Prime Minister Albin Kurti claims a mandate, but Kosovo’s deep divisions and Western impatience may curb his ambitions.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, is no stranger to political turbulence. Having led his left-wing Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party to victory once again, he proclaims this as a confirmation of his governance. But his celebration may be premature. The vote count remains uncertain due to a malfunctioning electoral system, and while exit polls indicate his party leads with around 40 percent, that is a significant decline from its commanding 50 percent in 2021. More crucially, Kurti lacks a parliamentary majority, leaving Kosovo poised for another round of political brinkmanship.
While a government must be formed, the road ahead is fraught with obstacles. Kosovo’s constitution mandates that 10 out of the 120 parliamentary seats are allocated to the Serb minority, whose representatives refuse to cooperate with Kurti. A further 10 are reserved for other minorities, some of whom have previously sided with Vetevendosje. The opposition, a fractious mix of the centre-right Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), has made no secret of its desire to unseat Kurti, with the PDK already expressing optimism about its electoral performance.
Kurti’s political brand is both his strength and his weakness. His populist rhetoric and nationalist policies have strengthened his domestic support but alienated Kosovo’s Western backers. The European Union and the United States, traditionally Kosovo’s staunchest allies, have grown increasingly frustrated with his confrontational stance towards Serbia. Brussels and Washington favour a more pragmatic approach, urging dialogue and diplomatic engagement. Kurti, however, has taken a harder line, insisting on Kosovo’s sovereignty and resisting compromises that could placate Serbia or its international allies, including Russia. This has left Kosovo in a precarious position, reliant on Western support yet unwilling to bend to Western demands.
The opposition parties, sensing an opportunity, have campaigned on a more conciliatory approach. The centre-right LDK has advocated for Kosovo’s NATO membership and the restoration of warmer ties with the United States. The PDK, a party founded by former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrillas, also leans towards Western alignment but remains sceptical of Kurti’s unilateral style of governance. Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the AAK and a former prime minister, has already signalled his willingness to forge a broad opposition coalition to keep Kurti out of power.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly a decade after NATO ended Serbia’s crackdown on ethnic Albanians. While the US and most EU countries recognize it, Serbia, Russia, and China do not, thus blocking its EU ambitions and keeping it reliant on NATO’s KFOR peacekeepers.
Kurti’s electoral setback may reflect growing unease among Kosovars over economic stagnation. While his nationalist agenda has mobilised support, his government’s economic policies have faced criticism. Inflation has squeezed household incomes, and job creation remains sluggish. The opposition has seized on these grievances, offering a vision of economic stability and international reintegration that stands in contrast to Kurti’s defiant isolationism.
Kurti has ruled out cooperation with opposition parties, which may leave him scrambling for allies among Kosovo’s smaller ethnic minority groups. But even if he manages to form a government, his ability to enact policy will be constrained by a divided parliament and an increasingly impatient international community. The EU and the US have already expressed concerns about his handling of Kosovo’s Serb minority, and without their backing, his administration risks diplomatic paralysis.
Kosovo’s political deadlock reflects deeper structural issues. The country remains split along ethnic and ideological lines, with its institutions still fragile more than two decades after the war. As long as Kurti continues to prioritise nationalist fervour over pragmatic governance, Kosovo’s Western allies will grow more exasperated. And unless he finds a way to navigate Kosovo’s fractured political landscape, his latest victory may soon turn into a pyrrhic one.
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