Kosovo heads to a snap vote to end political deadlock

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PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Voters in Kosovo will cast their ballots in a second election this year in a bid to resolve a political deadlock that has threatened to push the small Balkan nation into a prolonged crisis.

The snap parliamentary vote on Sunday was scheduled after Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Self-Determination party failed to form a government despite winning the most votes at a Feb. 9 ballot.

The monthslong stalemate marked the first time that Kosovo could not form a government since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following a 1998-99 war that ended in a NATO intervention.

Kurti’s party is again the favorite ahead of Sunday’s ballot, but it is unclear whether it will manage to muster a majority in the 120-member parliament.

Another inconclusive vote would further deepen the crisis.

The prolonged crisis means that Kosovo hasn’t approved a budget for next year, sparking fears of possible negative effects on the already poor economy in the country of 2 million people.

Lawmakers are set to elect a new president in March as current President Vjosa Osmani's mandate expires in early April. If this fails too, another snap election must be held.

Serbia still does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. Fears of renewed instability in the volatile Balkans have grown since Russia, an ally of Serbia, invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Self-Determination won around 42% of votes in February, while Kurti's main rivals, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic Party of Kosovo jointly garnered around 40%.

Political analysts in Kosovo say that even a slight variation in numbers in voting on Sunday could prove decisive for the future distribution of power. Analyst Leart Hoxha predicted Kurti might be able to form a coalition with some of the minority parties if his own party's result improves on Sunday.

Otherwise, said Hoxha, “either a government is formed by the opposition parties and Self-Determination is left out, or we have a new election within a few months.”

Mainstream opposition parties have accused Kurti of authoritarianism and of alienating Kosovo’s U.S. and European Union allies since he came to power in 2021.

Kurti has urged Kosovo's 1.9 million voters to grant him another chance.

“We must achieve another victory that will ensure a rapid constitution of the national assembly and, at the same time, a stable government with a full mandate and over 50% of the votes,” he has said at an election rally.

The campaign has focused on Kosovo's stability and security, as well as perpetual economic woes.

Bedri Hamza, the former governor of the Kosovo National Bank from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, said: “Wherever I go, citizens tell me the same thing, that life has become too expensive, salaries are not enough, prices are rising every day.”

A former political prisoner during Serbia's rule in Kosovo, 50-year-old Kurti has taken a tough stand in talks mediated by the European Union on normalizing relations with Belgrade. In response, the EU and the United States imposed punitive measures.

Kurti has promised to buy military equipment to boost security.

Tensions with restive ethnic Serbs in the north exploded in clashes in 2023 when scores of NATO-led peacekeepers were injured. In a positive step, ethnic Serb mayors this month took power peacefully there after a municipal vote.

Kurti has also agreed to accept third-country migrants deported from the United States as part of tough anti-immigration measures by the administration of President Donald Trump. One migrant has arrived so far, authorities have told The Associated Press.

Kosovo remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. It is one of the six Western Balkan countries striving to eventually join the EU, but both Belgrade and Pristina have been told they must first normalize relations.