Kosovo approves new government after months of political deadlock

A newly approved government offers Kosovo only brief respite before a contentious presidential vote.

Newly re-elected Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti flashes a victory sign after a session in the parliament to form the new government, in Pristina on September 13, 2026. [AFP]

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.

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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.

新成立的政府只能给科索沃带来短暂的喘息之机，随后将举行充满争议的总统选举。

2026年9月13日，在普里什蒂纳，新当选的科索沃总理阿尔宾·库尔蒂在议会召开组建新政府的会议后，做出胜利手势。[法新社]

科索沃议会批准了由代理总理阿尔宾·库尔蒂领导的新政府，打破了长达三个月的政府瘫痪状态，同时也为围绕总统职位的宪法对决埋下了伏笔。

议长阿尔布莱娜·哈吉乌周日表示，新政府得到了该国120个议席的议会中62名议员的支持。

科索沃在政治僵局中再次举行投票，寻求欧盟和北约的进展，这是三份名单中的第一份。

科索沃发现第三处战时万人坑，官员扩大搜寻范围（共3条记录，此为第2条）

塞尔维亚和乌克兰承诺加强经济联系，并寻求达成自由贸易协定（共3项，此为第3项）。

科索沃已经面临数月的政治动荡，因为库尔蒂的自决党需要反对派的支持才能获得选举总统所需的三分之二多数席位。

如果议会未能选出新总统，科索沃将不得不再次举行提前选举，这将是两年内的第四次选举。

目前尚不清楚总统选举何时举行。

自 2025 年 2 月以来，库尔蒂的政党在三次立法选举中都取得了胜利，其中包括 2025 年 12 月和 2026 年 6 月的两次提前选举，但未能获得足够的支持来扶持这位在很大程度上具有象征意义的总统。

围绕国家元首选举的政治危机预计将持续下去。

8月下旬，库尔蒂与拥有18名议员的反对党科索沃民主联盟（LDK）达成协议，支持法学教授贝基姆·塞伊迪乌担任科索沃新总统。一天后，六名LDK议员表示他们不会尊重库尔蒂的决定。

科索沃国内僵局的加深与库尔蒂对邻国塞尔维亚的强硬立场密切相关，这严重损害了他在国内外的声望。反对党一再指责库尔蒂在塞尔维亚人占主导地位的北部地区采取单边行动，疏远了科索沃传统的西方支持者，导致他们不愿与他的政府合作。

此前，科索沃警察与塞尔维亚武装“准军事部队”发生致命冲突后，美国和欧盟敦促库尔蒂采取行动，缓和科索沃北部的政治紧张局势。

除了外交裂痕之外，此次事件还带来了直接的经济后果。数月的僵局导致科索沃融入欧盟所需的立法改革停滞不前，威胁到科索沃获得部分入盟前资金。