By Ivan Blazevski
Skopie (EFE).- Due to the opposition’s refusal to back a new government led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s nationalist party, Kosovo will hold new elections in 2025, 10 months after the previous ones. The opposition blames Kurti for deteriorating the relationship with the European Union and the economy due to his tough stance in the conflict with Serbia.
As of Wednesday, Glauk Konjufca, the candidate to lead a new government for Kurti’s Vetëvendosje (Self-Determination) party, failed to secure a majority of the 120 seats in the Kosovo Assembly. Consequently, the president of this former Serbian province must call for new elections, expected to take place late December.
Vetëvendosje won the February elections with 48 deputies, 10 fewer than in 2021 when Kurti took over the government by defeating the parties that had dominated Kosovar politics for two decades: the Democratic Party, the Democratic League, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo.
Serbia lost de facto control over Kosovo in 1999 when NATO bombings ended the repressive policies of Belgrade’s authoritarian government and brought an end to the war between Serbian forces and Albanian Kosovar guerrillas fighting for independence.
In 2008, the predominantly ethnic Albanian region unilaterally proclaimed independence, a move that Serbia still does not recognize.
Tough policy with Serbia
Kurti’s harsh position in the conflict with Serbia is precisely why the three major parties, two of which emerged from the 1990s independence guerrilla movement, have denied him support.
Years ago, Kurti was a left-wing ultranationalist imprisoned by Serbia for his political struggle for independence. He claims that normalizing relations with Belgrade requires mutual recognition of sovereignty.
As prime minister, he has taken steps to eradicate the influence of the Serbian state in northern Kosovo, where much of the remaining Serbian minority still lives.
For example, he prohibited the use of the Serbian currency, requiring the use of the euro, which is the official currency in Kosovo. He also required that vehicles change their Serbian license plates for Kosovar ones and closed institutions such as post offices and medical centers that were still managed by the Serbian state.
Kurti also opposes the creation of a community of Serbian municipalities, an agreement made in 2013 under EU mediation that would grant the minority autonomy.
Pristina fears that this entity would create a de facto parallel authority within the state, so it refuses to allow it, especially as long as Serbia does not recognize its sovereignty.
In contrast, the three major traditional parties advocate a more pragmatic approach and gradual normalization of relations with Serbia under EU mediation, even if Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Distancing from the EU
These parties are still angry with Kurti for ousting them from power. They argue that the current situation causes a political blockage that weakens Kosovo’s negotiating position and deteriorates relations with Brussels.
Kosovo applied for EU membership in 2022 with Kurti as prime minister, but has not yet been admitted as a candidate.
Brussels has made improving relations a condition for eventual EU entry for both Kosovo and Serbia (the latter of which is a candidate), and insists that tensions with Serbs living in northern Kosovo be reduced.
As the largest donor of assistance to Kosovo, the EU has repeatedly expressed its displeasure with Kurti’s attitude.
In June 2023, the EU withdrew 150 million euros in aid to Kosovo due to its harsh policies against Kosovar Serbs. Since August, the EU has suspended high-level meetings with members of the Kosovo government.EFE
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