Kosovo - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Kosovo, it was name derives from the Serbian "kos" meaning "blackbird," an ellipsis (linguistic omission) for "kosove polje" or "field of the blackbirds". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 38 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna (Albanian); opstine, singular - opstina (Serbian)); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Gllogovc (Glogovac), Gracanice (Gracanica), Hani i Elezit (Deneral Jankovic), Istog (Istok), Junik, Kacanik, Kamenice (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Kllokot (Klokot), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mamushe (Mamusa), Mitrovice e Jugut (Juzna Mitrovica) [South Mitrovica], Mitrovice e Veriut (Severna Mitrovica) [North Mitrovica], Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Partesh (Partes), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Ranillug (Ranilug), Shterpce (Strpce), Shtime (Stimlje), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan
National symbols
Six, five-pointed, white stars; national colors: blue, gold, white.
The flag
The National flag of Kosovo has centered on a dark blue field is a gold-colored silhouette of Kosovo surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars arrayed in a slight arc; each star represents one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosniaks.
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note: one of only two national flags that uses a map as a design element; the flag of Cyprus is the other
The National Anthem
| Title | Europe |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | no lyrics/Mendi MENGJIQI |
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note: adopted 2008; Kosovo chose to exclude lyrics in its anthem so as not to offend the country's minority ethnic groups
More about the government of Kosovo
| 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 (postindependence) draft finalized 2 April 2008, signed 7 April 2008, ratified 9 April 2008, entered into force 15 June 2008; note - amendment 24, passed by the Assembly in August 2015, established the Kosovo Relocated Specialist Institution, referred to as the Kosovo Specialist Chamber or "Specialist Court," to try war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other crimes under Kosovo law committed during and immediately after the Kosovo War (1998-2000) |
| Amendments | 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; amended several times, last in 2020 |
| 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 | |
| Description | Unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova (120 seats; 100 members directly elected by open-list proportional representation vote with 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities - 10 for Serbs and 10 for other ethnic minorities; members serve 4-year terms) |
| Elections | Last held on 14 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party - LVV 50%, PDK 16.9%, LDK 12.7%, AAK 7.1%, Serb List 5.1%, other 8.2%; seats by party - LVV 58, PDK 19, LDK 15, Serb List 10, AAK 8, other 10; composition - men 79, women 41, percentage women 34.2% |
| 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 Jeffrey M. HOVENIER (since 10 January 2022) |
| 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 |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Kosovo
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Kosovo
Want to know more about Kosovo? Check all different factbooks for Kosovo below.
