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 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.
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, which proclaimed the Republic of Kosovo to be an independent and sovereign state, was adopted at a meeting held on 17 February 2008 by 109 out of the 120 members of the Assembly of Kosovo, including the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, and by the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu (who was not a member of the Assembly). It was the second declaration of independence by Kosovo's Albanian-majority political institutions; the first was proclaimed on 7 September 1990.
The legality of the declaration has been disputed. Serbia sought international validation and support for its stance that the declaration was illegal, and in October 2008 requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice. The Court determined that the declaration did not violate international law.
The Government of Kosovo (Albanian: Qeveria e Kosovës, Serbian: Влада Косова / Vlada Kosova) exercises executive authority in the Republic of Kosovo. It is composed of government ministers, and is led by the prime minister. The prime minister is elected by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. Ministers are nominated by the prime minister and then confirmed by the assembly.
Albin Kurti is the current prime minister of Kosovo. His government, approved by the assembly and installed on March 22, 2021, consists of Albanians, as well as ministers from Kosovo's ethnic minorities, which include Bosniaks, Romani, Turks and Serbs. Although the government includes representatives of ethnic minorities, it is dominated by the Albanian majority, who have most influence on the decision-making.
The Constitution of Kosovo (Albanian: Kushtetuta e Kosovës, Serbian: Устав Косовa / Ustav Kosova) is the supreme law (article 16) of the Republic of Kosovo, a territory of unresolved political status. Article four of the constitution establishes the rules and separate powers of the three branches of the government. The unicameral Assembly of the Republic exercises the legislative power, the executive branch led by the president and the prime minister which are responsible for implementing laws and the judicial system headed by the Supreme Court.
The constitution was signed on 7 April 2008 at 13:00 local time at the national library in Pristina. The constitution was ratified on 9 April and came to effect on 15 June 2008.
The First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalisation of Relations, informally known as the Brussels Agreement (Serbian: Бриселски споразум / Briselski sporazum, Albanian: Marrëveshja e Brukselit), is an agreement to normalize relations between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo. The agreement, negotiated and concluded in Brussels under the auspices of the European Union, was signed on 19 April 2013. Negotiations were led by Serbian prime minister Ivica Dačić and Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaçi, mediated by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. The government of Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state, but began normalising relations with the government of Kosovo as a result of the agreement. In Belgrade, the agreement was criticized by protestors as a convalidation of Kosovo independence.
The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) is the military of Kosovo. The KSF is tasked with defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, military support for civilian authorities, and participation in international peacekeeping missions and operations. Since 2018, it is in the process of transforming into the Kosovo Armed Forces.
The President of Kosovo is the Supreme Commander of the Kosovo Security Force and has the competence to mobilize the Kosovo Security Force in cases of a state of emergency. In peacetime, the President's powers as Commander-in-Chief are executed through the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister.
Albin Kurti (Albanian: ['albin 'kuɾti]; born 24 March 1975) is a Kosovo Albanian politician who has been serving as Prime Minister of Kosovo since 2021, having previously held the office from February to June 2020. He came to prominence in 1997 as the vice-president of the University of Pristina student union, and a main organizer of non-violent student demonstrations of 1997 and 1998. Kurti then worked in Adem Demaçi's office when the latter became the political representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Kurti has been a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo since 2010 in three consecutive legislatures.