Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti claimed victory for his ruling Vetevendosje party in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, despite partial results indicating he is short of a majority.
With 88% of ballots counted, Vetevendosje has secured about 41% of the vote, down from the 50% it won in 2021, according to the latest figures. The BBC reported that Kurti expressed confidence in forming a government, declaring, “We are the winners, and this is confirmation of a good, prosperous, and democratic government.”
The announcement of official results has been delayed due to a failure in the Central Election Commission’s counting system. President Vjosa Osmani urged the commission to “protect the integrity of the electoral process, ensuring that every vote is counted correctly.” The commission attributed the delay to “technical issues,” but Besnik Krasniqi, editor of the media group Koha, called for the commission’s chair to be dismissed, describing the system failure as “intolerable.”
Vetevendosje is projected to win more than 40 seats in the 120-member parliament. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) is polling at 22%, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) at 18%, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) at 8%. These are the only parties expected to surpass the 5% threshold required to enter parliament.
Kurti first came to power in 2021 when a coalition led by Vetevendosje secured a narrow majority. Before official results were declared, he stated, “Our coalition will form our third government. It will continue the work. The people won, Vetevendosje won.”
Kurti’s popularity has been bolstered by efforts to extend government control over Kosovo’s ethnic Serb-majority north, a move that has fueled tensions with Serbia.
