Kosovo: election won by the Vetevendosje movement. Kurti (leader), “Country collapsing. Dialogue with Serbia is not a priority”

The overwhelming victory of the Vetevendosje (self-determination) movement, led by former prime minister Albin Kurti (in the photo): this is the outcome of the early parliamentary election held in Kosovo yesterday. Vetevendosje, which stood along with the young, independent Vjesa Osmani, formerly interim president of the Balkan country, received over 48% of votes, which would allow it to sit in the majority in Pristina’s parliament. The Democratic Party of Kosovo is much farther down the list, with just 17% of votes, and the former rulers, the Democratic League of Kosovo led by the outgoing prime minister, Avdullah Hoti, comes only third, with 13% of votes. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, led by the former prime minister Ramish Haradinaj, is still fourth of the list, with 7% of votes. Despite the pandemic, the turnout was 47%. Albin Kurti, leader of the movement who stands for the position of prime minister, promised that he will work hard to fight corruption, but he insisted that “there will be no compromises” in the dialogue with Serbia. “The vote was a referendum for justice, against suppression of the State and corruption. And it is an unprecedented result in the history of Kosovo since the war”, Kurti said in his first statement after the election. In addition, the leader admitted that “the country is collapsing” and he expects to meet “many obstacles”. Then, he insisted that “dialogue with Serbia will not be one of his priorities, not least because, according to surveys, the issue is sixth or seventh in the Kosovars’ list of priorities”.
Valentina Bombelli