Kosovo’s ruling Vetevendosje party, led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, is set to secure a first-place finish in the parliamentary elections held on Sunday. However, with no outright majority, the party will need to enter coalition talks with other political groups to form a new government, according to exit polls and preliminary vote counts.
Although Vetevendosje’s victory is significant, it marks a decline from the more than 50% of the vote that Kurti’s party garnered in the 2021 election. Despite this dip, Kurti is poised to maintain leadership in the government of the young nation, which continues to navigate its delicate relationship with neighboring Serbia, as well as address the challenges posed by the ethnic Serb community within its borders.
An image of Kosovo’s Prime Minister and leader of the ruling Vetevendosje party Albin Kurti is displayed during a gathering of supporters as an exit poll shows the party is set to come first in the parliamentary election, in Pristina, Kosovo February 9, 2025. REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj
According to Reuters, during the campaign, Kurti had ruled out forming a coalition unless his party secured an outright majority. Yet, after declaring victory on Sunday evening, he announced that Vetevendosje would lead the new government, without specifying which parties would be involved in a coalition. “We are the first party, the winning party that will create the next government,” Kurti stated to reporters. “We will continue to finish the work that we have started.” His supporters gathered in the streets to celebrate the result.
Kosovo’s election commission faced a delay in publishing the official results, as technical issues with their software prevented them from making the announcement on Sunday. The commission later explained that the data would be collected manually and published in the early hours of Monday. “We apologize to all Kosovo citizens,” said Kreshnik Radoniqi, the head of the election commission.
According to the opposition parties, Vetevendosje emerged as the clear victor, with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) conceding the result. LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku stated that, according to his party’s vote count, Vetevendosje won 39.08% of the vote, while the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) came in second with 21.84%, and LDK finished third with 18.14%. Exit polls further confirmed Vetevendosje’s position, with figures ranging between 37% and 40% of the vote.
Supporters play instruments as exit polls show ruling Vetevendosje party is set to come first in the parliamentary election, in Pristina, Kosovo February 10, 2025. REUTERS/Florion Goga
Kurti, a leftist and Albanian nationalist, first came to power in 2021 when his coalition secured over 50% of the vote, leading to a seven-seat majority in the 120-member parliament. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 with support from the United States after NATO’s bombing campaign in 1999, has faced political turmoil, much of it centered around its relationship with Serbia.
Despite his initial popularity, Kurti’s tenure has been criticized for shortcomings in key sectors such as education and healthcare. Furthermore, some argue that his policies have distanced Kosovo from its traditional allies, the European Union and the United States. In 2023, the EU imposed economic sanctions on Kosovo, cutting over 150 million euros in funding due to Kurti’s role in escalating tensions with ethnic Serbs in the north.
Meanwhile, the LDK campaigned on promises to restore Kosovo’s relations with the EU and the United States, and to pursue NATO membership. Nevertheless, Kurti’s government has achieved certain successes, such as a significant reduction in unemployment from 30% to around 10%, an increase in the minimum wage, and an economy that grew faster than the average in the Western Balkans last year.
Despite the election’s contentious atmosphere, marked by an unusually high level of fines—over 650,000 euros—imposed on political parties for campaign violations, the outcome sets the stage for complex negotiations as Kosovo’s political future unfolds.
