First Cabinet of Albin Kurti explained

Cabinet Name:First Kurti Cabinet
Jurisdiction:Kosovo
Flag:Flag of Kosovo.svg
Flag Border:true
Incumbent:3 February 2020 –3 June 2020
Government Head:Albin Kurti
Deputy Government Head:Avdullah Hoti
State Head:Hashim Thaçi
Political Parties:LV LDK SL
Opposition Parties:PDK AAK NISMA AKR
Election:2019
Legislature Term:7th legislature of the Assembly
Outgoing Formation:25 March 2020
Predecessor:Second Cabinet of Ramush Haradinaj
Successor:First Cabinet of Avdullah Hoti

The First Kurti cabinet was formed in Kosovo on 3 February 2020 following a deal between the political parties Vetëvendosje, New Democratic Party, Democratic League of Kosovo and Serb List. On 25 March 2020, the government lost a vote of no confidence that was brought by the Democratic League of Kosovo.

Actions

On 3 February 2020, Albin Kurti was confirmed as the prime minister of Kosovo by the Kosovo Assembly following the 2019 parliamentary elections with sixty six in favor and ten abstentions from the seventy six deputies who remained present after multiple opposition party deputies left the parliament in protest.[1]

On 12 February, the cabinet reversed decisions made by the former Haradinaj cabinet to increase ministerial salaries from €1,500 to €2,950 and continue to pay ministers' salaries after the end of their mandate. The Kurti cabinet also asked parliament to extend the budget until March.[2] On 27 February, Kurti announced a timetable for gradually removing a 100% import tariff on goods from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, "as a sign of good will and readiness to resolve the economic dispute with Serbia" and to help with the integration of Kosovo into the European Union.[3] On 20 March, the cabinet voted ten to two in favor of removing the 100% import tariff on raw materials only. The decision was not supported by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) coalition party and drew criticism from senior United States personalities as they had called for all tariffs to be removed.[4]

On 18 March, Kurti sacked Interior Minister Agim Veliu (LDK) due to his support for declaring a state of emergency to handle the coronavirus pandemic, which would have given power to the Kosovo Security Council chaired by Hashim Thaçi (PDK). The Democratic League of Kosovo, the junior partner leader of the coalition, filed a no-confidence vote motion in retaliation for the sacking and due to other internal disagreements between the coalition members and on 25 March, eighty two members of the Kosovo Assembly voted in favor of the motion, becoming the first government to be voted out of power due to disagreements over how to handle the coronavirus pandemic.[5] [6] [7]

The First Kurti cabinet continued as a caretaker government.[8] [9]

Composition

The cabinet consists of the following Ministers:[10]

Notes and References

  1. News: Kurti elected prime minister . 3 February 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200326005122/https://prishtinainsight.com/kurti-elected-prime-minister/ . 26 March 2020.
  2. News: New Kurti Cabinet Repeals Former Kosovo Government’s Decisions . 12 February 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200326003358/https://balkaninsight.com/2020/02/12/new-kurti-cabinet-repeals-former-kosovo-governments-decisions/ . 26 March 2020.
  3. News: Kosovo govt to remove part of customs tariff with Serbia. 27 February 2020.
  4. News: Kosovo Government removes tariff on raw materials . 20 March 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200326004542/https://prishtinainsight.com/kosovo-government-removes-tariff-on-raw-materials/ . 26 March 2020.
  5. News: Kosovo’s Crisis-Hit Govt Threatened with No-Confidence Vote . 19 March 2020 . BalkanInsight . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200326004128/https://balkaninsight.com/2020/03/19/kosovos-crisis-hit-govt-threatened-with-no-confidence-vote/ . 26 March 2020.
  6. News: Kosovo govt toppled by no-confidence vote amid coronavirus . 25 March 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200326004241/https://www.trtworld.com/europe/kosovo-govt-toppled-by-no-confidence-vote-amid-coronavirus-34859 . 26 March 2020.
  7. News: Virus Response Topples First European Government in Kosovo . 26 March 2020.
  8. News: Kosovo government falls in vote of no confidence. The Guardian. 26 March 2020.
  9. News: Coronavirus helps bring down Kosovo’s government, with nudge from US. The New York Times. The Indian Express. 26 March 2020.
  10. Web site: Kabineti Qeveritar . . Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo . 18 July 2018 . Albanian . Government Cabinet .