Kosovo approves new government after months of political deadlock

Kosovo’s parliament has approved a new government led by acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, breaking three months of government paralysis while setting the stage for a constitutional showdown over the presidency.

The new government was backed by 62 lawmakers out of the country’s 120-seat assembly, Parliamentary Speaker Albulena Haxhiu said Sunday.

Kosovo has faced months of political instability because Kurti’s Vetevendosje (Self-determination) party needs opposition support to secure the two-thirds majority required to elect a president.

If parliament fails to elect a new president, ⁠Kosovo will have to hold another snap ⁠election, the fourth in only two years.

It is currently unclear when a presidential vote will take place.

Kurti’s party has come on top in three legislative elections held since February 2025, including two snap polls in December 2025 and June 2026, but it has failed to garner enough support to install the largely symbolic president.

The political crisis over electing a head of state is expected to persist.

In late August, Kurti reached a deal with the opposition Democratic League ‌of Kosovo (LDK), which has 18 MPs, to back law professor Bekim Sejdiu as the country’s new president. A day later, six LDK lawmakers said they would not respect their leader’s decision.

The deepening domestic deadlock is closely linked to Kurti’s hardline approach towards neighbouring Serbia, which has severely strained his standing at home and abroad. Opposition parties have repeatedly blamed Kurti for alienating Kosovo’s traditional Western backers through unilateral measures in the Serb-dominated north, making them reluctant to cooperate with his government.

The United States and the EU previously urged Kurti to take action to de-escalate political tensions in Kosovo’s north, following deadly clashes between Kosovar police and armed Serbian “paramilitary formations”.

Beyond the diplomatic rift, the fallout has carried direct economic consequences. Months of paralysis have stalled legislative reforms required for European Union integration, threatening Kosovo’s access to some pre-accession funds.