Kosovo ends year-long deadlock with new government formation

Kosovo’s parliament convened on Wednesday to endorse a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti of the Levizja Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement, or VV) party, marking the end of over a year of political paralysis in Europe’s youngest nation.

VV secured 57 seats in the 120-member assembly during a snap election on 28 December, allowing Kurti to form a coalition with small ethnic minority parties.

Kurti secures dominant mandate as his party consolidates power in Kosovo elections

Kurti, 50, a former political prisoner and activist, returns for his third term after brief stints in 2020 (ousted by no-confidence) and 2021-2025, followed by a caretaker role amid the impasse. The new government faces pressing challenges: approving the 2026 budget, unlocking hundreds of millions in international loans and aid, reforming underperforming health and education systems, and managing tensions with Serbia. Parliament must also elect a new president by 5 March, requiring a two-thirds majority (80 votes) – a hurdle Kurti lacks without opposition support, risking another snap poll if unmet.

The deadlock originated from an inconclusive February 2025 election, where VV won the most votes (about 42%) but failed to secure a governing majority due to unified opposition resistance. This led to months of institutional gridlock: no speaker was elected until Dimal Basha in August, and the assembly was only constituted in October after Nenad Rašić’s election as a deputy.

President Vjosa Osmani dissolved parliament on 20 November, triggering the December snap vote, where VV surged to 49-51% (56-57 Albanian seats), bolstered by turnout around 45%. Opposition parties trailed: Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) at 21% (22-23 seats), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) at 13-14% (14-15 seats), and Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) at 5-6% (6 seats). Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista claimed 9 of 10 Serb-minority seats.

Kosovo’s turmoil reflects deeper historical fractures. A former Yugoslav province, it endured ethnic tensions culminating in the 1998-99 war, where NATO’s bombing halted Serbian forces amid an Albanian uprising. Under UN administration until 2008, Kosovo declared independence with U.S. backing, recognized by over 100 countries but rejected by Serbia, Russia, China, and EU members Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania. Home to 1.6 million (mostly ethnic Albanians), it grapples with poverty, instability, organized crime, and stalled EU aspirations—candidate status since 2016, but progress hindered by rule-of-law issues and the EU-mediated Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, stalled over northern Serb enclaves and mutual recognition.

Kurti’s left-leaning, nationalist VV emphasizes anti-corruption, welfare expansion, and sovereignty, often clashing with international calls for compromise on Serbia. This victory consolidates his mandate for domestic reforms, but balancing EU/Western demands with hardline stances risks renewed isolation.

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With Reuters, edited by g.g.

Caption: Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo and leader of Vetevendosje (LVV) party Albin Kurti (C), greets supporters in Pristina, Kosovo, 28 December 2025. EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI