Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has highlighted the Albanian Coalition’s performance in Serbia’s recent elections, describing its 27,607 votes as the highest result achieved by Albanians in Serbia since 2000. At the same government meeting, Kurti also addressed the killing of Arlinda Zekaj, calling the institutional failures surrounding the case “unforgivable” and setting a deadline for the submission of detailed reports.
Kurti said the Albanian Coalition’s result demonstrated the importance of political unity among Albanians in Serbia, despite differences between political parties. The coalition received 1,233 more votes than in 2020, when it secured three parliamentary seats.
He noted that, despite Albanians being Serbia’s fourth-largest national minority by population, the Albanian Coalition ranked second in votes and first in parliamentary seats, alongside the Hungarian minority lists.
Kurti also welcomed the Student List’s electoral victory, saying that the coalition led by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had lost its parliamentary majority, while Ivica Dačić’s list had failed to enter parliament.
“Just as Milošević and Šešelj lost a quarter of a century ago, their political successors, Vučić and Dačić, have now lost as well,” Kurti said.
He attributed the Albanian Coalition’s result to the decision of Albanian political forces to unite behind a common cause: improving the lives, rights and dignity of Albanians in Serbia. He thanked the participating political entities for overcoming their differences to achieve that goal.
Meanwhile, Kurti addressed the killing of Arlinda Zekaj, who had reportedly sought institutional protection and warned authorities of the danger she faced before her death.
Speaking at the government meeting, Kurti said there were clear indications of a chain of institutional failures involving bodies responsible for public safety and justice.
He described the situation as “unforgivable” and said Justice Minister Donika Gërvalla had convened an emergency meeting with central and local justice and security institutions following the killing.
Kurti said Gërvalla and Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla had been given a deadline to submit a detailed report documenting the evidence and failures at every level of the relevant institutions.
“Tomorrow evening, before 6 p.m., I expect the reports,” Kurti said, adding that 34 hours remained for their preparation and submission.
Reflecting on the case, the prime minister criticised the state of justice in Kosovo, saying that it did not adequately protect vulnerable people and had too often sided with the powerful.
The two issues featured in Kurti’s remarks at the government meeting: the political representation of Albanians in Serbia following the elections, and the need to establish institutional accountability in the case of Arlinda Zekaj.
