PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) – The Central Election Commission of Kosovo has announced the results from the legislative election held on February 9, where Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Self-Determination Movement Party, known as Vetevendosje!, emerged as the largest party but fell short of securing a majority in the 120-seat parliament. The commission reported that Vetevendosje! received 42.30% of the votes, translating to 48 seats in parliament.
Following Vetevendosje!, the center-right Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) garnered 20.95%, equating to 24 seats, while the conservative Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) secured 18.27% of the vote for 20 seats. The right-wing Alliance for Kosovo’s Future managed 7.06%, which corresponds to 8 seats. The overall voter turnout for this election was recorded at 46.54%, a slight decline compared to the previous election in 2021.
Kosovo’s electoral law reserves ten parliamentary seats for the Serbian minority and another ten for other minority groups within the country. In order for Kurti to establish a new cabinet, he needs to gain the support of a simple majority, amounting to 61 votes in parliament. Throughout his campaign, Kurti had committed to not forming alliances with either the PDK or the LDK, making his task of building a coalition more challenging than in 2019 when he only required three additional seats to form a government.
It has been over a month since the election took place, and if Kurti is unable to construct a functioning government, the president of Kosovo has the authority to appoint a new candidate from any of the victorious parties. Should this individual also prove unsuccessful in assembling a cabinet, the nation would face the prospect of early parliamentary elections.
Since taking office in 2021, Kurti has been navigating the complexities of governance in Kosovo, including a significant economic revitalization challenge. This task has been exacerbated by the suspension of financial assistance from the United States and the European Union, both of which serve as Kosovo's primary supporters and financiers.
Additionally, the normalization of relations with Serbia—a prerequisite for both countries to proceed with their aspirations to join the European Union—remains at a standstill. The ongoing diplomatic dialogue appears to have hit a snag, presenting another layer of complexity for Kurti's administration.
The upcoming presidential election in 2026 represents yet another challenge for Kurti, as the party that wins the parliamentary election typically elects the president. To successfully elect a president, that party would require at least 81 votes, representing a two-thirds majority within the parliament.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade following the end of the 1998-1999 conflict between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian separatists. This war culminated in a NATO air campaign lasting 78 days, which led to the expulsion of Serbian military forces from Kosovo. Notably, Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's claim to independence, further complicating the political landscape.
