Final election count shows Kosovo incumbent party wins most seats

Over a month after voting, Kosovo authorities confirmed Saturday that Prime Minister Albin Kurti's governing party secured the most parliamentary seats during February elections but lacked the numbers to form a majority government.

Following myriad delays, the Central Election Commission said the results of the February 9 elections had finally been certified.

The vote pitted Kurti's campaign to stamp out the influence of Serbia more than 15 years after Kosovo declared independence against the opposition's vow to boost the economy in one of the poorest corners of Europe.

With the ballots counted, no party secured a clear majority in the 120-seat parliament, setting the stage for weeks if not months of coalition talks or another round of elections soon.

Kurti's ruling Vetevendosje ("Self-Determination") party (VV) won 42 percent of the vote, netting them 48 seats, down from just over 50 percent in 2021.

The right-wing Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) trailed in second with 21 percent of ballots, earning them 24 seats.

And in third, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) got 18 percent, giving them 20 seats.

Twenty seats are also reserved for minority parties, including 10 for Kosovo's Serbs, who are vastly outnumbered by ethnic Albanians.

Kosovo fought a bloody war with Serbia in the late 1990s that triggered a NATO intervention resulting in a retreat by Belgrade from the breakaway province.

Serbia has never recognised its later declaration of independence in 2008.

Kurti's time in office was marked by turbulence.

Tensions spiked after EU- and US-backed negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia all but collapsed in March 2023.

In the aftermath, NATO peacekeepers were assaulted by rioting Serbs, while a deadly armed standoff in the north sent regional tensions soaring.

Kurti also launched a concerted effort to dismantle the remaining Serbian institutions operating on Kosovo soil by shuttering Belgrade-backed banks and post and tax offices along with banning the Serbian currency and car plates.

Throughout the unrest, Kurti has remained unwavering, even if it meant running afoul of Kosovo's allies in the United States and Europe.