Kurti's party leads Kosovo election

Supporters of Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti celebrated in the streets of Pristina following the preliminary results of the parliamentary election.

Clad in Albanian flags and playing drums, the large group of supporters gathered with Kurti after midnight in the capital's main square, where he declared victory.

Kurti pledged to form a new government, without giving any indications about a potential coalition partner.

Kosovo's ruling Vetevendosje party is on track to come first in a parliamentary election, but it will need to negotiate a coalition with other parties to form a government, exit polls and party vote count showed.

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.

Kosovo's election commission said it was not able to publish the results because its software was down and they will collect data manually and publish.

Kosovo's ruling Vetevendosje party is on track to come first in a parliamentary election, but it will need to negotiate a coalition with other parties to form a government, an exit poll showed.

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.