Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has declared victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, although the results now require him to form a coalition government.
Preliminary results, released late Sunday, show Kurti’s left-wing Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement) party leading with 41.99% of the vote. The election was widely seen as a referendum on Kurti’s leadership, particularly due to his strained relations with Western allies over Kosovo’s stance on neighboring Serbia.
With 73% of votes counted, the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) is in second place with 22.68%, while the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) garnered 17.9%.
Despite Vetevendosje’s first-place finish, Kurti will need to form a coalition, a prospect he had previously ruled out. However, he appeared to backtrack, telling reporters, “We are the first party, the winning party that will create the next government. We will continue the work we have started.”
Al Jazeera’s Maja Blazevska reported that Kosovo is set to return to a coalition government.
Key Focus on Serbia
The election was held amid ongoing tension over Kosovo’s relationship with Serbia, the main issue in Kosovo’s political discourse. Kosovars voted for a new parliament that will elect 120 members, with a key focus on negotiations to normalize relations with Belgrade.
Kosovo’s political landscape includes the PDK, which faces accusations of war crimes, and the LDK, Kosovo’s oldest party. The Alliance for Kosovo’s Future, led by former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, won 7.5% of the vote.
Opposition parties have promised reforms such as increasing public salaries, improving healthcare and education, and addressing poverty in Kosovo, which remains one of Europe’s poorest nations with an annual GDP of under 6,000 euros ($6,200) per person.
A Challenging Term
Kurti, whose government is the first in Kosovo’s history to complete a full term, has faced frequent unrest between ethnic Albanians and Serbs. Tensions escalated following the collapse of EU- and US-backed negotiations with Serbia in March 2023, which saw NATO peacekeepers attacked, armed clashes in the north, and other violence.
Kurti’s controversial policies, such as a ban on the use of the Serbian dinar and financial transfers to Kosovo’s Serb minority from Serbia, have attracted criticism from the West. The US, EU, and NATO have warned against unilateral actions that could reignite interethnic conflict.
Although Kurti has strong domestic support, critics argue his confrontational stance towards Serbia has strained Kosovo’s relations with the international community. Some view his actions, including securing arms deals with the US and Turkey, as a mixed success.
As the election concludes, Kosovo’s future direction will depend heavily on Kurti’s ability to navigate these complex political waters and form a functional coalition government.
