Kurti’s Vetevendosje party leads in Kosovo’s parliamentary election

Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje party secured the highest share of votes in Kosovo’s parliamentary election Sunday, according to preliminary results.

However, it is still uncertain whether the result will resolve the country’s ongoing political deadlock.

According to data published on the website of Kosovo’s Central Election Commission, 98.08% of the votes have been counted.

Unofficial election results show Vetevendosje in first place with 43.04% of the vote, while the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) received 21.11%, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 17.68% and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) 7.21%.

The final results will also include around 100,000 votes cast by Kosovars living abroad.

Whether Vetevendosje will be able to form a new government with the support of minority community parties will become clear after the counting of conditional ballots as well as votes cast at diplomatic missions and by mail.

To secure the two-thirds parliamentary majority required to elect Kosovo’s next president, Vetevendosje will also need to engage in negotiations with the PDK, LDK and AAK.

Meanwhile, Vetevendosje supporters are expected to celebrate the party’s election victory overnight in central Pristina.

According to the latest figures published by the election commission, 722,845 of Kosovo’s 1,959,962 registered voters cast ballots in the snap election, corresponding to a turnout of 36.88%.

Kosovo held parliamentary elections on Feb. 9, 2025 followed by a snap election on Dec. 28, 2025. In the December vote, Vetevendosje won 51.1% of the ballots, and the government led by Kurti received parliamentary confidence on Feb. 11.

Former President Vjosa Osmani temporarily transferred her duties on April 4 to parliamentary speaker Albulena Haxhiu following the expiration of her five-year term.

The Assembly of Kosovo was dissolved on April 29 after lawmakers failed to elect a new president within the constitutional deadline. The newly elected parliament will now be required to choose the country’s next president in the coming period.

*Writing by Zehra Solmaz from Istanbul