Kosovo's acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti addresses supporters following a snap parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, June 8, 2026. [Valdrin Xhemaj/Reuters]
The party of Kosovo’s caretaker prime minister, Albin Kurti, Vetevendosje (VV) and the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) agreed on Monday to back the election of a new president, a move that could break nearly two years of political deadlock.
The proposed candidate, Bekim Sejdiu, 51, is a law professor at the University of Pristina. He previously served as Kosovo’s ambassador to Turkey and as consul general in New York.
Kurti, whose party won the June 7 snap election, needs only a handful of votes from smaller minority parties to form a government. However, he lacks the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to elect a president.
Kosovo, one of Europe’s poorest countries, aims to join the European Union. Brussels has repeatedly said the country needs stable institutions capable of delivering reforms required for membership. Political instability has delayed reforms and slowed access to EU funding.
