Kosovo’s president Hashim Thaci has nominated long-time opposition firebrand Albin Kurti to be its next prime minister, as domestic and international frustration grows over the country’s political deadlock more than three months after elections. In Pristina, Mr Kurti was nominated as premier and the constitution now grants him 15 days to form a new government and secure parliament’s approval for his cabinet. If he fails, the president will choose another premier, and if that candidate also cannot form a government then snap elections will be triggered. Mostly ethnic Albanian Kosovo broke with Belgrade during a 1998-9 war, and after a period under UN administration it declared independence in 2008. At the US embassy in Berlin, however, representatives of Kosovo, Serbia and Lufthansa signed a letter of intent on plans for the German carrier’s budget arm, Eurowings, to start flying between Belgrade and Pristina.

Source: The Irish Times January 20, 2020 18:22 UTC