Kosovo’s snap parliamentary election on Dec. 28 is shaping into an unusually tense contest, with the country’s large diaspora emerging as both a decisive voting bloc and a target of increasingly sophisticated online manipulation. Foreign observers say the vote will test Kosovo’s capacity to safeguard democratic processes as advanced artificial intelligence tools reshape political campaigning.
The Central Election Commission (KQZ) has approved about 72,000 voter registrations from abroad, a substantial figure for a nation of 1.8 million people. Most applicants plan to vote by mail, while roughly 18,000 have registered to cast ballots at Kosovo’s diplomatic missions.
The spotlight on the diaspora follows the political impasse that toppled the government after the Feb. 9 election, when no party secured a majority. Vetëvendosje won 48 seats but failed to form a coalition, prompting President Vjosa Osmani to call new elections.
Timing of the vote deepens party divisions
Osmani’s decision to hold the election in late December—when many Kosovars living abroad return home—has polarised political parties. Supporters, including Vetëvendosje, say the date increases participation. Opponents argue the timing may complicate international observation and create procedural gaps during the holiday period.
Foreign analysts note that diaspora voting patterns have become more diverse, weakening assumptions that any single political force can rely on uniform support from abroad.
Wave of AI-generated videos alarms analysts
As campaigning intensifies, foreign researchers and civil-society groups have reported a surge in AI-generated videos and images circulating on social media. These clips mimic TV interviews with supposed diaspora voters—in airports, foreign cities or outside polling stations—voicing strong support for specific parties. Media logos are often digitally altered to resemble real Kosovo broadcasters.
Analysts say the goal is to influence diaspora voters while also creating an impression of widespread support at home. The videos have accumulated thousands of views and shares, contributing to what some observers describe as an artificially amplified sense of political momentum.
International monitors see the trend as part of a broader pattern in which cheap generative-AI tools are deployed to manipulate public opinion, posing particular challenges for smaller democracies with limited monitoring capacity.
Digital resilience under scrutiny
With fewer than three weeks remaining, diaspora participation remains central to the electoral calculus. But the spread of AI-driven disinformation is prompting renewed calls for vigilance from institutions, media outlets and voters.
Observers say the December poll will test Kosovo’s ability to protect the integrity of its elections at a time when the line between authentic political communication and synthetic manipulation is increasingly difficult to distinguish..