UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 29, 2025

Kurti’s VV party scores clear victory in Kosovo vote, looks to end political deadlock (RFE)
Kosovo’s ‘political earthquake’ election sees Kurti resurgent (Reuters)
Kurti: The work continues; security and prosperity will increase (media)
Hamza: PDK has maintained its electorate (AP)
Rasic’s party says it has secured a seat in the Assembly (RFE)
Rudolph congratulates Kosovo on calm and democratic elections (media)
Terras: Kurti has clear mandate and responsibility to govern more pragmatically (media)
Rama congratulates Kurti on “significant victory” (media)
Spiropali commends Kosovo on democratic maturity in elections (media)
Time for a VV government that will cooperate maximally with the opposition (Koha)
From deadlock to direction: What Kosovo’s parliamentary vote revealed (BIRN)
Gogic: Main impression after elections is convincing victory by VV (Kosovo Online)

Kurti’s VV party scores clear victory in Kosovo vote, looks to end political deadlock (RFE)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje (VV) party scored a clear victory in Kosovo's parliamentary elections, setting it in position to form a new government and potentially end the small Western Balkan nation's year-long political deadlock.

With nearly all ballots counted in the December 28 elections, VV was listed with 49.44 percent, ahead of three major opposition parties -- the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), with 21.07 percent; the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) at 13.62 percent; and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) with 5.70 percent.

Following the release of the results, Kurti declared victory, calling it the "biggest victory in the history of the country."

"On February 9, Vetevendosje and its partners won -- on December 28, the people of Kosovo and the republic won," Kurti said, referring to the previous round of voting in which VV won but fell short of a majority.

Supporters of the winning party lit fireworks and celebrated in the capital, Pristina, following the results.

In November, President Vjosa Osmani dissolved parliament and called early elections after more than 50 attempts at forming a government failed. VV has led a caretaker government since the February 9 vote.

Mail-in and diaspora ballots are still to be counted, potentially pushing VV over the 50 percent mark. In any case, experts say the party -- given the magnitude of the victory -- should have no trouble finding the few extra partners to reach 61 in the 120-seat parliament if necessary.

Turnout was listed at about 45 percent. Twenty-four parties and coalitions were competing, with more than 1,000 candidates seeking seats in the parliament.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/vqiMo

Kurti: The work continues; security and prosperity will increase (media)

Kosovo caretaker Prime Minister and Vetevendosje leader, Albin Kurti, in a Facebook post one day after his party’s convincing victory in the parliamentary elections, thanked the people for their “unconditional support”. He also thanked the diaspora “who came from Europe, America and every corner of the world, or voted by mail or physically in our embassies and consulates”. “We are forever grateful for your unmeasurable contribution for freedom and state and nation, and also for your crucial support which made the victory in these elections both majestic and historical. The work continues, security and prosperity will increase,” he said.

Hamza: PDK has maintained its electorate (AP)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Bedri Hamza in his first press conference after Sunday’s parliamentary elections, said that the PDK has managed to maintain its electorate, but that it expected better results and will assume its responsibility. “These days we will hold meetings with the PDK structures. We will make timely and well-analyzed decisions. The work continues. Everyone must do their work, both the winning party, and also the opposition,” he said.

Hamza said that on the issue of the new President, a solution can be found without sending Kosovo to another deadlock. “The PDK will give its contribution to everything that is in the interest of Kosovo. With regards to international agreements, we have voted for them in the past too. As far as the issue of the President is concerned, I expect first the constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the government. I believe a formula can be found in order not to block the country,” he said.

Rasic’s party says it has secured a seat in the Assembly (RFE)

The Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, led by Nenad Rasic, said in a statement today that it has won 4.600 votes in Sunday’s parliamentary elections and that it has secured a seat in the Kosovo Assembly for the next four years. “We see this trust as a great honor and an obligation to be even stronger, more present and more committed toward the interests of the people,” the party said in a Facebook post.

Rudolph congratulates Kosovo on calm and democratic elections (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Rainer Rudolph, congratulated Kosovo on calm and democratic elections held on Sunday. “We look forward to working with the newly formed institutions,” he said in a social media post.

Terras: Kurti has clear mandate and responsibility to govern more pragmatically (media)

The European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Kosovo, Riho Terras, said today that the results of parliamentary elections in Kosovo “should finally end the political deadlock that has cost the country millions of Euros in EU funding”. “PM Albin Kurti now has a clear mandate and a responsibility to govern more pragmatically,” he said in a post on X.

Rama congratulates Kurti on “significant victory” (media)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a post on X today that he has congratulated the re-elected Prime Minister of Kosovo on a “significant victory” and wishes that “the mandate confirmed by the people of Kosovo for Albin and his party will turn into success and prosperity for Kosovo as well as for the brotherly relations between our two states”.

Spiropali commends Kosovo on democratic maturity in elections (media)

Albanian Foreign Minister Elisa Spiropali congratulated the people of Kosovo today on “elections held with civic maturity, calmness and responsibility, an expression of democratic maturity that makes us proud”. She congratulated the Vetevendosje Movement and Prime Minister Albin Kurti on their victory and the whole political spectrum for the campaign and standards achieved. “Albania and Kosovo walk side by side, with one heart, one voice and on the European path, because that which unites us is bigger than any border,” she said.

Time for a VV government that will cooperate maximally with the opposition (Koha)

Opinion by Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj.

The results of the extraordinary elections in Kosovo, on December 28, paves the way for a quick emergence from the one-year political impasse. The very crisis that was created was a result of democratic results and not of lack of democracy. Because democracy is complicated too. For a year, leaders of political parties did not show enough maturity to overcome the crisis. Now, with the absolute victory of Vetevendosje, as soon as the results are certified, Kosovo will move quickly with the constitution of the Assembly and then the formation of the government. VV is expected to have the required votes in the Assembly. But for sustainable political stability and efficient governance, the VV will need, if not a coalition with another party that has crossed the threshold, then at least cooperation with the opposition parties.

The two opposition parties – PDK and LDK – will have to reflect and see how they will move forward. The statement of the biggest loser of the elections, LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku, showed his great maturity. This maturity is not seen elsewhere in the region. He admitted defeat, congratulated the victors, and expressed readiness to assume the responsibility which will probably lead soon to his resignation. Such a quick acceptance of defeat has not been seen in Albania, for example, for 35 years now.

This time, Kurti’s first statement too was much more mature compared to the one after the February elections. He was triumphant, rightfully so after such a victory, but also showed restraint by not criticizing and let alone insulting his political opponents. Moreover, Kurti invited them to cooperate on a very important point for Kosovo, the vote to ratify international agreements in the Assembly, one of which is the agreement on loans and funds from the EU, in order to use the funds from the growth package for the Western Balkans.

The people of Kosovo showed outstanding political emancipation this time too. They proved that they don’t vote only for parties, but for candidates too and this is proved by the fact that these election results are very different from the results of local elections held only two months ago. VV should make the mistake it made in 2021 when it won over 50 percent of votes in the parliamentary elections and only several months later lost the majority of municipalities in the local elections. The LDK and PDK too, after numerous victories in the local elections, lost convincingly in the general elections. The AAK might have achieved success by crossing the threshold on its own by including in its election list the right candidates that attracted the voters’ attention. These analyses should not stop the PDK and LDK from cooperating with VV on points of high national interest.

Kosovo now needs to enter a new pact with the international community, primarily with the Quint countries. Because relations are not good, confrontation with them has left consequences and the time is now to end this confrontation and restore trust.

It is no secret what Kosovo is asked to do, and Kosovo too has the right to ask the international community to keep its word for its share of obligations. So, the EU and the Quint countries, with the support of NATO too, although it is only a military alliance, will ask Kosovo to send as soon as possible the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities to the Constitutional Court for review.

There is no more space or need for tactical maneuvering how this will be reflected in elections because the elections are over. At this point, the opposition must show national responsibility. Because the opposition will not benefit if it waits for VV to do this and then criticize and attack it. The loser in that case would be Kosovo as a state. It is naïve to think that by not mentioning this obligation, it will be forgotten. Because there is not a single EU document on Kosovo and the region that does not mention these obligations.

Kosovo needs to reach an agreement with its main allies, whereby the minute that Kosovo takes one step, the allies will take one step toward Kosovo. This must be done with the international community without counting that Serbia will support this too. Because Serbia does not lose, and Kosovo does, if it does not become a member of the Council of Europe and if the procedure for giving it the candidate status for EU membership is not initiated.

Notwithstanding the reasons that Kosovo has to be upset with the EU and the Quint countries, it is a fact that whenever the Association, or the structures of local government for Serbs in Kosovo, is mentioned, it is also said that this must be done in full compliance with Kosovo’s legal framework. And this is a relief for Kosovo. This gives Kosovo the right to ask the international community to react when under Belgrade’s orders certain structures in Kosovo could attempt to violate Kosovo’s legal framework.

Unfortunately, the political pluralism throughout Kosovo, which is a model for others in the region, has not been secured among the Kosovo Serbs. This is regrettable and in this respect the international community needs to take a harsher stance on Belgrade, because the EU knows this too well, and it mentions it in its reports, that those Serbs who are against the Serbian List have always been the target of attacks, threats and intimidation. But in this case too Kosovo should not base the position of Kosovo Serbs in Kosovo with Belgrade’s behavior. Here too there can be coordination with the international community if trust is established, which there is no doubt was lost.

Political parties in Kosovo in the future too will have topics over which they can argue, including high prices, inflation and lack of electricity and capital projects. But they need to cooperate on the key points of national interest, such as the dialogue with Serbia and relations with the EU. It is up to VV as the big winner to bring the opposition closer and up to the opposition to get closer to VV. This is how the rules of democracy are.

From deadlock to direction: What Kosovo’s parliamentary vote revealed (BIRN)

Opinion by Blerim Vela.

In giving a clear victory to Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje, Kosovo’s voters delivered a strong message – the months-long political stalemate must end so the country can move forward.

As the dust settles from Kosovo’s early parliamentary elections on Sunday, the outcome reads less like a routine political event and more like a collective judgment. The electorate was not subtle. It delivered a clear and forceful message to the political class at home and to observers abroad: a year of institutional paralysis came at a cost and the bill was due.

The preliminary results from the Central Election Commission tell a remarkably straightforward story. Vetevendosje did not merely survive the turbulence that followed the previous, inconclusive elections in February this year. It expanded its mandate, emerging with just under 50 per cent of the vote, a figure expected to rise once roughly 60,000 diaspora ballots are counted.

Even before that final tally, the outcome grants Vetevendosje a clear popular mandate to form the next government. The Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK followed at about 21 per cent. The Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK’s vote collapsed to under 14 per cent. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK is hovering just above the five per cent threshold required to enter parliament. This was not a case of momentum gradually drifting toward one party. It was a decision made deliberately and at scale.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2ck6a9wk

Gogic: Main impression after elections is convincing victory by VV (Kosovo Online)

Political commentator Ognjen Gogic told Kosovo Online that the main impression after the snap parliamentary elections in Kosovo is a convincing victory for the Self-Determination Movement, which, as he says, no one expected. “It was clear that they were the favorites to win, that they would win convincingly, and that they would probably improve their result compared to February, but I think no one expected it to reach almost 50 percent, which is the result they had in 2021. So they have in fact repeated their best result from four or more years ago,” Gogic said.

He assessed that this now represents a new factor influencing political life in Kosovo and future processes. “This is nevertheless a dominant majority that enables Albin Kurti to form a government with the support of representatives of non-majority communities in parliament, who had been inclined toward him earlier as well. He was missing only a few mandates earlier this year to form a government, but this time he does not have to rely on MPs from the Albanian community who do not want to cooperate with him. MPs from minority communities will in fact be sufficient. That is the main impression of these elections,” Gogic noted.