Who Holds Power in Kosovo in 2026

KOSOVO · POLITICS EXPLAINED

Kosovo, a young Balkan state, has a new president and a government that depends on minority lawmakers. The two are now fighting over a law that could weaken the court that jailed the country’s wartime leaders.

This guide, part of the Rio Times Europe politics coverage, explains who holds power in November 2026. It matters to US readers because Washington backed Kosovo’s independence and a NATO-led peacekeeping force still serves there.

For neighbours in the same region, see our guides to Albania and Montenegro.

Who Holds Power in Kosovo

Kosovo is a parliamentary republic. The 120-seat Assembly elects the president, and the prime minister runs the government.

Albin Kurti has led the government since his Fourth Cabinet won a vote on 13 September 2026, with 62 votes for and 8 against. The three main opposition parties, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), did not take part in the vote.

Glauk Konjufca is first deputy prime minister and foreign minister, and Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz is second deputy prime minister and justice minister. Albulena Haxhiu of Vetëvendosje chairs the Assembly and served as acting president from 4 April 2026.

A President Elected After Midnight

Justina Shiroka Pula, a former energy minister, won the presidency in a secret ballot that ended just after midnight on 7 October 2026. She received 81 votes, and the Constitutional Court’s deadline for electing a president had expired at the end of 6 October.

She is the third woman to hold the office and headed the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts. She sat in the Assembly for the PDK from 2011 to 2014, yet she now serves as an independent.

Parties failed twice to elect a president, on 5 March and 27 April, and the deadlock ended in a snap election on 7 June 2026.

How the Seats Are Split

In the 7 June 2026 election, turnout was 41.45%, and Vetëvendosje won 47.13% of the vote and 53 seats. The PDK took 22 seats, the LDK 18 and the AAK 7.

Ten seats are reserved for Kosovo’s Serb community, and the Serb List, a party backed by Belgrade, won nine of them. Another ten are reserved for other minorities, and one more Serb MP, Nenad Rašić, sits outside the Serb List.

The 62 votes for Kurti’s cabinet came from Vetëvendosje’s 53 MPs and nine minority MPs. Eight Serb List MPs voted against.

Why the Hague Court Law Divides Kosovo

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers is a court that sits in The Hague and tries crimes from the 1998 to 2000 conflict with Serbia. On 16 September 2026 it convicted four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the guerrilla force that fought Serbian rule, and sentenced Hashim Thaçi, a former president, to 25 years.

The verdict can be appealed. On 5 and 6 October the Assembly approved amendments that would narrow the court’s powers.

The text limits its jurisdiction to alleged organ trafficking and linked crimes, covers only events between 1 July 1999 and 31 December 2000, caps sentences at 15 years and allows presidential pardons. The second and final reading on 6 October 2026 drew 88 votes.

The PDK had demanded the vote before it would back a president.

Brussels Pushes Back

The European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s foreign service, said the amendments run against Kosovo’s international obligations. Shiroka Pula then returned the law to the Assembly on 22 October, citing concerns about the court’s jurisdiction and the rights of defendants.

The EEAS welcomed the return and said it expects to be consulted on any new text.

Courts and Legitimacy

The PDK challenged the government’s election at the Constitutional Court, Kosovo’s top court. On 24 September 2026 the court found that the Assembly had been constituted after the legal deadline, but ruled that the government’s election was constitutional.

That ruling cleared Kurti to govern, yet it left him with a thin margin that depends on minority MPs.

What It Means for US Readers

Kosovo declared independence in 2008 with strong US backing, and a NATO-led peacekeeping force, KFOR, has served there since 1999 and currently includes US troops. Weakening the Hague court could test Washington’s long support for the rule of law in the Balkans.

For investors and travellers, the main risk is political friction between Pristina and Brussels, which could slow EU-linked funding. Readers planning a trip should check the US State Department’s current advisory for Kosovo.

What Is Not Known

No date has been set for the Assembly’s vote on the returned law, and no report of one has appeared as of 4 November 2026. It is unclear how the law would affect Thaçi’s conviction or his appeal.

The next regular election is not scheduled, and no recent independent poll is available. The Assembly serves four-year terms, but early elections are possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the president of Kosovo?

Justina Shiroka Pula, 73, is president. The Assembly elected her on 7 October 2026 with 81 of 120 votes.

Who governs Kosovo?

Albin Kurti of the Vetëvendosje party is prime minister. His cabinet won 62 votes in the 120-seat Assembly on 13 September 2026.

Why is the Specialist Chambers law disputed?

The law would narrow the Hague court’s powers and cap sentences at 15 years. The EU says it conflicts with Kosovo’s obligations, and the president returned it on 22 October 2026.

Is Kosovo a NATO member?

No. Kosovo is not a NATO member, but a NATO-led force, KFOR, has kept the peace there since 1999.

Sources: Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, 2026-11; Central Election Commission of Kosovo, results of 7 June 2026, 2026-07; Constitutional Court of Kosovo, ruling of 24 September 2026, 2026-09; Kosovo Specialist Chambers, 2026-09; European External Action Service, statements on the Specialist Chambers law, 2026-10; Office of the President of Kosovo, 2026-10.