Prime Minister of Kosovo

The prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo (, ) is the head of government of the partially recognized Republic of Kosovo.

The prime minister and the Government of Kosovo, which they head, are responsible for their actions to the Assembly of Kosovo, of which they must all be members. The current prime minister of Kosovo is Albin Kurti, who assumed office on 22 March 2021.

Officeholders

Prime ministers Political parties:

Portrait Name Term of office Political party Election Took office Left office Time in office Republic of Kosova UN-administered Kosovo Republic of Kosovo

Timeline

Deputy prime ministers The deputy prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo (, ) is the deputy head of government of Kosovo. In the absence of the prime minister, a deputy prime minister assumes the functions of chairman of the cabinet. The office is the second-highest ranking position in the executive branch of the Government of Kosovo within the country's parliamentary system.

The position of deputy prime minister did not exist when Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government institutions were established in 2002. During the UNMIK period, the first elected government – the Cabinet of Bajram Rexhepi (4 March 2002 – 3 December 2004) – consisted only of the prime minister and ministers. No deputy prime minister was appointed.

The office was created for the first time on 3 December 2004, when the First Haradinaj cabinet took office. Adem Salihaj of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) became the first deputy prime minister. He continued in the role during the subsequent Kosumi cabinet (2005–2006). In the Çeku cabinet (formed 10 March 2006), Lutfi Haziri (also LDK) replaced Salihaj as the single deputy prime minister.

The practice of having more than one deputy prime minister began on 9 January 2008 — still during the UNMIK administration and more than a month before Kosovo's declaration of independence on 17 February 2008. In the Second Thaçi cabinet, two deputy prime ministers were appointed simultaneously: Hajredin Kuçi (PDK) and Ramë Manaj (LDK). This marked the start of the multi-deputy model, which has been the norm ever since.

After Kosovo declared independence and adopted its Constitution in 2008, the legal framework explicitly allowed for one or more deputy prime ministers. Article 92 states that "The Government consists of the Prime Minister, deputy prime minister(s) and ministers." Since then, nearly every cabinet has included two to five deputy prime ministers, usually reflecting coalition agreements between political parties. The number and specific responsibilities of the deputies (e.g., for dialogue with Serbia, European integration, or national minority issues) are decided by the prime minister when forming the government and are approved by the Assembly of Kosovo.

Today, the deputy prime ministers are senior members of the cabinet who support the prime minister in coordinating government policy and often hold additional ministerial portfolios. The position remains an important tool for political balance in Kosovo's multi-party coalitions.

Political parties:

PortraitFirst deputyprime ministerTerm of officePortraitDeputyprime ministerTerm of officeUN-administered KosovoHaradinaj cabinet1Adem Salihaj3 December 20048 March 2005No second deputy prime minister was appointedKosumi cabinet(1)Adem Salihaj25 March 200510 March 2006No second deputy prime minister was appointedÇeku cabinet2Lutfi Haziri10 March 20069 January 2008No second deputy prime minister was appointedRepublic of KosovoSecond Thaçi cabinet3Hajredin Kuçi9 January 200815 April 2011Ramë Manaj9 January 200818 October 2010Third Thaçi cabinet4Behgjet Pacolli15 April 20119 December 2014Mimoza Kusari-Lila22 February 20112 October 2013Hajredin Kuçi22 February 20119 December 2014Bujar Bukoshi22 February 20119 December 2014Edita Tahiri22 February 20119 December 2014Slobodan Petrović22 February 20119 December 2014Mustafa cabinet5Hashim Thaçi9 December 20147 April 2016Kujtim Shala9 December 201424 August 2016(3)Hajredin Kuçi2 June 20169 September 2017Branimir Stojanović9 December 20149 September 2017Ramiz Kelmendi27 October 20169 September 2017Second Haradinaj cabinet(4)Behgjet Pacolli9 September 20173 February 2020Enver Hoxhaj9 September 20173 February 2020Fatmir Limaj9 September 20173 February 2020Dardan Gashi9 September 20173 February 2020Dalibor Jevtić9 September 20173 February 2020First Kurti cabinet6Avdullah Hoti3 February 202025 March 2020Haki Abazi3 February 20203 June 2020Hoti cabinet7Besnik Tahiri3 June 202022 March 2021Driton Selmanaj3 June 202022 March 2021Albulena Balaj-Halimaj3 June 202022 March 2021Goran Rakić3 June 202022 March 2021Second Kurti cabinet8Besnik Bislimi22 March 202111 February 2026Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz22 March 202111 February 2026Emilija Redžepi22 March 202126 August 2025Third Kurti cabinet & Fourth Kurti cabinet9Glauk Konjufca11 February 2026IncumbentDonika Gërvalla-Schwarz11 February 2026IncumbentFikrim Damka11 February 2026Incumbent

Prime Minister of Kosovo

Bron en licentie