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Albin Kurti

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Albin Kurti
Kurti in 2023
Prime Minister of Kosovo
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 March 2021
PresidentGlauk Konjufca (acting)
Vjosa Osmani
DeputyBesnik Bislimi
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz
Emilija Redžepi
Preceded byAvdullah Hoti
In office
3 February 2020 – 3 June 2020
PresidentHashim Thaçi
DeputyAvdullah Hoti
Haki Abazi
Preceded byRamush Haradinaj
Succeeded byAvdullah Hoti
Leader of the Opposition
In office
3 June 2020 – 22 March 2021
Preceded byKadri Veseli
Succeeded byEnver Hoxhaj
In office
9 December 2014 – 3 February 2020
Preceded byIsa Mustafa
Succeeded byKadri Veseli
Leader of Vetëvendosje
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 January 2018
Preceded byVisar Ymeri
In office
12 June 2005 – 28 February 2015
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byVisar Ymeri
Member of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo
In office
2010 – 3 February 2020
Personal details
Born (1975-03-24) 24 March 1975 (age 49)
Pristina, SAP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia
(present-day Kosovo)
NationalityKosovar
Albanian
Political partyVetëvendosje
SpouseRita Augestad Knudsen
Children1
EducationUniversity of Pristina
Signature
Military service
Political representativeKosovo Liberation Army

Albin Kurti (Albanian pronunciation: ['albin 'kuɾti]; born 24 March 1975) is a Kosovar Albanian politician who has been serving as Prime Minister of Kosovo since 2021, having previously held the office from February to June 2020.

Life and career

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Albin Kurti was born on 24 March 1975 in Pristina, Kosovo of SFR Yugoslavia. Kurti's father, Zaim Kurti originates from an Albanian family from the village of Sukobin in Ulcinj Municipality, Montenegro; an engineer, he moved to Pristina in search for employment.[citation needed] The occupation had started in 1991 and had led to ethnic Albanian academic staff and students having to use alternative locations for their classes due to them being barred from using university premises by Serbian law.[1] The protests were crushed violently, but the students and Kurti did not stop the resistance and they organized other protests in the following months. Kurti's mother, Arife Kurti is a retired elementary school teacher, born and educated in Pristina.[2] Kurti also has 2 brothers, Arianit and Taulant. Kurti finished his elementary and middle education in Pristina. He graduated university in 2003 in Telecommunications and Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Pristina.[3]

In April 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, Kurti was arrested and severely beaten by Yugoslav forces.[4] He was first sent to the Dubrava Prison, but as the Serbian army withdrew from Kosovo, they transferred him to a prison in Požarevac on 10 June 1999.[3] Later that year, he was charged with "jeopardizing Yugoslavia's territorial integrity and conspiring to commit an enemy activity linked to terrorism" and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[5]

Kurti was released in December 2001 by Yugoslavia's post-Milošević government after being pardoned by President Vojislav Koštunica[6] amid international pressure. Since his release, he worked outside party politics in Kosovo but was a severe critic of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and of corruption. He organised non-violent protests in support of the families of those whose relatives disappeared in the war, and in favor of Kosovo's self-determination. On 23 April 2003 Kurti graduated with a degree in Computer and Telecommunications Sciences from the University of Prishtina. He was an activist for the Action for Kosovo Network (AKN), which was formed in 1997, and was a movement whose mission focused on human rights and social justice, education, culture and art.[citation needed]

Albin Kurti in a Vetëvendosje demonstration, 2013

On 12 June 2005 AKN activists wrote the slogan "No negotiations, Self-Determination" on the walls of UNMIK buildings. The police, with the help of UN Police, arrested, jailed, and convicted hundreds of activists, including Kurti. AKN then changed its name to the Self-Determination Movement (Vetëvendosje).[7]

Vetëvendosje joined the political spectrum of Kosovo by running in the elections of 2010 for the first time. Albin Kurti was the candidate for prime minister, though Vetëvendosje only scored 12.69% and won 14 out of 120 seats in the assembly, becoming the third political force in the country.[citation needed]

Kurti ran for prime minister again in the following elections in 2014, but Vetëvendosje was third again, only gaining 16 seats. Vetëvendosje and Kurti personally were involved in the protests within the parliament that earned international attention by setting off tear gas in the parliament on multiple cases.[8]

In the 2017 election Vetëvendosje doubled in size, becoming the biggest political party in Kosovo and winning 32 seats (the most as an individual party compared to other parties in that election); his party took 200.135 votes (27,49%).[9] They were still defeated by the big PANA coalition that took 245.627 (33,74%). Albin Kurti became the most-voted politician in Kosovo. During this term, Kurti was the leader of the opposition and Vetëvendosje managed to put strong pressure on the government in coordination with the other opposition party, LDK. On 3 January 2018 Kurti was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison on probation for his role in setting off the tear-gas in 2015.[10]

Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj resigned in July 2019, taking Kosovo to early elections in October 2019. In the elections that followed, Kurti's Vetëvendosje won the largest share of the electorate with 221.001 (26,27% or 29 seats) and remained the first political force in Kosovo, with Kurti's share of votes increasing further in comparison to 2017. He became Prime Minister of Kosovo in early February 2020.

On 18 March 2020, 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 Kurti cabinet continued as a caretaker government,[11] until 3 June 2020, when Avdullah Hoti was elected as the next Prime Minister.[12]

On 26 January 2021, Kurti was barred from running in the 2021 Kosovan parliamentary election by Kosovo's election complaints panel, as he had been convicted of a crime less than three years prior to the election.[13] In spite of this, the party went on to win by a landslide with 50.28% of the vote.[citation needed]

Personal life

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He is married to Norwegian Rita Augestad Knudsen, and they have a daughter named Lea. In addition to his native Albanian, he also speaks Serbian, French, and English.[citation needed] Besides his Kosovo citizenship, Kurti also holds Albanian citizenship and has voted in Albanian elections.[14]

Prime Minister of Kosovo

[edit]
Main article: First Cabinet of Albin Kurti
Main article: Second Cabinet of Albin Kurti
Further information: List of international prime ministerial trips made by Albin Kurti
First Kurti cabinet

On 3 February 2020, Albin Kurti was elected Prime Minister of Kosovo with 66 votes[15] in favor and 10 abstains,[16] 34 opposition MPs boycotted the vote and left the Kosovo assembly building.

One of the first decisions by Kurti and his cabinet was to repeal the unpopular pay raise awarded to ministers by the preceding Haradinaj government and return salaries to their previous amount.[17]

As part of his government's policy platform, Kurti seeks to introduce a three-month period of military conscription service in Kosovo, viewing it important to the country's defence.[18]

Second Kurti cabinet

Kurti was elected Prime Minister of Kosovo for a second time on 22 March 2021 with 67 members of the assembly voting in favour and 30 members against.[19]

Foreign policy

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Relations with Albania

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Kurti had opposed the "Open Balkan" project which consisted of the three countries Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia. Kurti had estimated that Serbia was the largest regional producer and opening borders for their goods would harm the economy of Albania and Kosovo.[20]

During a visit to Tirana in 2020, Kurti held a press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama where he argued that the economic project should be based on the interest of the Albanians and that it was necessary to increase commercial cooperation between Albania and Kosovo. Rama opposed Kurti, saying that opening the borders was in the interest of the region.[21]

Unification of Kosovo and Albania

[edit]

Albin Kurti is a strong supporter of direct-democracy and he has often criticized the Constitution of Kosovo for not allowing direct referendums. One topic that he has stated should be decided on through a referendum is the potential unification of Kosovo and Albania.[22] Kurti has continuously criticized the third article of the constitution for not allowing the referendum to happen. In a rally with Vetëvendosje supporters in 2018, Kurti stated that "We want to have the right of Kosovo to join Albania, but we would not start the third Balkan war for this goal."[23] Following the 2019 election and LVV's electoral success, Kurti stated that Kosovo Albanians were not after territorial and political unification with Albania but instead seek "integration with Albania and the EU, through the success of Kosovo as a state."[24] Kurti has however stated that if a referendum would be held on possible unification, he would vote in favour of it.[25]

Relations with Serbia

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Kurti has claimed that Serbia is threatening Kosovo's security because it has allegedly built 48 military bases along the border with Kosovo.[26][27] The government of Kosovo has requested that the United States turn Camp Bondsteel, where KFOR troops are stationed, into a permanent American base.[28]

Kurti has accused Russia of encouraging attacks by Serbs against institutions in Kosovo with the aim of destabilizing the region.[29]

Following the 2019 election, Kurti said that "solid dialogue" and "reciprocity" were needed in the process of normalizing relations with Serbia. Kurti stated that Kosovo needed first to negotiate with its Serb minority and the European Union before negotiating with Serbia. He considers future dialogue with Kosovo's minorities and the EU "a top priority".[24]

Relations with the United States

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Kurti (right) with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in 2022

During his first term as prime minister, Kurti had a poor relationship with Donald Trump and his administration. Kurti accused the special envoy sent by Trump, Richard Grenell, of discussing the Kosovo–Serbia land swap.[30]

In October 2020, Kurti endorsed the Democratic nominee Joe Biden for U.S. president.[31]

Relations with Greece

[edit]

Despite the fact that Greece does not recognize the state of Kosovo, this has not prevented the officials of the two states from cooperating in various fields.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has visited the state of Greece several times, where he has also participated in various forums. Kurti participated in the "Delphi" economic forum in 2022.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "portrait/Albin+Kurti". munzinger (in German). Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. ^ Gazeta Express Archived 28 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b "Albin Kurti". vetevendosje.org (in Albanian). Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  4. ^ Profile Archived 26 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, alb-net.com; accessed 13 April 2014.
  5. ^ Jail sentence for Kurti Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine; accessed 13 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Gani Koci objavio dokument kojim je Koštunica pomilovao Kurtija - Kosovo Online". www.kosovo-online.com (in Croatian). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  7. ^ Biografia, albinkurti.weebly.com; Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Kosovo parliament disrupted again after MPs set off teargas". theguardian.com. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  9. ^ "Zgjedhjet Për Kuvendin E Kosovës 2017 Izbori Za Skupštinu Kosova 2017" (PDF). Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Kosovo Court Finds Four Opposition MPs Guilty". balkaninsight.com. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Kosovo government falls in vote of no confidence". The Guardian. 26 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Avdullah Hoti Kryeministër i ri, 61 deputetë japin votën pro". Gazeta Express (in Albanian). 28 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  13. ^ Bami, Xhorxhina (26 January 2021). "Kosovo Ex-PM Albin Kurti Barred from Running in Election". BalkanInsight.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Kosovo PM Chastised for Voting in Albania Elections". 26 April 2021.
  15. ^ Bytyci, Fatos (4 February 2020). "Kosovo approves new government, PM vows to be tough negotiator with Serbia". Reuters. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Albin Kurti zgjidhet Kryeministër i Kosovës me 66 vota pro".
  17. ^ Bami, Xhorxhina (12 February 2020). "New Kurti Cabinet Repeals Former Kosovo Government's Decisions". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  18. ^ Bami, Xhorxhina (17 February 2020). "Kurti Vows to Make Military Service Compulsory in Kosovo". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Kosovo Parliament Elects Albin Kurti as Prime Minister". 22 March 2021.
  20. ^ ""Open Balkan", Kurti: Nuk janë të sigurta iniciativat që nuk e kanë brenda BE-në! Abazoviç: Mali i Zi mbështet nismën". Gazeta Shqiptare Online. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Albin Kurti e Edi Rama përplasen në Tiranë, shfaqin mospajtime rreth Mini-Schengenit" (in Albanian). 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  22. ^ "Kosovo's Likely PM Says Relations With Serbia Should Be Based On 'Reciprocity'" (in Albanian). BBC Albanian. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  23. ^ "Albin Kurti: Kosovo rebel who dreams of being PM". France 24. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  24. ^ a b "Kosovo's Likely PM Says Relations With Serbia Should Be Based On 'Reciprocity'". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  25. ^ "I would vote to unify Albania and Kosovo, election winner Albin Kurti tells Euronews". Euronews.com. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Kurti në Madrid: Serbia ka 48 baza ushtarake përgjatë kufirit me Kosovën". Lajmet e fundit - Zëri. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Kurti: Serbia ka ndërtuar 48 baza ofensive, 28 ushtarake dhe 20 të xhandarmërisë, rreth kufirit tonë". Rruga Press. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  28. ^ A.B (21 May 2022). "Kurti kërkon që kampi "Bondsteel" të kthehet në bazë të përhershme ushtarake të ShBA-së". Klan Kosova (in Albanian). Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  29. ^ Kallxo (11 November 2023). "Kurti në Francë: Shumica nga kryesit e sulmit terrorist në Banjskë janë ende të lirë". Raporto Korrupsionin! KALLXO.com. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  30. ^ "kurti-accuses-grenell-of-discussing-the-exchange-of-territory". europeanwesternbalkans. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  31. ^ Bami, Xhorxhina (20 October 2020). "Joe Biden Woos America's Bosnian, Albanian Voters Before Polls". Balkaninsight. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  32. ^ "Kurti në Greqi, merr pjesë në Forumin Ekonomik në Delphi". Lajmet e fundit - Zëri. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Kosovo
2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Kosovo
2021–present 		Incumbent
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