Kosovo's ruling Vetevendosje party is on track to come first in a parliamentary election on Sunday (February 9), but it will need to negotiate a coalition with other parties to form a government, an exit poll showed, Reuters reports.
The election result would be a drop from the more than 50% that Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s party won in 2021. But it puts him in a position to lead the next government in a country whose politics are dominated by the relationship with neighbouring Serbia and Serbs within its borders.
During the election campaign, Kurti apparently ruled out forming a coalition, saying he would not participate in government unless he won more than 50% of the vote.
Kurti, a leftist and Albanian nationalist, came to power in 2021 when a coalition run by the Vetevendosje party received more than 50% of votes and secured a seven-seat majority in the 120-seat parliament.
This time, Vetevendosje is set to win 38.2% of the vote, according to the exit poll on Klan Kosova TV. The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo is set to come second with 22.4% of the votes, with the Democratic League of Kosovo on 20.1%.
The other two exit polls by Dukagjini TV and T7 TV also had Vetevendosje coming first with 40.3% and 37%, respectively.
Preliminary results are expected later in the evening.
Pristina unilaterally declared independence in 2008. It has been recognized by nearly 100 countries, including the United States and many EU states. Five EU countries, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, and Romania, have not recognized Kosovo.
Serbia has also not recognized the region's independence.
