Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has ordered a full recount of votes after a partial recount of one-third of polling stations revealed discrepancies of hundreds to thousands of votes among candidates within political parties. The process is expected to delay the announcement and certification of election results, potentially affecting constitutional deadlines for forming government institutions.
“The entire recount process is expected to take around two weeks, followed by periods for complaints and appeals, before the results can be certified,” said Vullnet Bugaçku, a researcher at the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI). “Efficient coordination between the CEC and political parties will be crucial, as the president must be elected in parliament by March 4.”
Kosovo has been facing a political crisis since early 2025, which led to the December 28 elections and the failure to approve the 2026 state budget. Melos Kolshi, a researcher at the Institute for Development Policy (IKD), warned that the country is already in a financial crunch, and delays in forming institutions could place Kosovo in a situation not seen since the post-war period.
“Since January 1, Kosovo has been operating on one-twelfth of its budget, covering only salaries. Any further delays in institution formation will exacerbate the country’s financial challenges,” Kolshi said.
The CEC initially began a partial recount after receiving a report on alleged vote irregularities. Following the discovery of further manipulations, the commission decided to conduct a full recount. Kosovo has now been without fully mandated institutions for over a year. The continued absence of a functioning parliament has reportedly cost the country hundreds of millions of euros in EU funding and other international support, originally intended for development and growth initiatives.