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'Associated Press' Analysis: Elections without a clear winner will deepen the crisis in Kosovo

2025-10-13 22:31:01Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
'Associated Press' Analysis: Elections without a clear winner will deepen the crisis in Kosovo

Preliminary results from the weekend's municipal elections in Kosovo showed that most of the main municipalities will go to runoffs, highlighting the country's continuing political fragmentation and underscoring ongoing tensions in Kosovo-Serbia relations.

Most of the main Albanian-majority municipalities, including the capital Pristina, appear to be heading for a runoff, according to preliminary results released on Monday. In contrast, all but one of the Serb-majority municipalities were won by the Serbian List, the dominant Serb party seen as closely aligned with Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i?.

About 2.1 million voters in the small Balkan nation cast ballots Sunday for mayors for 38 municipalities and about 1,000 seats on municipal councils. Election officials said preliminary turnout was 40%, lower than four years ago and parliamentary elections earlier this year.

According to the Central Election Commission, 21 municipalities will move to a runoff to be held on November 9 after no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote, the threshold required to win outright.

Preliminary results for the mayoral races show that Prime Minister Albin Kurti's left-wing ruling party "Vetëvendosje" won in only 3 municipalities, while most of the other victories went to center-right opposition parties.

The weekend vote was held as Kurti's party also faces the challenge of forming a new cabinet, and the lack of decisive results suggests a challenging path forward for him on that front as well.

The lack of a cabinet is detrimental to the country as it seeks greater involvement from the European Union in developing its economy and assisting it on its path towards the EU membership it seeks.

The local elections came just 2 days after the Kosovo Parliament ended an 8-month political deadlock by completing the election of its full leadership, including a representative from the ethnic Serb minority.

On Saturday, the incumbent prime minister was formally tasked with forming a new cabinet within 15 days – a process further complicated by the results of Sunday's local elections, as the main opposition parties have so far refused to enter into coalition talks.

Kosovo's independence remains a flashpoint in the Balkans. Some 11,400 people were killed, mostly ethnic Albanians, in the 1998-1999 war that ended after a NATO air campaign drove out Serbian forces. While most Western countries recognize Kosovo's statehood, Serbia, backed by Russia and China, does not. / Associated Press


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