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 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.
Contents
Officeholders
Prime ministers
Political parties:
LDK
PDK
AAK
Independent
Vetëvendosje
Deputy prime ministers
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. 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:
PDK
LDK
AKR
SLS
SL
NISMA
Vetëvendosje
AAK
Guxo
NDS
KDTP