Sun Dec 28 06:25:49 UTC 2025: News Article:

Kosovo Heads to the Polls Amid Political Deadlock

Pristina, Kosovo – December 28, 2025 – Kosovo is holding snap parliamentary elections today, December 28, 2025, as Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje party seeks a majority to break a year-long political deadlock. The nation has been struggling to form a government after failed coalition talks following February’s election, prompting President Vjosa Osmani to dissolve Parliament and call for this early vote.

Failure to establish a government threatens critical international funding, including €1 billion in loans from the EU and World Bank, which are set to expire in the coming months. Lawmakers also need to elect a new president by April.

Opposition parties have criticized Kurti’s handling of relations with Western allies and his approach to the ethnically divided north, blaming him for the political impasse. Kurti, in turn, accuses the opposition of obstructing progress.

Both Kurti and opposition parties have campaigned on promises to improve living standards. Kurti has pledged additional salary payments for public sector workers, increased capital investment, and a new anti-organized crime unit.

Voter sentiment remains uncertain, with many expressing disillusionment with the political landscape. As one doctor, Edi Krasiqi, noted, “This country needs drastic changes, and I don’t see that change coming,” as he cast his vote.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, with exit polls expected shortly after.

Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, continues to grapple with poverty, instability, and organized crime. Tensions with Serbia have also impacted the nation, resulting in EU sanctions that have cost Kosovo significant financial losses.

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