Pristina, Kosovo – Kosovo is holding a parliamentary election for the second time in 11 months, as Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s left-wing nationalist Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement) seeks a clear majority to break a prolonged political stalemate.
The snap election on Sunday follows February’s vote, in which Vetevendosje emerged as the largest party but failed to secure a governing parliamentary majority.
Months of unsuccessful coalition talks led to President Vjosa Osmani dissolving the parliament in November and calling an early election.
Since then, Kosovo’s legislature has been unable to agree on its leadership, leaving the body effectively paralysed and unable to function.
Polling stations open at 07am (0600 GMT) and close at 7pm, with initial results and exit polls expected on Sunday evening.
High stakes for Kurti and rivals
Kurti, who has governed since 2021, is hoping for a decisive result similar to his 2021 victory, when he was able to form a government largely on his own. His reform agenda has produced mixed results so far.
If Vetevendosje again falls short of a majority, uncertainty remains over whether Kosovo’s main political parties will be willing to compromise to form a coalition government.
Opposition parties have repeatedly refused to govern with Kurti, criticising his handling of relations with Western allies and his policies toward Kosovo’s ethnically divided north, where a Serb minority lives.
Kurti in turn has blamed the opposition for the ongoing impasse.
Bedri Hamza, a former finance minister and new head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), has emerged as Kurti’s strongest challenger.
Hamza blends national values with liberal economic policies championing free markets, economic growth, a stronger private sector and social protection.
Failure to form a government would prolong the crisis at a critical moment. Lawmakers must elect a new president in April and ratify around US$1.2bn in loan agreements with the European Union and the World Bank, which are set to expire in the coming months.
Kosovo has also faced financial pressure following tensions with Serbia in 2023, which prompted the EU to impose sanctions.
The bloc has said it will lift the measures after ethnic Serbian mayors were elected in northern municipalities, though the sanctions are believed to have cost Kosovo hundreds of millions of euros.
During the campaign, Kurti has pledged an extra month of salary per year for public sector workers, one billion euros annually in capital investment and the creation of a new prosecution unit to combat organised crime.
Opposition parties have also focused on promises to improve living standards. Opinion polls are not published in Kosovo, leaving the outcome uncertain. Many voters say they are disillusioned.
DW
