Vetëvendosje’s leader Albin Kurti was voted Prime Minister of Kosovo on Wednesday evening in a short parliamentary session. 66 MPs in the 120 seat Parliament supported Kurti and his cabinet, 49 were against, while one abstained.

 “In the next four years we’ll strengthen alliances [with the West], invest one billion in defence, resume the EU intermediated dialogue with Serbia, and further investment in social welfare, education, and infrastructure,” Kurti told MPs while presenting his new cabinet.

The new government of Kosovo has 19 Ministers and 3 Deputy Prime Ministers, with some newcomers and many returning names from previous cabinets.

Kurti’s election puts an end to a year-long political deadlock which marred Kosovo institutions after the February 2025 general elections proved inconclusive.

In the December 28 snap elections last year, the ruling Vetëvendosje came well in the lead with 51.1 per cent of the vote, which means he can likely form a government without coalition agreements. Vetëvendosje will have 57 MPs in the 120-seat chamber.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, led by Bedri Hamza, followed with 20.2 per cent. The Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, won 13.2 per cent of the votes and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, won 5.5 per cent.

Addressing MPs before the vote, Kurti outlined the key priorities of the incoming cabinet and its commitments while stressing that in recent years Kosovo “has made economic progress, strengthened businesses, and improved social welfare, including wage increases and higher child benefits.”

Bedri Hamza, leader of the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, said that, “support for consensus is not a sign of weakness, but of state responsibility. We will contribute to agreements that benefit Kosovo, but without compromising the national interest.”

Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of opposition party, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, said that his party “is ready for institutional cooperation in the parliament ‘on major issues’.”

Kosovo Parliament Speaker Elected

Prior to the parliamentary session and upon giving Kurti the mandate to present a government cabinet, President Vjosa Osmani wished him success in leading the new government and serving the citizens of Kosovo.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kosovo MPs elected former minister of justice Albulena Haxhiu as Parliament Speaker. The election of Haxhiu stands in sharp contrast to events of last year, when it took almost five months to elect a speaker, and even after one was elected, no government could be formed as political deadlock continued.

Haxhiu became the second woman to be elected Parliament Speaker in Kosovo’s 25 years of pluralism, after the current President Vjosa Osmani, who held the post in 2021.