Key facts
- Vetevendosje party won Kosovo's parliamentary election with 43% of votes.
- The party failed to secure an absolute majority needed to govern alone.
- Prime Minister Albin Kurti called for cooperation with other parties.
- The election was the third in less than 18 months due to political instability.
- Turnout was less than 37%, down from 45% in the previous election.
Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti has called for cooperation from other political parties following his Vetevendosje party's victory in Sunday's parliamentary election. Despite winning, the party did not secure enough votes to govern alone, continuing an 18-month period of political deadlock that has hampered Kosovo's progress towards European Union membership.
Official results showed Vetevendosje with 43% of the vote after 99.4% of ballots were counted. The Democratic Party of Kosovo received 21%, and the Democratic League of Kosovo garnered 18%. Even with an estimated 100,000 diaspora votes yet to be tallied, Vetevendosje is unlikely to achieve the 51% needed for an outright majority, a shortfall compared to its December election performance.
Kurti expressed his intention to communicate and cooperate with all political subjects in the coming weeks. Supporters celebrated the victory, with one voter expressing hope for Kurti's future leadership in Europe. However, political analysts suggest the crisis may persist, with options including a fragile minority government or significant compromises from Kurti.
Turnout for the election was below 37%, a decrease from the 45% recorded in December. Vetevendosje, which first came to power in 2021 with a nationalist and welfare-focused agenda, remains pro-Western and opposes further concessions to Serbia, with whom relations are strained.