Parliamentary elections in Europe's youngest nation, third attempt in 18 months to resolve political crisis
Kosovars head to the polls on Sunday for parliamentary elections, the third in 18 months, held as no party has been able to secure a solid enough majority to lead the Balkan country out of political crisis, according to Reuters
Europe's youngest nation aspires to join the European Union but has been without a functioning government for much of the past year as its divided legislature has failed to elect either a parliament speaker or a new head of state.
No recent opinion polls have been conducted, but analysts predict another victory for Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Vetevendosje party. However, he will need to reach a compromise with opposition parties to get the two-thirds majority needed to elect a new president, experts say
Kurti's party won 51.1 percent of the vote in the last election in December, up from 42 percent in February 2025, but failed to agree with other parties on a presidential candidate, who has a largely ceremonial role, leading to the dissolution of parliament in April and new snap elections.
More voters than population
The EU has urged politicians in Kosovo – which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 – to create strong institutions capable of carrying out the reforms needed to join the bloc.
Kurti's party came to power for the first time in 2021 with a nationalist and welfare-focused agenda. Like all parties in Kosovo, it has a pro-Western orientation. It also opposes further concessions to Serbia, with which relations remain strained.
Kosovo's election commission announced that more than 900 candidates from 17 parties and three coalitions are running for seats in the 120-seat parliament.
There are about 2.1 million registered voters – a larger number than Kosovo's resident population of 1.6 million, thanks to a large diaspora, mainly settled in Western Europe, which tends to support Kurti's party.
