Kosovo’s parliament rejects Kurti’s government bid, paving way for snap election

Kosovo’s parliament on 26 October failed to approve acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s proposed “Kurti 3” cabinet, marking a historic first in the young nation’s parliamentary history and thrusting the country deeper into an eight-month political crisis.

Kurti, leader of the left-wing Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) Movement, secured just 56 votes in the 120-seat assembly – five short of the 61 needed for a majority – amid unified opposition from major Albanian parties and lukewarm support from minority representatives.

This rejection, the first time since 2001 that a prime minister-designate has failed to win confidence on the initial ballot, stems from inconclusive 9 February elections where Vetevendosje won 48 seats but fell short of a governing majority.

The impasse has paralyzed institutions, delayed the 2026 budget, and stalled progress on EU integration and a €6 billion Western Balkans Growth Plan, risking Kosovo’s access to vital funds.

Kurti’s pitch falls flat

In his address before the vote, the 50-year-old Kurti – who has served two prior terms, including since 2021 when Vetevendosje’s coalition captured over 50% of the vote and a seven-seat majority – admitted he had failed to forge any coalition deals.

He unveiled a 20-member cabinet featuring familiar faces like Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca and Finance Minister Hekuran Murati, urging lawmakers to back “the continuation of good governance” despite the lack of alliances.

Kurti warned that prolonged uncertainty meant “every day without a new administration was a day of loss for development, for the citizens, for the state,” and blamed major opposition parties for showing “no willingness to co-govern.”

Opposition heavyweights – the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) – cast their ballots against, refusing to partner with the self-described Albanian nationalist over his management of ties with Western allies and escalating tensions in the Serb-majority north.

The Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA), led by Fatmir Limaj, opted to abstain, citing “eight months of institutional paralysis” extending to disputes at the Constitutional Court and demanding greater stability before any coalition.

Opposition’s scathing response

Post-vote reactions underscored the rift. PDK leader Memli Krasniqi hailed the outcome as “confirmation of Kurti’s political exhaustion,” declaring “the era of his rule is over” and accusing Vetevendosje of engineering the crisis.

He vowed PDK would not pursue a majority from fellow opposition groups and urged President Vjosa Osmani to call snap elections “immediately,” arguing it would “restore to citizens the opportunity to determine the political direction.”

LDK MP Hykmete Bajrami echoed calls for polls, positioning her party to become the top force in the next vote and form a government “without the participation of Lëvizja Vetëvendosje.” She floated a “temporary government of responsibility” as a stopgap but noted the absence of numbers, minority buy-in, and looming complications.

Next steps: President Osmani’s dilemma

Under Kosovo’s Constitution, the mandate now shifts to President Vjosa Osmani, who must consult party leaders within days to gauge prospects for a new majority.

She has 10 days to nominate another candidate – possibly from second-place PDK or third-place LDK -for a second ballot.

Both opposition parties, however, have signalled reluctance to lead without broader support and insist on elections instead.

If no viable government emerges, snap elections become inevitable within 40 days of the announcement, potentially by late November or early December.

Analysts in Pristina highlight three pivotal factors: inter-party cooperation (currently nil), minority MPs’ stances (key for any majority), and unresolved institutional legitimacy issues tied to the February vote.

Kurti remains in a caretaker role, but the deadlock – exacerbated by dozens of failed attempts to even convene parliament – threatens Kosovo’s fragile stability.

Europe’s youngest nation, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in following NATO’s 1999 intervention against Serbian forces during the Kosovo War.

Kurti’s tenure has been marked by anti-corruption drives but criticized for straining relations with Serbia and Western partners over northern Kosovo’s Serb minority.

Serbia-Kosovo tensions escalate as Vučić accuses Turkey of reviving Ottoman Empire ambitions

With IBNA, Reuters, PrishtinaInsight.com, edited by g.g.

Caption: Incumbent Prime Minister and leader of ‘Vetevendosje’ party, Albin Kurti, arrives at a polling station to cast his ballot during the parliamentary elections in Pristina, Kosovo, 9 February 2025. EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI