Kosovo is voting in a snap parliamentary election as Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Self-Determination Movement seek a clear majority to end a year-long political stalemate.
The vote marks the second national election in 11 months after Kurti’s party won the most votes in February but failed to form a government.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time and are set to close at 7 p.m., with initial results expected shortly after voting ends.
Failure to form a new government would prolong the paralysis of parliament at a time when key institutional and financial decisions are pending.
Lawmakers must elect a new president in April and ratify 1 billion euros in loan agreements from the European Union and the World Bank that expire in the coming months.
The snap election was called after months of unsuccessful coalition negotiations and the dissolution of parliament by President Vjosa Osmani in November.
Opposition parties have refused to govern with Kurti, criticising his management of relations with Western allies and his policies in Kosovo’s ethnically divided north, where a Serb minority lives.
Kurti has blamed the opposition for the impasse, arguing that a stronger mandate is needed to restore effective governance.
During the campaign, Kurti pledged an extra month of salary per year for public sector workers, increased capital investment, and the creation of a new prosecution unit to fight organised crime.
Opposition parties have also focused their campaigns on improving living standards, which remain a leading concern for voters.
Some citizens have expressed scepticism about the election’s ability to deliver meaningful change after repeated votes in a short period.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following a conflict that ended with NATO intervention in 1999.
It has been recognised by more than 100 countries but not by Serbia, Russia, Greece, or Spain, and it remains a potential candidate for European Union membership.
Tensions with Serbia intensified in 2023, leading the EU to impose sanctions on Kosovo that were only recently lifted.
The measures are believed to have cost Kosovo hundreds of millions of euros at a time when the country continues to struggle with poverty, instability, and organised crime.
The outcome of the vote is expected to shape Kosovo’s political stability and its relations with international partners in the months ahead.