Kosovo

Parliamentary elections in a young, functioning democracy

On Sunday, the people of Kosovo, one of the youngest countries in Europe, will elect a new parliament and thus also a new government for the next four years. It is the ninth election since independence in February 2008. As unstable political conditions have led to early elections several times in the past decade, this is the first parliamentary election to be held on a regular date since 2010.

120 seats will be allocated in the parliamentary election in Kosovo. Of these, ten seats are reserved for the Serbian minority and ten seats for other ethnic minorities such as Bosniaks, Ashkali or Roma. The remaining one hundred seats are open to the general population. The electoral system is based on proportional representation with a nationwide constituency, meaning that parliamentarians are determined solely by list positions. There are no direct candidates.

With a population of just under two million, Kosovo has a very young population. Between the 2021 parliamentary elections and the current elections, around 150,000 new voters reached voting age. According to data from the Central Election Commission, the 18 to 21 age group has the highest voter turnout at around 57%.

A total of 28 parties with 1,280 candidates are taking part in the election, including six representatives of the Serbian community. The most important parties include Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s “Movement for Self-Determination” (Lëvizja Vetëvendosje, VV), the liberal Democratic Party (PDK, ALDE and LI member) and the Democratic League (LDK).

An increasingly consolidated democracy

In the 2021 parliamentary elections, the left-wing populist “Vetëvendosje” under the leadership of Albin Kurti won an overwhelming victory with 50.3 percent. Since then, the government has taken various measures that have caused a stir both nationally and internationally. For example, it closed all institutions run by the Serbian minority in the course of 2024. As Serbia does not recognize the independence of its “breakaway province” and continues to regard it as part of its territory, there were duplicate structures financed by Belgrade, at least in the Serb-dominated municipalities, as Kosovar authorities were not recognized.

The unilaterally forced closure of the Serbian institutions was heavily criticized by the international community, as relations between the two states should be normalized through dialogue rather than pressure. However, Prime Minister Kurti’s domestic popularity increased as a result of the measures taken.

The parliamentary elections are taking place at a key time for Kosovo. There is an opportunity to consolidate political stability and subsequently proactively shape relations with Serbia and other international partners. At the same time, uncertainty about the future shape of US involvement hangs over everything. As a protecting power, the Americans are irreplaceable for Kosovo’s security as part of the international protection force KFOR, but some important Trump loyalists have not exactly indicated sympathy for the Kosovar cause.

Pre-election polls show that the ruling Vetëvendosje can expect 45-50 percent of the vote even four years after its election success. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which belongs to the liberal party family, can achieve 17-20 percent of the vote, while the conservative Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) could achieve 15 percent. A changing of the guard is therefore not to be expected, but there is a possibility that Vetëvendosje, which has been in power alone until now, will have to form a coalition.

The diaspora tipping the scales?

The diaspora could play a decisive role in the outcome of the parliamentary election, as it makes up around five to ten percent of the electorate and can significantly influence the outcome of the election. The registration of Kosovar citizens living abroad began on August 29 and ended on December 26, 2024. Since January 9, 2025, Kosovars living abroad have been able to cast their vote by post; alternatively, they can vote on February 8 at Kosovo's diplomatic missions in 22 countries.

In the parliamentary elections in 2021, the diaspora primarily voted for Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetëvendosje. Although the participation of compatriots living abroad is generally met with approval, there are also critical voices. While the majority see the inclusion of the diaspora as democratic and important, there are concerns regarding knowledge of the problems to be solved by a future government in the country. There are also fears that Kosovars living abroad will more easily fall prey to misinformation than their compatriots living in the country itself are.

Liberals with a strong candidate

The ALDE and LI member party PDK is entering the race with Bedri Hamza as its candidate for Prime Minister. The 61-year-old is an economist by training and already served as Minister of Finance from 2011-2014 and from 2017-2019. He was also governor of the Central Bank of Kosovo for several years, during which he earned a reputation as a serious and prudent financial expert.

In the PDK’s election program, Hamza aims to promote economic development and reduce the tax burden in order to create a more favorable business climate. There is still too little manufacturing industry in Kosovo, despite the availability of a young workforce. In general, the PDK wants to create jobs for the middle class and strengthen the education system in order to increase the competitiveness of the Kosovar workforce. The Kosovar Liberals are also campaigning for the introduction of health insurance. Kosovo is one of the few countries without state health insurance.

In recent years, under its young chairman Memli Krasniqi, the PDK has embarked on a transformation from a party stuck in the past to an open-minded, progressive and pro-European party. In Kosovo, which is characterized by clientele structures, programmatic parties are still the exception. It is therefore to the credit of the PDK and its voters that they want to further develop Kosovo’s still young democracy programmatically.

Dr. Minire Çitaku is Senior Project Manager at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, based in Prishtina.