Voters in Kosovo headed to the polls on Sunday for a snap parliamentary election, a decisive attempt to end a prolonged political stalemate that has paralysed governance in the young Balkan nation for much of the year.
A Crisis of Governance
The early vote was called after Prime Minister Albin Kurti's ruling Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination) party, which won the most votes in an election on 9 February, failed to form a government. This marked the first time Kosovo has been unable to establish a government since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.
While Kurti's party remains the favourite, its path to a majority in the 120-seat parliament is uncertain. Mainstream rival parties have refused to enter an alliance. Under Kosovo's election laws, 20 seats are automatically reserved for ethnic Serb representatives and other minority parties.
High Stakes for Kosovo's Future
Another inconclusive result would deepen the crisis significantly. The country of 2 million people has not yet approved a budget for next year, raising fears for its already fragile economy, one of the poorest in Europe.
The political impasse also threatens to delay the election of a new president. President Vjosa Osmani's mandate expires in early April, with a vote in parliament due in March. If lawmakers fail to elect a successor, the country would be forced into yet another snap election.
The main opposition, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), have accused the 50-year-old Kurti of authoritarianism and damaging relations with key allies the US and the European Union since taking power in 2021.
Regional Tensions and Economic Pressures
A former political prisoner under Serbian rule, Kurti has adopted a tough stance in EU-mediated talks on normalising relations with Belgrade, leading to punitive measures from Brussels and Washington. Tensions flared in 2023 when clashes with ethnic Serbs in the north injured scores of NATO peacekeepers.
On the domestic front, Kurti has promised to boost security through military purchases. In a controversial move, his government has also agreed to accept third-country migrants deported from the US under Trump-era policies, with one arrival confirmed so far.
With no reliable pre-election polls, analysts note that even slight shifts in voter sentiment could be decisive. In the February election, Vetëvendosje won around 42% of the vote, while the two main rival parties combined for roughly 40%.
For citizens like 71-year-old pensioner Ilmi Deliu from Pristina, the election is a critical juncture. "I hope the election will bring a change or we will end up in an abyss," he said, echoing concerns about youth emigration. "Young people no longer want to live here."
