Kosovo approves new government after months of political deadlock

Kosovo’s assembly voted to approve a government headed by acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, ending roughly three months of paralysis in the legislature. Parliamentary Speaker Albulena Haxhiu said the cabinet received the support of 62 deputies in the 120-seat assembly, allowing routine governance to resume for the moment.

The approval does not settle a looming constitutional confrontation: electing a largely ceremonial president requires a two-thirds majority in parliament, and Kurti’s Vetevendosje party lacks sufficient seats on its own. Lawmakers have not set a date for the presidential ballot, and if the assembly cannot choose a president, the country would face another snap election — the fourth in two years.

The impasse reflects deeper political fractures. Kurti’s party has finished first in three legislative votes since February 2025, including two snap elections in December 2025 and June 2026, yet it still needs opposition backing to elect a head of state. In late August Kurti struck a deal with the LDK to support law professor Bekim Sejdiu for president, but the agreement quickly showed signs of strain when six LDK lawmakers said they would not follow their leadership’s decision.

Domestic tensions are tightly linked to Kurti’s stance toward neighboring Serbia. Opposition parties accuse him of taking unilateral measures in the Serb-majority north that have alienated Western partners and made them reluctant to cooperate. The United States and the EU have urged Kurti to reduce tensions after deadly clashes between Kosovar police and armed Serbian "paramilitary formations." The political deadlock has also had economic consequences: stalled legislation needed for European Union integration is threatening access to some pre-accession funds.