Hashim Thaçi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hashim Thaçi
Official portrait, 2016
President of Kosovo
In office 7 April 2016 – 5 November 2020
Prime Minister	Isa Mustafa Ramush Haradinaj Albin Kurti Avdullah Hoti
Preceded by	Atifete Jahjaga
Succeeded by	Vjosa Osmani
Prime Minister of Kosovo
In office 9 January 2008 – 9 December 2014
President	Fatmir Sejdiu Behgjet Pacolli Atifete Jahjaga
Deputy	Hajredin Kuçi Ramë Manaj Behgjet Pacolli Mimoza Kusari-Lila Bujar Bukoshi Edita Tahiri Slobodan Petrović
Preceded by	Agim Çeku
Succeeded by	Isa Mustafa
In office 2 April 1999 – 1 February 2000 In opposition to Bujar Bukoshi
President	Ibrahim Rugova
Preceded by	Bujar Bukoshi
Succeeded by	Bajram Rexhepi
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 12 December 2014 – 7 April 2016
Prime Minister	Isa Mustafa
Preceded by	Enver Hoxhaj
Succeeded by	Enver Hoxhaj
Leader of the Democratic Party
In office 27 October 1999 – 26 February 2016
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Kadri Veseli
Political Director of KLA
In office March 1999 – June 1999
Preceded by	Adem Demaçi
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	(1968-04-24) 24 April 1968 (age 57) Srbica, AP KiM, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia (now Skenderaj, Kosovo)
Political party	Democratic League (before 1993) Democratic Party (1999‍–‍2016) Independent (2016‍–‍present)
Spouse	Lumnije Thaçi
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Pristina University of Zürich
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Kosova
Branch	Kosovo Liberation Army
Service years	1993–1999
Rank	Commander
Battles/wars	Glogovac attack Insurgency in Kosovo Battle of Rezalla Kosovo War

Hashim Thaçi (born 24 April 1968) is a Kosovar Albanian politician. He served as the President of Kosovo from April 2016 until his resignation in November 2020. Before becoming president, he was the first Prime Minister of Kosovo. He also held roles as Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

Thaçi grew up in the region of Pristina in Kosovo. This area was important for the start of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). He studied philosophy in Pristina before moving to Switzerland. In 1993, he joined the KLA. He became a key leader in the KLA by 1999.

After the war, he joined the temporary government in Kosovo. Thaçi became the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). His party won the most votes in the 2007 Kosovo elections. In 2008, Thaçi announced Kosovo's independence. He then became its first prime minister. In 2016, he was chosen as President of Kosovo.

Thaçi has always supported a strong relationship with the United States. In 2020, a special court began an investigation into his past actions during the war. He resigned from his role as president to protect the integrity of the presidency. As of April 2023, his trial is ongoing in The Hague. He has stated that he is not guilty of the accusations.

Early Life and Education

Hashim Thaçi was born in the village of Broćna, which is now called Buroja, in Skenderaj, Kosovo. His family belongs to the Thaçi tribe. Skenderaj is in the Drenica valley. This area has a history of resisting Serbian rule. The Drenica valley became the birthplace of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in the early 1990s.

Thaçi studied philosophy and history at the University of Pristina. By 1993, he was living in Switzerland. There, he joined a group of Albanian politicians living outside their home country. He continued his studies at the University of Zürich, focusing on history and international relations. He later earned his master's degree. When he was young, Thaçi was part of a group that wanted to overthrow the government of Yugoslavia.

Role in the Kosovo Liberation Army

In 1993, Hashim Thaçi became an important member of the KLA. His leadership helped the KLA gain support from many Kosovo Albanians. On May 22, 1993, Thaçi, along with Ilaz Kodra, led an attack in Glogovac against the Serbian Police. This attack was a success for the KLA.

Thaçi used the code name "Gjarpëri," which means "The Snake." He was in charge of getting money and weapons for the KLA. He also helped train new recruits in Albania before they went to Kosovo. In 1997, a court in Pristina found Thaçi guilty of terrorism related to his KLA activities. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but he was not present for the trial.

Hashim Thaçi also took part in the Battle of Rezalla. This was the KLA's first major battle, happening on November 25. During this battle, KLA fighters ambushed Yugoslav forces. Many Yugoslav soldiers were killed, and their equipment was damaged. After this, Yugoslav forces went to the village of Llausha. There, they shot two Albanian teachers who worked at the local primary school.

In March 1999, Thaçi was the leader of the Kosovar Albanian team at the Rambouillet negotiations. During these talks, diplomats from Western countries saw Thaçi as a reasonable voice within the KLA. His presence showed that he was willing to accept some level of self-rule for Kosovo within Serbia. At that time, other rebel leaders wanted full independence.

After the peace agreement, Thaçi became the leader of the strongest group within the KLA. He quickly worked to gain more power. He named himself prime minister of a temporary government.

Prime Minister of Kosovo

Winning the 2007 Election and Declaring Independence

US President George W. Bush with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu (center) and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi (left) in 2008.

Elections in Kosovo took place on November 17, 2007. After most of the votes were counted, Hashim Thaçi's PDK party was set to win about 34 percent of the votes. Thaçi announced his victory. He said he planned to declare Kosovo's independence quickly, by December 10. This date was when the United Nations had set for talks with Serbia to end. Only 45 percent of people voted in the election. Most Serbs living in Kosovo chose not to vote.

On November 19, 2007, some foreign ministers from the EU warned Thaçi. They advised him and his allies not to declare independence without talking to others first. Officials from Luxembourg and Sweden urged the PDK to avoid quick decisions. The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said it was important to prepare properly before formal independence. After EU talks in London, a UK minister said that independence without foreign support could make Kosovo isolated.

Thaçi and U.S. Senator Joe Biden with the Declaration of Independence of Kosovo.

On December 11, 2007, Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu chose Hashim Thaçi to lead the next government. He was asked to form a government as soon as possible. His Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) started talks with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for New Kosovo (AKR). Together, these parties controlled 75 out of 120 seats in the assembly.

On January 9, 2008, Thaçi was elected as prime minister by the parliament. He received 85 votes in favor and 22 against. On this day, he stated his goal to achieve independence for Kosovo in the first half of 2008.

On February 16, 2008, Thaçi announced that the next day, February 17, would be very important. He hinted that Kosovo would declare independence from Serbia. On February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. Thaçi became the Prime Minister of this new independent state. On June 6, 2008, someone broke into Thaçi's home in Pristina, but he was not there at the time.

Working with the Democratic League of Kosovo

Thaçi and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 2010.

Thaçi and Albanian PM Sali Berisha at the opening of Kalimash tunnel.

Thaçi's government included members from different parties. This table shows some of the key positions in his government:

President of Kosovo

2016 Presidential Election

Thaçi was elected as the President of Kosovo in February 2016. He officially took office on April 7, 2016. In August 2019, Thaçi announced that Kosovo would hold parliamentary elections on October 6. He said that the country needed a "functional and accountable government." This government would be able to handle the challenges facing the state and society.

International Relations

Thaçi during the MSC 2018.

In January 2018, Thaçi stated that Kosovo would have supported U.S. President Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This would have made Kosovo the only country with a Muslim majority to do so. Thaçi told an Albanian newspaper that if Kosovo became a full member of the United Nations, it would always vote with the U.S. He said this even if it meant voting against a resolution protesting Trump's decision.

Thaçi met with Donald Trump in September 2017 in New York. This meeting happened during the United Nations General Assembly. Thaçi invited Trump to visit Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. Local media reported that their meeting was "exceptionally friendly and warm."

Thaçi's office released a statement saying, "The Head of State thanked President Trump for his personal support for Kosovo." They called the U.S. a "strategic partner." The statement also said that Washington's support was "crucial to the peace, stability and overall development of Kosovo and the region." Thaçi told a Pristina TV station, "President Trump, like all other U.S. presidents, has a clear vision for Kosovo. It is unique support to our country. He said that Kosovo is a wonderful country and that we are a wonderful people."

On November 26, 2019, an earthquake hit Albania. President Thaçi was part of a group of leaders who visited the area affected by the earthquake. He offered his condolences on behalf of Kosovo. In 2019, he met with Trump's Special Envoy Grenell. In February 2020, he signed an agreement with Serbia's president, Vučić.

Resignation and Trial

On November 5, 2020, Thaçi announced his resignation to reporters. He said he was resigning "to protect the integrity of the presidency of Kosovo." He was arrested the same day and taken to The Hague. Thaçi was replaced by Vjosa Osmani, who was the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo.

Thaçi first appeared in court on November 9, 2020. He stated that he was not guilty. The trial began in April 2023. In December 2024, Thaçi faced additional accusations. These were for trying to influence witness statements during the trial and for not respecting court rules.

Countries Visited as President

Here is a list of official visits Hashim Thaçi made as president:

#	Country	Year	Cities visited	Type of visit
1	Vatican City	2016, 2017	Vatican City	State visit
2	Albania	2016, 2019, 2020	Tirana, Durrës, Kodër-Thumanë	State visit
3	Brazil	2016	Rio de Janeiro	Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony
4	Turkey	2016	Ankara	State visit
5	Malta	2016	Valletta	State visit
6	Panama	2016	Panama City	State Visit
7	United States	2017, 2018, 2019, 2020	Washington, D.C., New York City, Des Moines	State visit, Working visit
8	Jordan	2017	Amman	State visit
9	Austria	2017	Vienna	State visit
10	Croatia	2017	Zagreb	State visit
11	Montenegro	2017	Podgorica	State visit
12	Canada	2017	Halifax, Ottawa	State visit
13	Bulgaria	2017, 2018	Sofia	State visit, Working visit
14	France	2017, 2018, 2019	Paris	State visit, Working visit
15	Switzerland	2018	Davos	Working visit
16	South Korea	2018	Pyeongchang	Pyeongchang 2018 Opening Ceremony
17	Macedonia	2018, 2019	Skopje	State visit Inauguration of Stevo Pendarovski
18	Armenia	2018	Yerevan	Francophonie Summit
19	Belarus	2018, 2019	Minsk	Working visit
20	Germany	2019, 2020	Munich, Berlin	Working visit
21	Slovakia	2019	Bratislava	Globsec Forum
22	Japan	2019	Tokyo, Osaka	State visit
23	Monaco	2019	Monte Carlo	Working visit

Awards and Recognitions

•  Albania:
  • On June 20, 2008, he received a special key to the city of Tirana during his visit to Albania.
  • On the same day, Thaçi was made an Honorary Citizen of Vlorë. This was for his "historic role in making Kosovo an independent state."
  • In January 2015, the University of Tirana gave Hashim Thaçi an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa). This was for his work in building peace in the Western Balkans. It also recognized his efforts to promote European integration and the historic Brussels Agreement with Serbia.
  • On October 4, 2016, he was given Honorary Citizenship of Shkodër, a city in northern Albania.
•  Switzerland: On July 1, 2012, Thaçi received an honorary doctorate in International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy. This award is given to people who have made important contributions. Past recipients include Martin Gray, a Holocaust survivor, and José Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of East Timor.
•  United States of America: In 2014, groups in the U.S. Congress nominated President Thaçi and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić for the Nobel Peace Prize. This was for their part in reaching a peace deal between Serbia and Kosovo.
•  Montenegro: On April 4, 2015, on Ulcinj Municipality Day, Thaçi was given the title of Honorary Citizen of Ulcinj by the town's government.

See also

In Spanish: Hashim Thaçi para niños