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How did LVV achieve its "spectacular" victory?

2025-12-29 09:07:51, Kosova & Bota CNA

The early parliamentary elections - preceded by months of clashes between political parties, institutional blockades and polarizing rhetoric - ended with a convincing victory for the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV).

Political experts tell Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) that the December 28 elections brought the party of incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti a "spectacular" victory, which it achieved mainly thanks to the "weaknesses" of the opposition parties.

The LVV won 49.30 percent of the vote, not counting conditional and diaspora votes, according to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission (CEC).

"This is a spectacular victory for the Vetëvendosje Movement, which the opposition has given them with a total lack of ideas on how to deal with Kurti's powerful populism," analyst Artan Muhaxhiri emphasizes for REL.

Preliminary CEC data show that opposition parties lagged far behind.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won 21.01 percent of the votes, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 13.59 percent, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) 5.68 percent.

The Social Democratic Initiative, with only 1.72 percent of the vote, failed to cross the electoral threshold.

The Serbian List, the largest party of Kosovo Serbs, won 4.74 percent of the vote.

Political scientist Dritëro Arifi sees the victory of the LVV as the result of several interrelated factors - the "powerful propaganda" that this party has, as well as the weaknesses of the opposition parties, which have failed to be sufficiently active and present expertise.

"The most important thing is that citizens have noticed the lack of leadership in the opposition parties, as well as a person who could change the situation," Arifi emphasizes for REL.

Based on preliminary results, LVV is expected to have 56 seats in the Kosovo Assembly, PDK 23 seats, LDK 15 seats, and AAK 6 seats.

The Serbian List claims to have won all ten seats reserved for the Serbian community in the Assembly, but it remains in question whether the other Serbian party, Nenad Raši?'s Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, will win a seat.

The Vetëvendosje Movement is on track to repeat or surpass the result of the 2021 elections, when it won 50.28 percent of the vote.

At that time, it created a parliamentary majority without a coalition with other Albanian parties, but only with MPs from non-Serb minorities, who also have 10 guaranteed seats in the Assembly.

LVV leader Albin Kurti, after the announcement of the preliminary results by the CEC, said that "the sooner the election results are certified, the sooner the institutions will be established."

He has invited other parties to cooperate on international agreements, saying that this step will be a test for possible further cooperation, including on the issue of electing the country's president in the spring.

"Of course we need to discuss this issue with the opposition. But first we need to discuss international agreements," Kurti said.

PDK leader Bedri Hamza did not react after the conclusion of the voting process.

Meanwhile, LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku congratulated the winner of the elections, saying that "Kosovo needs a functional democracy."

He took responsibility for his party's poor performance, not even ruling out the possibility of his resignation.

AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj, immediately after the closing of the polls, expressed his satisfaction with his party's result.

The leader of the Serbian List, Zlatan Ellek, after the publication of preliminary results by the CEC, said that he had won over 90 percent of the votes of the Serbian community and "all ten mandates" of deputies reserved for this community.

However, he stressed that for the final result, the Serbian List awaits the assessment of the Central Election Commission.

Kurti's speech, when he declared victory after the publication of preliminary results by the CEC, was "quite cautious and measured", in relation to other Albanian parties, observers of electoral developments assess.

But, according to them, the challenges that await the new parliamentary majority, but also the new government, including the election of the country's president in the spring of 2026, leave no room for "Kurti's arrogance", which he had shown towards political opponents after the 2021 parliamentary elections and those of February 9, 2025.

"We are not used to seeing Kurti in this way. But, this is a positive thing. However, from my point of view, his body language betrayed him. Normally, his language was that of a winner, but he did not have the enthusiasm of a winner," political scientist Arifi emphasizes for REL.

He, as well as analyst Muhaxhiri, believe that Kurti, who is expected to be prime minister for the third time, can form a new government only with his party and non-Serb minorities.

A coalition with another Albanian party would be a desirable outcome for Kurti, they estimate.

However, Muhaxhiri estimates that the gap created over the years between LVV and PDK, the LDK's fear that it could lose even more voters in the event of an agreement with LVV, make it impossible for LVV to form a coalition with the two largest opposition parties, but also for any support from these parties as opposition.

"It will be very difficult for [Kurti] to convince PDK and LDK to stay in the hall, to reach the quorum of 80 deputies for the election of the president. LDK and PDK consider that President [Vjosa] Osmani, with many of her actions, has helped LVV," Muhaxhiri emphasized to REL.

He added that the refusal of cooperation between political parties to elect a president could lead the country to elections again, as early as the spring when Osman's term ends in April.

Political scientist Arifi expresses the opinion that if the Vetëvendosje Movement exceeds the 2021 result, Kurti will consider whether there is a need for another term for President Osmani, or intends to propose another candidate.

According to him, the frameworks that are determined for Albanian opposition political parties, based on the number of seats won in the Assembly, do not allow them much room for maneuver when it comes to electing the president for the next term.

"The opposition will make a quasi-pragmatism, in this case forced, to stay in the hall, because the other alternative is early elections, in which, if the opposition emerges as problematic, then Mr. Kurti could win 60-70 percent of the total votes," Arifi emphasizes for REL.

The early parliamentary elections of December 28 are the result of disagreements and clashes between political parties, which, after the February 9 elections, failed to constitute the Assembly by October 10.

Kurti then failed to obtain enough votes in the Assembly to form a government. The second mandated candidate, Glauk Konjufca, also from LVV, failed to form a government either, which forced President Osmani to announce early parliamentary elections.

As Kurti aims to form a new government, the CEC still has work to do before announcing the final results, as votes for MPs, those from the diaspora, conditional votes, and those of people with special needs need to be counted.

All of these steps also have deadlines for appeals, which could be a reason for it taking several weeks until the new executive is formed./REL