Kosovo Election: Victory for the 'Biggest Loser' as Majority Remains Elusive, New Vote Predicted

Kosovo's recent election concluded with Albin Kurti's Self-Determination Movement securing the most votes, yet this victory is described as that of the "biggest loser." The party failed to achieve the necessary majority, leading to widespread predictions of new elections by year's end.

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Dear citizens, activists and supporters, I congratulate you on another consecutive victory. In less than seven years, this is the fifth victory in parliamentary elections. This is another confirmation that this decade, and probably a much longer period, will be ruled by the Self-Determination Movement.

Turnout was notably low, dipping below 37%. Self-Determination's support also declined compared to the December election, securing only 48 seats, far from the 61 needed for a majority. The Democratic Party of Kosovo followed with half that result, while the Democratic League of Kosovo garnered nearly 18% and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo secured about 8%.

The Serbian List, according to preliminary data, received 6.17% of the vote. Political analyst Ivan Tomić suggested that the results point to continued infighting among Albanian parties, potentially prolonging the institutional crisis and necessitating further elections. However, Ljeart Hoxha, editor of Pristina's ATV, argued that the results clearly indicate a need for coalition building to overcome the crisis.

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If all parties carefully read the result, I think the need for a coalition is actually imposed. I think it is necessary. The will of the people is different and the situation is much clearer for all political parties. I think it is the responsibility to the people to form a coalition and get out of this crisis.

Within the Serb community, the Serbian List preliminarily won around 43,000 votes, while Nenad Rašić's For Freedom, Justice, and Survival party received just over five thousand. This translates to a nine-to-one ratio for the 10 reserved seats in the Kosovo Assembly. The Serbian List accused Rašić's party of benefiting from Albanian votes to claim one mandate, calling the election fraudulent.

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The Serbian List rightly says clearly now to the international community, world public and Serbian public in Serbia and Kosovo that we have been robbed in these elections as in the previous three cycles. Robbed by political engineering.