Kosovo: PM Forms New Government Amidst Constitutional Uncertainties

Kosovo’s Assembly elected a government led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti on 13th September, by 62 votes in the 120-seat chamber – just one vote above the governing threshold and four fewer than the parliamentary majority supporting Kurti’s previous cabinet, elected in February. Opposition parties boycotted the vote or chose not to participate in the session.

 

The cabinet represents near-total political and personnel continuity. Kurti retained the outgoing ministerial structure, including Glauk Konjufca as First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister, Donika Gërvalla as Second Deputy PM and Justice Minister, Hekuran Murati as Finance Minister and Artane Rizvanolli as Economy Minister. Kurti has framed his new government’s mandate as the continuation of the work that was interrupted by the ongoing political uncertainties.

 

For the new cabinet, the immediate risk is constitutional rather than administrative. The main opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) is challenging the Assembly’s vote and its failure to elect its nominee as deputy speaker. However, the government remains operational unless the Constitutional Court orders otherwise, with the Court yet to make a decision.

 

For businesses, the return of the same political leadership means existing contacts, policy files and regulatory priorities should continue with little to no disruption during the transition. However, the narrow majority may complicate legislation, international agreements and politically sensitive decisions.

 

Political uncertainty will persist until Kosovo’s next President is elected. Kurti’s ruling Vetëvendosje party and Lumir Abdixhiku, the leader of the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK leader), have agreed to support Bekim Sejdiu as their joint candidate. While the ruling bloc and LDK theoretically hold enough votes to secure Sejdiu’s nomination, dissent among LDK MPs puts the required parliamentary participation and voting threshold at risk. Another failure to elect the head of state could trigger yet another snap election – the fourth such vote in two years.

Cengiz Aydın Joins Aretera’s Turkish Practice as Executive Counsel

Aretera has appointed Cengiz Aydın as Executive Counsel in Türkiye, strengthening its senior counsel offering across the region.

 

Based in Istanbul, Cengiz brings three decades of experience spanning public policy, diplomacy, corporate affairs and board governance. His career has taken him from Türkiye’s trade ministry and the EU institutions in Brussels, to the U.S. diplomatic mission in Ankara, in addition to a number of senior regional roles in global business.

 

Prior to joining Aretera, Cengiz served as Regional Director for Türkiye and CIS at Mastercard, leading engagement on public policy and government affairs in a dynamic and increasingly strategic region. He advised on policy and regulatory issues affecting the payments sector, working at the intersection of government, regulation and international business.

 

Earlier in his career, Cengiz worked within the Turkish government, including the trade ministry, before serving at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. He subsequently worked with the EU institutions in Brussels, building a comprehensive understanding of trade policy, diplomatic engagement and European decision-making.

 

His wider experience includes leadership roles with a research-based pharmaceutical association and an NYSE-listed platform, alongside board positions at four publicly listed companies. He also holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Middle East Technical University. His breadth of experience gives him a clear view of how public decisions are made, how corporate interests can be represented effectively and where the space for practical progress lies.

 

“We are delighted to welcome Cengiz to Aretera,” said Philip Merrell, Head of Emerging Markets. “His strong experience across public policy, diplomacy and international business will bring exceptional value to clients navigating policy and regulatory complexity across Türkiye and the wider region.”

Jiří Pokorný Joins Aretera as Senior Advisor for Czechia

Aretera is delighted to announce that Jiří Pokorný has joined our Central European practice as Senior Associate for Czechia.

 

Prior to joining Aretera, Jiří served as an Advisor to Czechia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, where he provided strategic analysis and advice on key foreign policy and internal management priorities. Throughout his career, Jiří has developed a strong understanding of the Czech political and institutional landscape, as well as an extensive network across government, public institutions and other key stakeholders.

 

“We are very pleased to welcome Jiří to our growing CEE practice” said Ondřej Hynek, Country Director for Czechia. “He brings extensive experience from the Czech public sector, combining strategic advisory experience with a deep knowledge of government decision-making, legislative processes and stakeholder engagement.”

Péter Magyar’s First 100 Days: Political & Policy Overview

Following the formation of Hungary’s new government in May, Prime Minister Péter Magyar
and his cabinet – supported by the ruling Respect and Freedom Party (TISZA) and its two-thirds
(constitutional) majority in parliament – have implemented a series of legislative and policy changes. These initiatives have primarily been aimed at implementing constitutional and institutional reforms, redefining Hungary’s relations with the EU and securing the previously blocked EU funds.

 

Parliament has marked the 100-day milestone since the election by voting in András Baka,
a former Chief Justice of Hungary’s Supreme Court, as Hungary’s new President. Baka is expected
to be a transitional head of state, with a wider public consultation process to follow to prepare Hungary’s new constitution.

 

Four months after the parliamentary elections, Hungary’s party politics has consolidated into
a threeparty system dominated by the ruling party and two opposition formations: Viktor Orbán’s formerly ruling Fidesz-KDNP bloc and the nationalist opposition Our Homeland. Support for TISZA remains high (around 60-65% among decided voters), while Fidesz has lost nearly half of its voters since the election, with Our Homeland openly aiming to become the lead opposition formation.

 

The first 100 days have shown that the new cabinet is putting compliance first. There is now
an increased emphasis on compliance with EU law and regulations and a greater level of EU alignment (as suggested by Hungary’s rule-of-law and transparency reforms).
The government has shown a higher degree of openness for public consultation but is also committed to stricter enforcement. Following the initial constitutional and institutional reforms,
the government’s focus is expected to shift to a more regulatory-driven agenda, as suggested by the autumn legislative plan. The cabinet is preparing to introduce draft legislation covering
several policy areas, including online safety, climate protection, renewable energy use, addressing the gender pay gap, platform workers, food retail oversight, railway infrastructure development,
nuclear energy, tackling disinformation, as well as digital infrastructure and governance development.

 

Job Opportunity: GR Manager / Policy and Regulatory Analyst (Astana, Kazakhstan)

Aretera is seeking a GR Manager / Policy and Regulatory Analyst to join our growing team in Kazakhstan.

 

The successful candidate will support major international clients across multiple industry sectors on all aspects of state policies and state regulations, risk and corporate reputation management.

 

This position offers the opportunity to develop your career in public affairs by gaining international and local experience as Aretera is trusted by clients across Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

 

Key responsibilities

 

  • Policy and regulatory monitoring: Monitor and analyze legislative, regulatory and policy developments, as well as the activities of government bodies in Kazakhstan.
  • Research and analysis: Prepare analytical memos, briefings, reports, overviews and articles for international clients.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Develop and maintain professional relationships with government bodies, companies, industry associations and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Client and project support: Contribute to client projects and coordinate assigned workstreams with Aretera’s local and regional teams.

 

Qualifications and skills

 

  • Compulsory fluency in Kazakh and Russian.
  • Working command of English (fluency in English would be an advantage).
  • Minimum 3 years of experience in analytical work, including an understanding of the specifics of GR consulting and experience working with international companies.
  • Higher humanitarian and/or social sciences degree (e.g. political science, etc., participation in foreign courses would be an advantage).
  • General erudition, information handling skills, willingness to learn.
  • Strong written communication and negotiations skills.
  • Being proactive and reliable in everyday work (having a habit of independently managing activities as a project lead would be an advantage)

 

How to apply

 

Please send your CV and a short motivation note to a.sagynayev@areterapa.com by August 17, 2026.

Government Restructuring In North Macedonia

North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has initiated a mid-term restructuring of his three-party coalition government, with the revised cabinet composition to be submitted to parliament on 3rd July. The restructuring is intended to accelerate reforms, improve institutional efficiency and strengthen policy delivery during the second half of the government’s mandate before the nex parliamentary election in 2028.

 

The reshuffle was driven by two parallel developments. First, the Albanian minority VLEN alliance – one of the three parties in the ruling bloc – completed its transformation from an electoral coalition into a unified political party, prompting a redistribution of ministerial portfolios among the governing partners. Second, Prime Minister Mickoski, who represents the senior coalition VMRO-DPMNE, had repeatedly indicated that ministers would be assessed based on performance, using the government’s two-year milestone as an opportunity to refresh selected portfolios. As a result, not all personnel changes should be interpreted as performance-related since several stem from coalition rebalancing and organizational restructuring rather than dissatisfaction with individual ministers.

 

Accordingly, the reconstruction does not represent a shift in the government’s strategic direction. Ministries responsible for macroeconomic policy, fiscal management, investment, infrastructure, transport, foreign affairs, defence and internal security remain under the same political leadership, ensuring continuity across the government’s core agenda. Personnel changes are concentrated in implementation-oriented public service portfolios, including health, social policy, justice, culture and inter-community relations. This suggests that the objective is to improve policy execution rather than to redefine priorities.

 

The Mickoski Cabinet has reiterated its commitment to accelerating ongoing projects and reforms while completing its full four-year mandate, dismissing speculation about early parliamentary elections. For businesses, this points to continued policy stability in parallel with an active regulatory and policy environment.

Key Takeaways From Hungary’s New Government & Parliament

Following the victory of Péter Magyar’s Respect and Freedom Party (TISZA), which ended the 16-year rule of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP alliance, Magyar will be appointed as Prime Minister on 9th May during the first sitting of the new parliament. The new Cabinet proposed by Magyar places a high degree of focus on professionalism, featuring several lead policy figures and policy experts with extensive private-sector experience. The Cabinet composition also reflects ideological diversity, in line with TISZA’s ‘catch-all’ nature as a political movement.

 

Under the revised cabinet structure, which will include 16 ministries, key members include former global Vodafone executive Anita Orbán as Foreign Minister and Deputy PM, former global Shell executive István Kapitány as Economy and Energy Minister, former State Secretary András Kármán as Finance Minister, orthopaedic surgeon Zsolt Hegedűs as Health Minister and former army chief Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi as Defence Minister. Popular political commentator Bálint Ruff will take over as Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, responsible for institutional, governance and anti-corruption reforms.

 

The 199-member parliament will feature 141 MPs from TISZA, 52 MPs from the main opposition Fidesz-KDNP and six MPs from the nationalist opposition Our Homeland. TISZA Vice President Ágnes Forsthoffer, a former tourism industry professional, will serve as Speaker of the National Assembly, while Andrea Bujdosó, TISZA’s former group leader at the Budapest City Council, will become the party’s Parliamentary Group Leader. Under the revised parliamentary committee structure, TISZA will oversee 14 of the 19 permanent committees, as well as the four subcommittees.

 

The new government’s most immediate priority is to secure billions of euros in blocked EU recovery and cohesion funding, with the exact details yet to be decided. TISZA also promised to revise the country’s personal income tax system (PIT), create favourable taxation conditions for SMEs and introduce a wealth tax above HUF 1 billion. In parallel, incoming Finance Minister András Kármán also discussed Hungary’s potential adoption of the euro post-2030, with the exact objectives yet to be outlined.

Aretera’s Adria & Western Balkans Practice Expands in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina

Aretera is pleased to announce that Isidora Šmigić has joined our Serbian practice as Senior Associate, while Damir Softić has been appointed to the role of Associate Director in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

 

“It is a great pleasure to work alongside Isidora and Damir, each bringing extensive and unique multi-sector expertise to our regional practice. I am confident they will both be central to Aretera’s further growth” said Lana Avakumović, Regional Director, Adria & Western Balkans.

 

Isidora Šmigić, Senior Associate, Adria & Western Balkans

 

Isidora is a public policy professional, bringing over seven years of experience at the intersection of strategic stakeholder engagement, healthcare digitalization, and innovation policy. She has worked extensively with both public and private stakeholders to support evidence‑based regulatory reform and advance digital transformation in the healthcare sector.

 

Prior to joining Aretera, Isidora worked at NALED, Serbia’s leading public‑private think tank, where she led initiatives on healthcare and biotech regulation, including the development of Serbia’s legal framework for electronic health records and alignment of clinical trial legislation with EU standards. Earlier in her career, she contributed to European policy advocacy through her role at the Schwarzkopf Foundation in Germany.

 

Damir Softić, Associate Director, Bosnia & Herzegovina

 

Damir is a strategic advisor with extensive experience in policy, regulatory affairs, and governance, supporting public institutions, financial organizations, and private sector clients across Europe. He brings advisory expertise from PwC, Deloitte, and KPMG, where he delivered projects on governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance, and has also served as a legal specialist for leading banks, including ZiraatBank and NLB, advising on operational resilience and strategic legal matters.

 

Prior to joining Aretera, Damir contributed to governance and policy initiatives within the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and has been actively engaged in European policy and technology networks. Bridging law, policy, and advisory practice, he offers a regional and international perspective on regulatory, cybersecurity, and data protection challenges, helping clients confidently navigate complex regulatory and digital landscapes.

Key Takeaways From Kazakhstan’s New Constitution

Kazakhstan’s recently held constitutional referendum is expected to fundamentally alter the country’s political processes. The bicameral parliament has been abolished in favour of a unicameral Kurultai elected entirely through party lists, while the office of Vice President was restored after a 30-year absence.

 

In line with the changes, political power is expected to be more concentrated while remaining formally distributed. The constitutional text itself reflects this trend: the supremacy of ratified international treaties over domestic law is curtailed, while the freedoms of speech and assembly are narrowed with new grounds for restriction, with the explicit right to strike removed.

 

Taken together, these changes signal a deliberate tightening of the civic and legal framework alongside a major institutional restructuring. The reintroduction of the position of Vice President is the most consequential single change in this regard as it creates a formalized succession mechanism. The new constitution will be the basis of several future political processes international businesses are required to monitor. These include the potential “resetting” of President Tokayev’s single, seven-year term, the nomination of the incoming Vice President, early parliamentary elections expected for August and the role the People’s Council will play after the abolishment of the upper house of parliament.

Hungary – Election Update & Campaign Analysis #5

The Hungarian parliamentary election campaign has entered a feverish final stretch as the
country approaches April 12. Over the past week, the political landscape has been defined by
unprecedented leads for both main parties in different opinion polls, explosive allegations of
espionage, speculation about a post-election deadlock and an economic stabilization effort by
the central bank.

 

Polling divides have significantly grown: Medián gives TISZA a dominant 58% lead over Fidesz’s
35%, while Nézőpont places Fidesz ahead at 46% against TISZA’s 40%. These discrepancies
have been attributed to differences in methodology and the perceived political alignment of
pollsters. Ultimately, intense polarization likely obscures true voter sentiment, which some
analysts say may indicate that the race is closer than these outliers suggest. Encouraged by
the polling results, Magyar is now openly aiming for a two-thirds majority, however the
likelihood of such an outcome remains uncertain and is widely seen as dependent on turnout.

 

Controversy erupted following media reports that Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó allegedly
provided “live” updates of confidential EU meetings to Russia. TISZA’s leader labelled this
treason, while pro-government media outlets have branded investigative journalist Szabolcs
Panyi a foreign intelligence asset, claiming he was helped by an EU member state to secretly
record Szijjártó. Both sides have dismissed the claims, with Szijjártó arguing he will negotiate
with anyone if it is in Hungary’s interest, while Panyi, whom the government has reported for
espionage, stated that his own conversations were recorded while he was investigating the
original leaks. In parallel, another recent report revealed that secret services allegedly
pressured the National Investigation Service (NNI) to conduct politically motivated
investigations and recruitment operations aimed at dismantling the opposition.

 

Speculation is mounting regarding some form of post-election cooperation between Fidesz
and the nationalist party Our Homeland. Influential Fidesz member János Lázár signalled an
openness to cooperation, noting that both parties share similar views, except for Hungary’s
EU membership. Our Homeland leader László Toroczkai suggested he would support issuesbased
cooperation with the ruling bloc, though TISZA has rejected any cooperation with what
they call a “Fidesz satellite.” In parallel, third-party candidates, including those from the
centre-left Democratic Coalition (DK), are withdrawing to boost TISZA’s chances in the 106
individual constituencies, with the satirical-progressive Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP), also the
fifth formation on the ballot paper, facing similar pressure.

 

On the economic front, the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) has kept the base rate at 6.25%.
However, Governor Mihály Varga lowered 2026 GDP growth projections to 1.7%, citing weak
exports. While inflation has dropped to 1.4%, the downward revision undermines Fidesz’s
“economic breakthrough” narrative, suggesting the era of high inflation is being replaced by
prolonged stagnation.

Hungary – Election Update & Campaign Analysis #4

The Hungarian parliamentary election campaign has entered its most intense phase, with both Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz-KDNP bloc and Péter Magyar’s main opposition TISZA party making a final push to consolidate their voter base and attract new voters ahead of the April 12th election. During two rival campaign rallies in Budapest, Orbán focused on his anti-war platform, describing the vote as a choice between sovereignty and foreign (Ukrainian) interference, while Magyar focused on domestic grievances such as the cost-of-living crisis, healthcare and systemic corruption, presenting his party as the pro-Western alternative. Both leaders have hit the campaign trail, focusing on shoring up support in the countryside.

 

While the race is increasingly bipolar with no clear outcome due to continued polling discrepancies, the far-right Our Homeland (one of the three small parties also on the ballot paper) could play a decisive role in a potential parliamentary deadlock if it passes the 5% parliamentary threshold. Party leader László Toroczkai has rejected formal coalitions but signalled potential support for a technocratic government or issue-based cooperation with Fidesz in the event of a parliamentary deadlock. Meanwhile, the campaign has also been marked by mutual allegations of foreign interference, with Fidesz accusing Kyiv of energy sabotage and the opposition pointing to Kremlin-backed messaging strategies.

 

The government has addressed economic uncertainties stemming from Ukraine’s alleged “oil embargo” and the U.S.-Iran War by reintroducing temporary fuel price caps for both gasoline and diesel. Although annual inflation fell to a nine-year low of 1.4% in February, the budget deficit has already reached nearly 50% of its annual target due to heavy pre-election spending. This fiscal strain, combined with a weakening forint and the release of 45 days of state oil reserves, suggests that significant fiscal consolidation will be necessary regardless of which party secures victory on April 12.

Octavian-Ștefan Buzatu joins Aretera as Associate for Romania

Aretera is delighted to announce that Octavian-Ștefan Buzatu has joined our growing Romanian practice as an Associate and ESG & Policy Advisor.

 

Octavian is a sustainability and public affairs professional with a background spanning climate governance, ESG and international diplomacy. Before joining Aretera, he served as a Consultant at the United Nations UNFCCC in Bonn, where he contributed to major climate negotiations, co-authored the NDC Secretariat Report and supported high-level events including COP30. During his previous role at Octus, he analyzed the ESG performance of multinational companies against OECD guidelines and UNGC principles.

 

“We are delighted that Octavian has joined our growing Romanian practice,” said Iulia Bidică, Country Director for Romania. “His strong background proactivity and professionalism perfectly complement the team we have built so far. Combined with his background in climate governance and international diplomacy, we are confident that Octavian’s expertise in sustainability and public affairs will bring significant value to our clients in Romania.”