Kurti wins almost an absolute majority in the repeat elections in Kosovo

PristinaAt seven in the evening, the polling stations in Kosovo closed. By that time, only two voting-related incidents had been reported nationwide: the detention of five Serbian citizens attempting to illegally cross the border—among them a former member of the Serbian army—and the arrest of another man accused of a different offense. By eight in the evening, 50% of the votes had been counted. The significant lead of the Albanian nationalist party Self-Determination (VV) was already clear, and its voters were celebrating in the streets, as there was a 30% margin over the second-place party.

The main parties competing in this repeat election in Kosovo were Self-Determination (VV), led by Albin Kurti, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), in addition to the Serbian minority (LS), which was already known to be winning the four seats that, by law, correspond to that minority in Parliament.

At Ilira High School in the municipality of Fushë Kosova, Genta, a 26-year-old woman, admitted that she had voted for Kurti's party because, of the options available, it was the best. She stated that she had tried to find other parties with different views, but hadn't found any. "I feel that the VV hasn't done enough, but I think they're the only ones who are going to do something," she added.

Political stalemate

These elections came after months of political deadlock in the young Balkan nation. Albin Kurti won last February with 48 of the 120 seats in Parliament, far short of the 61 needed for a majority, and failed to reach any agreement to govern in coalition or minority. The other parties also failed to form an alternative.

Ten months later, after the failure of attempts to form a government, a repeat election was called. This situation was compounded by the months during which the VV was unable to appoint a valid parliamentary spokesperson, keeping the assembly deadlocked from March until November, when Glauk Konjufca was elected Speaker of Parliament after several failed attempts to form a government.

In this context, and considering the Christmas holidays, it is believed that Kurti tried to win over the diaspora vote, that is, the Kosovars who returned to the country during the festivities. And it seems the strategy worked. With a 44% voter turnout, Kosovars gave his party the victory: Albi Kurti won with 49% of the vote, falling less than 1% short of being able to govern alone. In the February elections, he didn't even get 40% of the vote. "I think people were afraid we would have the same scenario [as in February], and that's why they voted for Kurti, so that the deadlock wouldn't be repeated," the young voter also commented.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) trailed far behind with 21% of the vote, while the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) only managed 13%, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) obtained 5%. The remaining votes were divided among smaller parties and minority groups.

Therefore, Kurti secured 55 of the 120 seats in the Kosovar Parliament, nearly achieving an absolute majority, but he will still have to negotiate with parties from minority communities if he wants to obtain the 61 seats needed to govern and end the political deadlock. "Although Kurti may not improve things, I know he won't make them worse," concludes Diellza, a 30-year-old artist. Genta agrees: "He's the best of the bunch," she says.

In 2021, Kurti's Self-Determination Party won because it was the party of hope and garnered the support of young people. It then obtained a parliamentary majority. Now it has won again, also with the support of young people, but because there is no alternative to support.