Six, five-pointed, white stars; national colors: blue, gold, white.
Title | Europe |
---|---|
Lyric/music | no lyrics/Mendi MENGJIQI |
Date of Independence | 17 February 2008 (from Serbia) |
---|---|
National holiday | Independence Day, 17 February (2008) |
Legal system | civil law system; note - the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) retained limited executive powers within the Kosovo judiciary for complex cases from 2008 to 2018 |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
Constitution | |
History | Previous 1974, 1990; latest (post-independence) draft finalized 2 April 2008, signed 7 April 2008, ratified 9 April 2008, entered into force 15 June 2008 |
Amendment process | Proposed by the government, by the president of the republic, or by one fourth of Assembly deputies; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, including two-thirds majority vote of deputies representing non-majority communities, followed by a favorable Constitutional Court assessment |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Kosovo |
Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (since 4 April 2021) |
Head of government | Prime Minister Albin KURTI (since 22 March 2021) |
Cabinet | Cabinet elected by the Assembly |
Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly for a 5-year term; if a candidate does not attain a two-thirds threshold in the first two ballots, the candidate winning a simple majority vote in the third ballot is elected (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 to 4 April 2021 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister indirectly elected by the Assembly |
Election results | 2021: Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (Guxo!) 71 votes; Albin KURTI (LVV) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 67 for, 30 against 2017: Ramush HARADINAJ (AAK) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 61 for, 1 abstention, 0 against (opposition boycott) 2016: Hashim THACI elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Hashim THACI (PDK) 71 votes |
Legislative branch | |
Legislature name | Assembly (Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova) |
Legislative structure | Unicameral |
Number of seats | 120 (all directly elected) |
Electoral system | Proportional representation |
Scope of elections | Full renewal |
Term in office | 4 years |
Most recent election date | 2/14/2021 |
Parties elected and seats per party | Self-Determination Movement (LVV) (58), Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) (19), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) (15), Serb List (10), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) (8), other (10) |
Percentage of women in chamber | 34% |
Expected date of next election | 2025 |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 18 judges and organized into Appeals Panel of the Kosovo Property Agency and Special Chamber); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 7 judges) |
Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Judicial Council, a 13-member independent body staffed by judges and lay members, and also responsible for overall administration of Kosovo's judicial system; judges appointed by the president of the Republic of Kosovo; judges appointed until mandatory retirement age; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the Kosovo Assembly and appointed by the president of the republic to serve single, 9-year terms |
Subordinate courts | Court of Appeals (organized into 4 departments: General, Serious Crime, Commercial Matters, and Administrative Matters); Basic Court (located in 7 municipalities, each with several branches) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Ilir DUGOLLI (since 13 January 2022) |
Chancery | 3612 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20007 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 450-2130 |
FAX | [1] (202) 735-0609 |
Email address and website | [email protected] U.S. Embassies of the Republic of Kosovo (ambasadat.net) |
Consulate(s) general | New York |
Consulate(s) | Des Moines (IA) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Anu PRATTIPATI (since January 2025) |
Embassy | Arberia/Dragodan, Rr. 4 KORRIKU Nr. 25, Pristina |
Mailing address | 9520 Pristina Place, Washington DC 20521-9520 |
Telephone | [383] 38-59-59-3000 |
FAX | [383] 38-604-890 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://xk.usembassy.gov/ |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 1 (cultural) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Medieval Monuments in Kosovo |
Want to know more about Kosovo? Check all different factbooks for Kosovo below.