Kurti’s Vetevendosje leads Kosovo election with 43.72% after most ballots counted

Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje movement is leading Kosovo’s snap parliamentary election on Sunday, according to preliminary results published by the Central Election Commission (KQZ).

With results from 2,112 of 2,498 polling stations (84.55%), Vetevendosje secured 43.72% of the vote, or 252,944 ballots.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) followed with 21.74% (125,768 votes), while the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) received 18.06% (104,496 votes). The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) won 7.39% (42,729 votes), and the Serb List (Srpska Lista) 4.37% (25,285 votes).

Turnout stood at 30.75%, with 602,598 voters casting ballots out of 1,959,962 registered, KQZ said. The figures are preliminary and exclude conditional votes, ballots from persons with special needs and votes cast abroad.

Kosovo went to the polls in an early parliamentary election with more than 1.9 million eligible voters. A total of 902 candidates from 21 political groups are competing for seats in the 120-member assembly, alongside diaspora voting involving 132,212 registered voters abroad.

Vetevendosje expected to remain ahead

Despite limited polling data, analysts expect Vetevendosje to emerge as the largest party. However, no bloc is seen likely to secure the two-thirds majority needed to elect the next president.

Kurti’s main challengers include Lumir Abdixhiku and Vjosa Osmani of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Bedri Hamza of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). The Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party (KDTP) is also competing for two reserved seats for Kosovo Turks.

Kosovo previously held a general election on Feb. 9, 2025, followed by an early parliamentary election on Dec. 28, 2025. In the December vote, Vetevendosje won 51.1%.

Former President Vjosa Osmani transferred presidential duties on an interim basis to Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu on April 4 after her mandate expired. The Kosovo Assembly was dissolved on April 29 after lawmakers failed to elect a new president within the constitutional deadline.