Kosovo PM Kurti egged in parliament amid political crisis
Kosovo has held three elections in over two years. Albin Kurti's ruling Vetevendosje is struggling to garner the two-thirds majority required to elect a president
Kosovo has held three elections in over two years. Albin Kurti's ruling Vetevendosje is struggling to garner the two-thirds majority required to elect a president. Kosovo's parliament was suspended on Saturday after an opposition lawmaker threw eggs at caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti. "Shame on you!" Time Kadrijaj of the conservative opposition Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) party shouted in parliament before hurling eggs at Kurti. In response, Kurti said that he was "happy to pay this price" if it was the cost of dialogue. Kurti's left-wing Vetevendosje (VV) party is known for its own parliamentary disruptions, with party representatives launching tear gas in the chamber in 2018 and also on multiple occasions in 2015.
Kadrijaj's AAK has seven seats in parliament, making it the fourth-largest opposition group Image: Valdrin Xhemaj/REUTERS What is the political situation in Kosovo? The incident comes after days of negotiations as Kurti attempts to gain enough opposition support to elect a new president amid Kosovo's broader political crisis. The Balkan country has held three elections in over two years. Kurti achieved his parliamentary majority with ethnic minority MPs in a December election that followed an inconclusive vote in February 2025. His VV party's share of the vote fell from 51% to 43% in a snap election in June, but it maintained a parliamentary majority alongside ethnic minority allies.
However, Kurti requires a two-thirds majority in parliament to elect a president. The current negotiations seem to have ground to another stalemate, with neither side having agreed to a candidate. A constitutional deadline to elect a speaker of parliament expired on Friday. Opposition lawmakers have threatened legal action over Kurti's request for more time to negotiate. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after the 1998-99 war, which ended with Serbia's withdrawal following a NATO bombing campaign. Kosovo has been recognized by over half of the world's countries, including the United States and most European Union countries.
Belgrade considers Kosovo to be part of Serbia. Edited by: Louis Oelofse Don't let the algorithm hide the news. If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the "star" or "preferred" button, so you'll always see our verified news first.
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