Parliamentary elections A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

were held in

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

on 9 February 2025 to elect the 120 members of the Assembly. No party won a majority of seats, with the

Vetëvendosje Vetëvendosje (, , LVV or VV) is a Left-wing politics, left-leaning Democratic socialism, democratic socialist List of political parties in Kosovo, political party in Kosovo. It is a member of the Progressive Alliance, and an observer in the Par ...

party of Prime Minister

Albin Kurti Albin Kurti (; born 24March 1975) is a Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo Albanian politician who has been serving as Prime Minister of Kosovo since 2021, having previously held the office from February to June 2020. He came to prominence in 1997 as the vi ...

remaining the largest party.

Background

In the 2021 elections, Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV) won 58 seats. They created a coalition with minority parties to form a

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

. The government was the first since Kosovo's independence in 2008 to complete a full four-year mandate.

Electoral system

The 120 members of the Assembly were elected by

open list Open list describes any variant of party-list proportional representation where voters have at least some influence on the order in which a Political party, party's candidates are elected. This is as opposed to closed list, in which party lists ...

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...

for a four-year term, with 20 reserved for national minorities. Seats were allocated using the

Sainte-Laguë method The Webster method, also called the Sainte-Laguë method (), is a highest averages apportionment method for allocating seats in a parliament among federal states, or among parties in a party-list proportional representation system. The Sainte- ...

with an

electoral threshold The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of votes that a candidate or political party requires before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can operate in various ...

of 5%.

Election date

According to the constitution, parliamentary elections must be held no later than 30 days and no earlier than 45 days prior to the expiration of the outgoing parliament's mandate. On 31 July 2024,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Vjosa Osmani Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu (born 17 May 1982) is a Kosovan jurist and politician serving as the sixth president of Kosovo since April 2021, having previously served as acting president from November 2020 to March 2021. She also served as Speaker of the ...

formally invited the leaders of political parties to a consultative meeting regarding the scheduling of the upcoming elections. In her invitation, Osmani underscored that, in accordance with the constitution and the electoral code, the elections must take place between 26 January and 16 February 2025. Opposition figures, including

Lumir Abdixhiku Lumir Abdixhiku (born 22 April 1983) is a Kosovar Albanian politician serving as President of Democratic League of Kosovo since 14 March 2021. He previously served as Minister of Infrastructure and Environment in the 2019. He was also a Chairma ...

of the

Democratic League of Kosovo The Democratic League of Kosovo (, LDK) is the oldest and one of the largest list of political parties in Kosovo, political parties in Kosovo. History During the late 1980s, nationalism was on the rise throughout the Socialist Federal Republi ...

(LDK),

Ramush Haradinaj Ramush Haradinaj (; born 3 July 1968) is a Kosovo Albanian politician, leader of the AAK party, and the third prime minister of Kosovo. He is a former officer and leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), and previously served as Prime Minist ...

of the

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (, AAK) is a right-leaningMemli Krasniqi Memli Krasniqi (born 25 January 1980) is a Kosovar Albanian politician who has been the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) since July 2021. Krasniqi has previously been Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (2014� ...

of the

Democratic Party of Kosovo The Democratic Party of Kosovo (, PDK) is one of the largest political parties in Kosovo. It was originally a social-democratic party coming out of the demilitarised Kosovo Liberation Army after the Kosovo War, with most of the leadership c ...

(PDK), advocated for elections on 26 January, while Mimoza Kusari-Lila of the Alternativa proposed delaying the elections to 9 or 16 February, citing logistical concerns related to the post-holiday period. Prime Minister and leader of

(LVV) Albin Kurti did not attend the consultation due to a prior commitment. Concluding, on 16 August, Osmani announced that the elections would be scheduled for 9 February 2025.

Parties and coalitions

The application period for political parties seeking certification and submission of candidate lists for the 2025 elections spanned from 1 September to 11 December 2024. A total of 28 political entities submitted applications, including 20 political parties, five coalitions, two civil initiatives, and one independent candidate, with 1,280 candidates nominated. On 23 December 2024, the KQZ disqualified the Serb List from the elections. The decision was based on remarks made by the party's leader Zlatan Elek during the presentation of the electoral list, which the KQZ deemed to be nationalistic in nature. The party appealed the decision, calling it "institutional and political violence" against the Serb minority. On 25 December 2024, the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) accepted the appeal, overturning the decision to deny their certification for participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo. The ECAP instructed the KQZ to certify the Serb List for the election. The Election Commission published the official list of the 28 participating parties and coalitions:

Campaign

Election campaigns in Kosovo are regulated to start 30 days before the scheduled election date and must conclude on the day before the election.

Governmental parties

In August 2024 the governing parties of

, Guxo and Alternativa announced that they would once again run inside the same electoral list, with incumbent Prime Minister

leading the list. Although initial reports suggested that Guxo and Alternativa preferred a formal coalition. There has been some infighting within Guxo against their leaders Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz and Faton Peci, both of whom are ministers within the government. On 9 December 2024, the

Ferizaj Ferizaj or Uroševac,, or Uroševac sr-Cyrl, Урошевац, . Also formerly known as Ferizovići (). is a city and a municipality in Kosovo. It is the third largest city in Kosovo by population and also the seat of Ferizaj Municipality and ...

branch announced it would close itself that day, citing discontent with its leaders. On 12 December, the

Peja Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbar ...

branch called for voters to boycott the election following the publication of the deputy list, which according to them, broke party rules by not including the party name on the list.

Opposition parties

On 27 March 2024 the

(PDK) nominated

Bedri Hamza Bedri Hamza (born 8 November 1963) is a politician and administrator in Kosovo. He has been the Republic of Kosovo's finance minister on two occasions, served three terms in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, was governor of the Central Bank ...

, South Mitrovica mayor and former

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

, for Prime Minister. This move is allegedly an attempt to focus the campaign on the Economy, which has stagnated under the new government. On November 3 during the convention of PDK, Hamza announced their slogan would be "Kosovo can do better" (). Hamza also announced his platform, with the economy being the top priority. In December 2023, the

(LDK) published its platform dubbed "" ("The New Road", "The New Path" or "The New Way"). In July 2024, the LDK and Christian minority party PSHDK announced that they would run together in the same electoral list.

is its candidate for prime minister, serving as LDK leader since 2021. In January 2024, opposition parties

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (, AAK) is a right-leaningSocial Democratic Initiative (NISMA) and Conservative List of Kosovo (LKK) announced they would run together in a coalition led by

, AAK leader and former Prime Minister. According to the

Social Democratic Party of Kosovo The Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (, PSD) is a political party in Kosovo. It was established on 10 February 1990 by Kaqusha Jashari, and was the second political party to be established in the newly pluralist Kosovo. Leadership The curren ...

(PSD), it too was offered to join this coalition but rejected it due to ideological differences. The coalition was formalized in August 2024 and soon after, the coalition published their platform emphasizing foreign relations and a goal of joining

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

and the EU. The

New Kosovo Alliance New Kosovo Alliance (, AKR) is a liberal political party in Kosovo. The party was founded on 3 May 2006, by Behgjet Pacolli. History In April 2007, a BBSS Gallup International/Index survey suggested that the AKR was the fourth-largest politic ...

(AKR), the Justice Party (PD) and assembly members of the ruling LVV announced the creation of the "Family List" Coalition. The coalition was formed as opposition to the ruling party's attempt to increase LGBTQ rights in Kosovo, specifically the proposed Civil Code which would legalize same-sex civil unions.

Campaign issues

Dialogue with Serbia

Following the formation of the government, Prime Minister Kurti declared that dialogue with Serbia would be his 6th or 7th priority, choosing to focus more on domestic issues. On 20 September 2021, Kosovo announced a ban on Serbian license plates being used by Serbian citizens in Kosovo. The government justified this action as retaliation to Serbia not recognizing Kosovan license plates. This however sparked protests in the Serb-majority north Kosovo as well as condemnation from Serbia which threatened military action. On 30 September 2021, the EU had announced they brokered a temporary deal between Serbia and Kosovo, halting the issue for six months. In July 2022, the Kosovan government announced that Serbian citizens who enter Kosovo will receive entry and exit documents, sparking barricades by local Serbs in Kosovo. This would also cause Serbian politicians and policemen to leave Kosovan institutions.

LGBTQ rights

The issue of regulating marriage and civil partnerships for

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

has sparked a clash of viewpoints in the Kosovo Assembly. In March 2022, the Civil Code Draft did not pass its first reading due to strong opposition, particularly regarding the potential legalization of civil partnerships between same-sex individuals. The proposed law would allow for the creation of a separate legal framework to register "civil partnerships" for same-sex couples, but it faced significant opposition from lawmakers and religious leaders, who view it as a redefinition of marriage and family. LGBT community supporters have called for equal recognition of marriage rights, emphasizing that Kosovo's Constitution guarantees the right to marry for all citizens. In April 2024, Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced plans to pass a new Civil Code in May, which included provisions for civil partnerships between same-sex couples. This would have made Kosovo the third country in the

Western Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, after

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

and

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

, to legally recognize such unions. However, the vote did not take place in May, and the process has been delayed indefinitely. The proposal faced opposition from some members of Kurti's party and religious leaders in Kosovo, who argued it would redefine marriage and family. The draft defines marriage as a legally recognized union between a man and a woman but allows for civil partnerships between same-sex couples. Despite the delay, Kurti has stated that the legislation will eventually pass.

Observers

The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

established a team of 100 observers led by French MEP

Nathalie Loiseau Nathalie Lydie Jeanne Loiseau (; born 1 June 1964) is a French politician, diplomat and academic administrator who has served as a Member of European Parliament since 2019. Previously she was director of the École nationale d'administration (E ...

to monitor the election. They were also joined by observers from other institutions including the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

. In a statement released following the election on 11 February, the EU monitors praised the election as "peaceful and competitive" while criticising several aspects including the presence of "harsh rhetoric reflecting deep political divisions", the Serb List pressuring voters "who are largely dependent on Serbian social assistance or employment in Serbia-managed institutions in the Kosovo-Serb municipalities", Vetëvendosje trying to prevent the Serb List from competing in the election and engaging in harsh rhetoric against them, and US special envoy

Richard Grenell Richard Allen Grenell (born September 18, 1966) is an American diplomat, public official, and former public relations consultant who has served as Ambassadors of the United States#Special envoys, representatives, and coordinators, special presid ...

involving himself in the campaign by calling Albin Kurti an unreliable partner of the United States.

Opinion polls

National polls

Seat projections

The projections below are calculated according to the opinion polls from above.

Leadership approval

Albin Kurti

The polls below asked voters for their opinion of

, prime minister of

since March

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

Glauk Konjufca

The polls below asked voters for their opinion of Glauk Konjufca, chairman of

Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Скупштина Републике Косово, Skupština Republike Kosovo) or the Kuvendi, is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Kosovo that is directly elected by the peo ...

since March

Results

No party won a majority in the

Assembly of Kosovo The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Скупштина Републике Косово, Skupština Republike Kosovo) or the Kuvendi, is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Kosovo that is directly elected by the peo ...

, with Albin Kurti's

party receiving around 42,3% of the vote. Turnout was estimated at 41%. The release of official results was delayed by a failure in the election commission's website that was attributed to an increase in user traffic. These were finally released on 15 March.

Results by municipality

Aftermath

On 25 March, Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo leader and concurrent minister of regional development Fikrim Damka was charged with assaulting two supporters of a rival Turkish minority rights party on election day.

Background

Electoral system

Election date

Parties and coalitions

Campaign

Governmental parties

Opposition parties

Campaign issues

Dialogue with Serbia

LGBTQ rights

Observers

Opinion polls

National polls

Seat projections

Leadership approval

Albin Kurti

Glauk Konjufca

Results

Results by municipality

Aftermath

Notes

References

Sources