| Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo | |
|---|---|
| Kryeministri i Republikës së Kosovës (in Albanian) Премијер Pепубликe Косово (in Serbian) | |
 | |
| Executive branch of the Government of Kosovo | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Member of | |
| Nominator | President of Kosovo |
| Appointer | Assembly of Kosovo |
| Term length | Four years Renewable |
| Inaugural holder | Jusuf Zejnullahu (de jure) Bajram Rexhepi (de facto) |
| Formation | 7 September 1990 (de jure) 4 March 2002 (de facto) |
| Salary | €1,500 monthly[1] |
| Website | in Albanian in Serbian in English |
|
|---|
| Constitution and law |
The prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo (Albanian: Kryeministri i Republikës së Kosovës, Serbian: Премијер Републике Косово, romanized: Premijer Republike 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
[edit]Prime ministers
[edit]Political parties: LDK PDK AAK Independent Vetëvendosje
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Political party | Election | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| Republic of Kosova | |||||||
| 1 |  | Jusuf Zejnullahu (born 1944) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 7 September 1990 | 5 October 1991 | 1 year, 28 days | LDK | — |
| 2 |  | Bujar Bukoshi (1947–2025) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 5 October 1991 | 1 February 2000 | 8 years, 119 days | LDK | — |
| — |  | Hashim Thaçi (born 1968) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} Provisional Prime Minister In opposition | 2 April 1999 | 1 February 2000 | 305 days | PDK | — |
| UN-administered Kosovo | |||||||
| 3 | _(cropped).jpg&mode=clean) | Bajram Rexhepi (1954–2017) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 4 March 2002 | 3 December 2004 | 2 years, 274 days | PDK | 2001 |
| 4 | .jpg&mode=clean) | Ramush Haradinaj (born 1968) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 3 December 2004 | 8 March 2005 | 95 days | AAK | 2004 |
| — |  | Adem Salihaj (born 1950) Acting .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 8 March 2005 | 25 March 2005 | 17 days | LDK | — |
| 5 |  | Bajram Kosumi (born 1960) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 25 March 2005 | 10 March 2006 | 350 days | AAK | — |
| 6 |  | Agim Çeku (born 1960) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 10 March 2006 | 9 January 2008 | 1 year, 305 days | Independent | — |
| 7 | .jpg&mode=clean) | Hashim Thaçi (born 1968) | 9 January 2008 | 17 February 2008 | 39 days | PDK | 2007 |
| Republic of Kosovo | |||||||
| (7) |  | Hashim Thaçi (born 1968) | 17 February 2008 | 9 December 2014 | 6 years, 295 days | PDK | 2007 2010 |
| 8 |  | Isa Mustafa (born 1951) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 9 December 2014 | 9 September 2017 | 2 years, 274 days | LDK | 2014 |
| (4) |  | Ramush Haradinaj (born 1968) | 9 September 2017 | 3 February 2020 | 2 years, 147 days | AAK | 2017 |
| 9 | .jpg&mode=clean) | Albin Kurti (born 1975) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 3 February 2020 | 3 June 2020 | 121 days | LVV | 2019 |
| 10 | _(cropped).jpg&mode=clean) | Avdullah Hoti (born 1976) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} | 3 June 2020 | 22 March 2021 | 292 days | LDK | — |
| (9) |  | Albin Kurti (born 1975) | 22 March 2021 | Incumbent | 5 years, 106 days | LVV | 2021 Dec. 2025 |
Timeline
[edit]
Deputy prime ministers
[edit]The deputy prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo (Albanian: Zëvendëskryeministri i Republikës së Kosovës, Serbian: Заменик премијера Републике Косово, romanized: Zamenik premijera Republike 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.[2] 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.[3]
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).[4] 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."[5] 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: PDK LDK AKR SLS SL NISMA Vetëvendosje AAK Guxo NDS KDTP
| No. | Portrait | First deputy prime minister (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Portrait | Deputy prime minister (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN-administered Kosovo | |||||||||
| Haradinaj cabinet | |||||||||
| 1 | |
Adem Salihaj (born 1950) |
3 December 2004 | 8 March 2005 | No second deputy prime minister was appointed | ||||
| Kosumi cabinet | |||||||||
| (1) | |
Adem Salihaj (born 1950) |
25 March 2005 | 10 March 2006 | No second deputy prime minister was appointed | ||||
| Çeku cabinet | |||||||||
| 2 |  |
Lutfi Haziri (born 1969) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
10 March 2006 | 9 January 2008 | No second deputy prime minister was appointed | ||||
| Republic of Kosovo | |||||||||
| Second Thaçi cabinet | |||||||||
| 3 |  |
Hajredin Kuçi (born 1971) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
9 January 2008 | 15 April 2011 |  |
Ramë Manaj (born 1954) |
9 January 2008 | 18 October 2010 | |
| Third Thaçi cabinet | |||||||||
| 4 |  |
Behgjet Pacolli (born 1951) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
15 April 2011 | 9 December 2014 |  |
Mimoza Kusari-Lila (born 1975) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
22 February 2011 | 2 October 2013 | |
|
Hajredin Kuçi (born 1971) |
22 February 2011 | 9 December 2014 | ||||||
|
Bujar Bukoshi (1947–2025) |
22 February 2011 | 9 December 2014 | ||||||
 |
Edita Tahiri (born 1956) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
22 February 2011 | 9 December 2014 | ||||||
 |
Slobodan Petrović (born 1969) |
22 February 2011 | 9 December 2014 | ||||||
| Mustafa cabinet | |||||||||
| 5 | |
Hashim Thaçi (born 1968) |
9 December 2014 | 7 April 2016 |  |
Kujtim Shala (born 1964) |
9 December 2014 | 24 August 2016 | |
| (3) | |
Hajredin Kuçi (born 1971) |
2 June 2016 | 9 September 2017 | |
Branimir Stojanović | 9 December 2014 | 9 September 2017 | |
 |
Ramiz Kelmendi (born 1958) |
27 October 2016 | 9 September 2017 | ||||||
| Second Haradinaj cabinet | |||||||||
| (4) | Enver Hoxhaj (born 1969) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
9 September 2017 | 3 February 2020 | ||||||
 |
Fatmir Limaj (born 1971) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
9 September 2017 | 3 February 2020 | ||||||
|
Dardan Gashi (born 1969) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
9 September 2017 | 3 February 2020 | ||||||
 |
Dalibor Jevtić (born 1978) |
9 September 2017 | 3 February 2020 | ||||||
| First Kurti cabinet | |||||||||
| 6 | |
Avdullah Hoti (born 1976) |
3 February 2020 | 25 March 2020 |  |
Haki Abazi (born 1974) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
3 February 2020 | 3 June 2020 | |
| Hoti cabinet | |||||||||
| 7 |  |
Besnik Tahiri (born 1975) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
3 June 2020 | 22 March 2021 |  |
Driton Selmanaj (born 1979) |
3 June 2020 | 22 March 2021 | |
 |
Albulena Balaj-Halimaj (born 1983) |
3 June 2020 | 22 March 2021 | ||||||
.jpg&mode=clean) |
Goran Rakić (born 1971) |
3 June 2020 | 22 March 2021 | ||||||
| Second Kurti cabinet | |||||||||
| 8 | .jpg&mode=clean) |
Besnik Bislimi (born 1971) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
22 March 2021 | 11 February 2026 |  |
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz (born 1971) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
22 March 2021 | 11 February 2026 | |
 |
Emilija Redžepi (born 1973) |
22 March 2021 | 26 August 2025 | ||||||
| Third Kurti cabinet | |||||||||
| 9 |  |
Glauk Konjufca (born 1981) .svg&mode=clean){kind=small} |
11 February 2026 | Incumbent | |
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz (born 1971) |
11 February 2026 | Incumbent | |
 |
Fikrim Damka (born 1972) |
11 February 2026 | Incumbent | ||||||
See also
[edit] |
|---|
| Constitution and law |
References
[edit]- ↑ Osmani, Taulant (12 February 2020). "Kurti cuts salaries across government". prishtinainsight.com. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ↑ "Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo" (PDF). Government of Kosovo. 2008. Article 92. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "Kosovo's new political leadership" (PDF). OSCE. 18 March 2006. p. 2. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "UNMIK Headlines, 9 January 2008". UNMIK. 9 January 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo" (PDF). Government of Kosovo. 2008. Article 92. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
External links
[edit]
| Constitution | | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive |
| |
| Legislature | ||
| Judiciary | ||
 Republic of Kosova(Recognized only by Albania) (1992–2000) |
|
|---|---|
 UN-administered Kosovo(2000–2008) | |
 Republic of Kosovo(Recognized by 118 UN member states) (2008–present) | |