In the parliamentary elections, 28 political entities are competing, including 20 political parties, five coalitions, two civic lists, and one independent candidate. Around 2 million voters have the right to vote.
On Sunday, general parliamentary elections are being held in Kosovo, the ninth since the end of the war in 1999 and the first regular elections since the declaration of independence in 2008. In these elections, 28 political forces are competing, including 20 political parties, five coalitions, two civic lists, and one independent candidate. For the past four years, the government has been led by the Self-Determination Movement (Vetëvendosje), with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who has frequently clashed with Serbia in the EU-mediated dialogue, and also had deep disagreements with the international community due to actions referred to as “uncoordinated” in northern Kosovo.
Kosovo Ready for Voting
In the February 9 elections, around two million voters are eligible, including 105,000 citizens voting abroad. The CEC announced that 1.8 million ballots were printed, a number smaller than the number of voters, because voter turnout in previous elections has never exceeded 50%. The general elections will also be held in the northern part of Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Serbs, although their representatives boycotted the 2023 local elections. However, this time, several smaller political entities, including the Srpska List, which is the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo, will participate.
Political Campaign with Incendiary and Hateful Language
For a month, political parties aiming to lead the government for the next four-year mandate presented their election programs. Among the largest political entities competing in these elections are the Self-Determination Movement (Vetëvendosje), led by Albin Kurti, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), led by Lumir Abdixhiku, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), with its prime ministerial candidate Bedri Hamza, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), led by Ramush Haradinaj.
During the month-long campaign, the election discourse in Kosovo was marked by incendiary and hateful language, although no incidents were reported. “The trend of using inciting or hateful speech during the campaign continued throughout, despite fines imposed by the Election Panel, specifically for such cases,” concluded the network of non-governmental organizations, DnV, which monitors the electoral process.
EU Observes Kosovo’s Elections
The European Union’s observer mission chief, Nathalie Loiseau, said in Pristina that “it has never been more important for Kosovo to preserve democratic standards.” “We live in a time when democracies are being questioned, sometimes globally threatened. Therefore, ensuring a stable democracy in Kosovo has never been more important. That is why we will observe, evaluate, and if necessary, we will not shy away from pointing out any areas for improvement where we see possible,” said Loiseau.
What Do Young People Expect from Elections in Kosovo?
Germany, in addition to sending observers, assisted the Central Election Commission with servers and accompanying equipment that will aid in the Counting and Results Center. Germany’s Ambassador to Kosovo, Jörn Rohde, expressed his confidence that the election process on Sunday will run smoothly. “Democracy and free elections are the foundation of a prosperous society. We want to strengthen our future and the democracy that ensures individual freedom for all of us. Since the declaration of independence, Kosovo has made great progress in building and democratizing. Therefore, the digitalization of the electoral process will be key to this progress,” said Ambassador Rohde, confident that Kosovo will have smooth elections on Sunday.
Voting in Diplomatic Missions
For the first time in the history of the state, voting for Kosovo’s parliamentary elections is taking place in Kosovo’s diplomatic missions. Voting for over 20,000 voters who chose this form of registration is organized in 19 different countries around the world, primarily in Europe, but also in the United States and Canada.
On Sunday, voting centers for the parliamentary elections in Kosovo will be open throughout the country from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM. On Friday, Kosovo media reported that some Serbian political parties have expressed concern that the Srpska List, supported by Belgrade and the Serbian government, is expected to bring voters from Serbia by bus, Serbs who are also citizens of Kosovo. Kosovo’s Ministry of Transport says there has been no request for additional transport by buses from Serbia. Officials from the ministry say that institutions will not allow buses carrying organized voters into Kosovo on election day unless they are equipped with special permits corresponding to regular bus lines between Kosovo and Serbia.
