Eurasia Press & News
The Vetëvendosje movement won the elections on February 9, but this time it does not have the numbers to govern on its own. The alternatives are the creation of a difficult majority or new early elections
Kosovars do not know yet who will manage to form their new government, despite the fact that the general elections took place on February 9.
It took nearly a month for Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) to count all the votes, a process that was completed on the evening of March 5. However, the certification of the results will take a few more days.
According to preliminary data, the party with the most support is “Lëvizja Vetëvendosje” (LVV), led by current Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
LVV secured 396,022 votes (42.27%), marking a decline of around 40,000 votes compared to the 2021 elections, when it won over 50% of the votes.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) ranked second with 196,353 votes (20.96%), followed by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with 171,249 votes (18.28%).
In fourth place the coalition between the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA), and several smaller parties, which secured 66,226 votes (7.07%).
LVV, PDK, LDK, and AAK hold a total of 100 seats in the Kosovo Assembly, while 20 seats are allocated to minority community parties.
The mechanism for the formation of the government
Unlike four years ago, no party has secured an absolute majority, making government formation more complicated.
Despite winning the elections, LVV did not achieve its campaign goal of 500,000 votes, which would have allowed it to govern on its own.
Based on the current results, LVV holds 48 seats in parliament. The party had hoped that votes from the diaspora would help it reach 50 seats, but the high initial support seen in diplomatic missions abroad diminished during the final counting of postal votes. As a result, LVV gained only one extra seat from diaspora votes.
This complicates Kurti’s efforts to secure a parliamentary majority. However, LVV’s Vice Chairman Glauk Konjufca has stated for OBCT that the party aims to form the government with the support of non-Serb minority representatives.
“As you saw, the ‘Kurti 2’ government was formed in cooperation with non-Serb minorities. This is our goal because it had a positive effect on Kosovo, preventing the Serbian List—which operates under Belgrade’s influence—from having decisive power as it did in past governments”, said Konjufca.
Non-Serb minorities hold 10 reserved seats in the Assembly. By securing their support, LVV could reach 58 seats. Additionally, LVV is counting on the vote of Nenad Rašić, the Minister for Return and Communities in Kurti’s previous government, who cooperates with Kosovo’s institutions.
Rašić entered parliament after the Serbian List failed to win all 10 seats traditionally allocated to Serbs, securing only 9 seats instead.
However, to reach the simple majority of 61 MPs needed to form a government, LVV still needs two more MPs.
Securing this support is challenging without cooperation from opposition parties unless some of their MPs decide to align with Kurti.
Nevertheless, Glauk Konjufca—who served as Speaker of Parliament during the past four years and received over 200,000 votes in this election—believes that cooperation with opposition parties is unlikely.
“If the need arises, we will meet as a leadership and decide on the next steps, but so far, the opposition parties have taken an obstructionist stance. The attacks on LVV have been very aggressive, and I think these elections were quite unconventional, with many unfair accusations and low blows. This has left its marks”, Konjufca added.
What are the positions of other parties?
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which emerged as the second-largest political force, has firmly ruled out any coalition with LVV.
PDK leader Memli Krasniqi has stated that the differences between the two parties are too deep, both in political approach and vision for the future.
Similarly, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has committed to remaining in opposition, respecting the will of its voters. LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku has said that the party will act “with full responsibility” in accordance with this electoral outcome.
However, LVV still holds some hope with the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA), which has three MPs.
NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj, who is in coalition with AAK, has openly expressed his willingness to cooperate with Kurti. “I am ready to assist the Prime Minister if he asks for my help in serving the country”, Limaj declared.
His statement has sparked opposition from his coalition partner, Ramush Haradinaj, who remains one of Kurti’s fiercest critics.
On the other hand, the opposition parties have been reserved about whether they would attempt to form a government if given the chance.
High-ranking PDK officials have not responded to inquiries on this issue, while LDK’s vice chairman, Gazmend Muhaxheri, has stated for OBCT that the party will wait for the final election results before making a decision.
“We cannot make any decisions until the party leadership meets and discusses this issue. We will wait for the final results and then determine our position. The first chance to form a government belongs to LVV, but if it moves to the second-largest party, then we will see. We are waiting for the political developments in the coming days”, Muhaxheri said.
The future government and international stability
Political analyst Shenoll Muharremi believes that the next government must be stable, competent, cooperative, and visionary.
However, he does not consider LVV’s plan to form a government solely with minority representatives as a viable option.
“LVV and Albin Kurti should not form a government alone with minorities, even if they manage to ‘recruit’ a few MPs, such as those from NISMA. Such a government would not benefit Kosovo, nor would it be good for LVV itself. LVV does not have the capacity to govern alone, given the domestic and international context. They need support in economy, diplomacy, and infrastructure projects”, said Muharremi.
He further emphasised that, given the unstable international situation and security risks, Kosovo needs a broad coalition government that can address both internal and external challenges.
“Above all, Kosovo needs a government that fundamentally reshapes its foreign policy. At this stage, foreign policy means national security, sovereignty, and the stability of Kosovo’s independence. LVV cannot lead Kosovo’s foreign policy effectively based on what we have seen so far. No effective government can be formed without the cooperation of at least two of the three major parties from the February 9 elections”, he concluded.
Next steps in the process
To pave the way for government formation, the Central Election Commission must certify the final election results after addressing any complaints from political parties or candidates, which will be reviewed by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel.
After certification, Kosovo’s President must nominate the election winner to form the government. In this case, LVV, as the first mandate holder, has two weeks to secure the necessary parliamentary majority.
If LVV fails to form a government within 15 days, the President will nominate a second candidate, likely from the opposition. The second nominee will have only 10 days to form a government. If this attempt also fails, Kosovo will automatically head to new elections.
