Wrote: Fatbardh Dema
Several media outlets have reported on the number of ministries in the new Kosovo Government, elected on Wednesday (February 11).
Reporting on the increase in the number of ministries, some media outlets have written that the number of ministries has reached 20, while in the previous mandate, the Government of Kosovo had 16 ministries.
In one case, it was also reported that of the new cabinet of ministers, 16 are men and four are women.
The truth?
The claim was wrong in numbers. While the claim about an increase in the number of ministries is correct, the third Government led by Albin Kurti will not have 20 ministries, but 19. Out of 19 ministers, 5 will be women. Likewise, the “Kurti 2” Government had 15 ministries, not 16.
The claim for 20 ministers was published by "gazetaexpress.com","indexonline.net","gazetablic.com""signal.com","gazetademos.com","north.info","mitrovicassot.net".
Meanwhile, "news.net" has reported that the "Kurti 3" Government will have 16 ministers and four ministers.
On February 11, 2026, the Kosovo Assembly elected the new Government with 66 votes, known in public as the "Kurti 3" Government. Even according to Albin Kurti's statement, when seeking support in the Assembly, but also in decision published in website of the Kosovo Assembly, it becomes clear that the government cabinet consists of 21 names. But of them, 2 are not ministers: Albin Kurti is the Prime Minister and Fikrim Damka is the Third Deputy Prime Minister for Minority Affairs and Cooperation. So, the new government has 19 ministries.
Meanwhile, the position of minister has been taken by Donika Gërvalla, Saranda Bogujevci, Fitore Pacolli, Mimoza Kusari and Artane Rizvanolli, which shows that the claim about gender divisions among ministers is also wrong.
Names of the new government cabinet:
- Prime Minister Albin Kurti
- First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Glauk Konjufca;
- Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Donika Gërvalla;
- Third Deputy Prime Minister for Minority Affairs and Cooperation, Fikrim Damka;
- Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati;
- Minister of Labor, Family and Values of the Liberation War, Andin Hoti;
- Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci,
- Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla;
- Minister of Digitalization and Public Administration, Lulëzon Jagxhiu;
- Minister of Health, Arben Vitia;
- Minister of Education and Science, Hajrulla Çeku;
- Minister of Culture and Tourism, Saranda Bogujevci;
- Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi;
- Minister of Sports and Youth, Blerim Gashani;
- Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Fitore Pacolli;
- Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Armend Muja;
- Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Dimal Basha;
- Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Innovation, Mimoza Kusari;
- Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli;
- Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rashic;
- Minister of Regional Development, Rasim Demiri.
While the media has correctly reported the addition of four ministries, they have been wrong in claiming that in the past there were 16 ministries. In the previous government there were 15 ministries. Of the full cabinet of that time with 18 names, Kurti was prime minister, while Besnik Bislimi and Emilija Rexhepi were deputy prime ministers with separate focuses.
The full cabinet of the "Kurti 2" Government, voted on March 22, 2021 (see here):
- Prime Minister Albin Kurti;
- First Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi;
- Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika
Weeds;
4. Third Deputy Prime Minister for Minority Affairs and Human Rights, Emilija
Rexhepi;
- Minister of Finance, Labor and Transfers, Hekuran Murati;
- Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu;
- Minister of Defense, Armend Mehaj;
- Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla;
- Minister of Health, Arben Vitia;
- Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Arbërie Nagavci;
- Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku;
- Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi;
- Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Liburn Aliu;
- Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Faton Peci;
- Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari;
- Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli;
- Minister for Communities and Returns, Goran Rakić;
- Minister for Regional Development, Fikrim Damka.
The new Government Cabinet also specifies the positions of each on the Government website, except for Andin Hoti, who is not listed as Minister of Labor, Family and Values of the Liberation War. Instead, the name of Blerim Sallah appears as “Acting Minister of Justice” (see here).
The Cabinet of the previous Government according to the Government website (see here).
According to the Law on Government, Deputy Prime Ministers may assume responsibility for coordinating an area of particular importance and high priority for the Government, including the coordination of a policy area that falls within the responsibility of several ministries. It also states that the Deputy Prime Minister may be given the mandate for a ministry, in which case he or she holds two separate areas of administrative responsibility (see here).
This specifies that an official can be deputy prime minister with responsibility for a specific issue, even without taking up a position in a specific ministry, as happened with Deputy Prime Minister Fikrim Damka and the previous cabinet of Emiljia Rexhepi.
Analyze:
Some media outlets have incorrectly reported that the "Kurti 3" government has 20 ministries. It has also been incorrectly claimed that there is a gender split of ministers in the ratio of 16 men to 4 women.
According to the Assembly's decision and presentation, the new Government has 19 ministries (21 members, including the Prime Minister and one Deputy Prime Minister without an assigned ministry). Of the 19 ministerial positions, 5 are women.
It has also been incorrectly mentioned that "Kurti 2" had 16 ministries, when in fact he had 15.
So, there was growth, but the figures for the number and gender breakdown were inaccurate.
Based on the working methodology, hibrid.info assesses this content as "Error".
rationale:
The "Error" rating is given to informational content in which, during the compilation or publication process, errors occur by publishing incorrect information (especially when dealing with information in figures) or by broadcasting poorly verified news, without the clear intention of misinforming the public.