovo's 60-day deadline to elect a president began on September 13, 2026, with failure to meet it triggering another snap election. Kosovo’s Vetevendosje party has won the most votes in three legislative elections held since February 2025.

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) split internally, with six of its 18 MPs refusing to back the joint presidential candidate Bekim Sejdiu despite party leadership's agreement. The United States and the EU previously urged Kurti to de-escalate political tensions in Kosovo’s north following deadly clashes between Kosovar police and armed Serbian paramilitary formations.