Parliamentary elections were held in Kosovo on 9 February 2025 to elect the 120 members of the Assembly. Following the February election, Vetëvendosje of Prime Minister Albin Kurti remained the largest party, but without an overall majority and no party was able to form the government in what was described as a constitutional crisis. Kurti, who was elected Prime Minister in 2021, remained in office in a caretaker capacity throughout the year until new elections were held in December.
Background In the 2021 elections, Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV) won 58 seats. They created a coalition with minority parties to form a government. The government was the first since Kosovo's independence in 2008 to complete a full four-year mandate.
Electoral system The 120 members of the Assembly were elected by open list proportional representation for a four-year term, with 20 reserved for national minorities. Seats were allocated using the Sainte-Laguë method with an electoral threshold of 5%.Law No. 03/L-073 on General Elections in the Republic of Kosovo, Article 111.2
Election date According to the constitution, parliamentary elections must be held no later than 30 days and no earlier than 45 days prior to the expiration of the outgoing parliament's mandate. On 31 July 2024, President Vjosa Osmani formally invited the leaders of political parties to a consultative meeting regarding the scheduling of the upcoming elections. In her invitation, Osmani underscored that, in accordance with the constitution and the electoral code, the elections must take place between 26 January and 16 February 2025.
Opposition figures, including Lumir Abdixhiku of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Ramush Haradinaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Memli Krasniqi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), advocated for elections on 26 January, while Mimoza Kusari-Lila of the Alternativa proposed delaying the elections to 9 or 16 February, citing logistical concerns related to the post-holiday period. Prime Minister and leader of Vetëvendosje (LVV) Albin Kurti did not attend the consultation due to a prior commitment. Concluding, on 16 August, Osmani announced that the elections would be scheduled for 9 February 2025.
Parties and coalitions The application period for political parties seeking certification and submission of candidate lists for the 2025 elections spanned from 1 September to 11 December 2024. A total of 28 political entities submitted applications, including 20 political parties, five coalitions, two civil initiatives, and one independent candidate, with 1,280 candidates nominated.
On 23 December 2024 the KQZ disqualified the Serb List from the elections. The decision was based on remarks made by the party's leader Zlatan Elek during the presentation of the electoral list, which the KQZ deemed to be nationalistic in nature. The party appealed the decision, calling it "institutional and political violence" against the Serb minority. On 25 December 2024, the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) accepted the appeal, overturning the decision to deny their certification for participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo. The ECAP instructed the KQZ to certify the Serb List for the election.
28 parties and coalitions participated in the election: +General parties and coalitions (100 seats)Party or coalitionCandidate for prime minister117Ballist Party (PB)Nikoll Perkaj118Vetëvendosje (VV)Guxo and Alternativa (candidates run inside VV list)Albin Kurti124Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) PSHDK (candidates run inside LDK list)Lumir Abdixhiku128Independent Fatmir Bytyqi 129Coalition for Family (AKR, PD, LF)Eman Rrahmani 131Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK)Bedri Hamza137Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA)Conservative List, Intellectual Forum E-30 and Ideal (candidates run inside AAK – NISMA list)Ramush Haradinaj138FjalaGëzim Kelmendi +Serbian parties and coalitions (10 seats)Party or coalitionList carrier112Serb List (SL)Zlatan Elek116Serb Democracy (SD)Aleksandar Arsenijević120Party of Kosovo Serbs (PKS)Aleksandar Jablanović126Građanska Inicijativa Narodna Pravda (GI - Narodna Pravda)Nebojša Milić132For Freedom, Justice and Survival (SPO)Nenad Rašić133Srpski Narodni PokretBranimir Stojanović +Other minority parties and coalitions (10 seats)MinorityParty or coalitionList carrierAshkali, Egyptian and Romani (4 seats)111New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo (IRDK)Elbert Krasniqi114United Roma Party of Kosovo (PREBK) — LPRKAlbert Kinolli115Egyptian Liberal Party (PLE)Veton Berisha123Ashkali Party for Integration (PAI)Etem Arifi125PDAK - Movement for Integration (LpB)Qazim Rrahmani136Opre Roma KosovaSebastijan ŠerifovićBosniak (3 seats)119New Democratic Party (NDS)Emilija Redžepi121Our Initiative (NAŠA)Mirzet Džogović127Social Democratic Union (SDU)Duda Balje135Vakat CoalitionRasim DemiriTurk (2 seats)122Kosova Adalet Türk Partisi (KATP)Badem Taçi130Innovative Turkish Movement Party (YTHP)Ertan Si̇mi̇tçi̇134Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo (KDTP)Fikrim DamkaGorani (1 seat)113Unique Gorani Party (JGP)Adem Hodža
Campaign Election campaigns in Kosovo are regulated to start 30 days before the scheduled election date and must conclude on the day before the election.
Governmental parties In August 2024 the governing parties of Vetëvendosje, Guxo and Alternativa announced that they would once again run inside the same electoral list, with incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti leading the list. Although initial reports suggested that Guxo and Alternativa preferred a formal coalition.
There has been some infighting within Guxo against their leaders Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz and Faton Peci, both of whom are ministers within the government. On 9 December 2024, the Ferizaj branch announced it would close itself that day, citing discontent with its leaders. On 12 December, the Peja branch called for voters to boycott the election following the publication of the deputy list, which according to them, broke party rules by not including the party name on the list.
Opposition parties On 27 March 2024 the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) nominated Bedri Hamza, South Mitrovica mayor and former Minister of Finance, for Prime Minister. This move is allegedly an attempt to focus the campaign on the Economy, which has stagnated under the new government. On November 3 during the convention of PDK, Hamza announced their slogan would be "Kosovo can do better" (). Hamza also announced his platform, with the economy being the top priority.
In December 2023, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) published its platform dubbed "" ("The New Road", "The New Path" or "The New Way"). In July 2024, the LDK and Christian minority party PSHDK announced that they would run together in the same electoral list. Lumir Abdixhiku is its candidate for prime minister, serving as LDK leader since 2021.
In January 2024, opposition parties Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) and Conservative List of Kosovo (LKK) announced they would run together in a coalition led by Ramush Haradinaj, AAK leader and former Prime Minister. According to the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSD), it too was offered to join this coalition but rejected it due to ideological differences. The coalition was formalized in August 2024 and soon after, the coalition published their platform emphasizing foreign relations and a goal of joining NATO and the EU.
The New Kosovo Alliance (AKR), the Justice Party (PD) and assembly members of the ruling LVV announced the creation of the "Family List" Coalition. The coalition was formed as opposition to the ruling party's attempt to increase LGBTQ rights in Kosovo, specifically the proposed Civil Code which would legalize same-sex civil unions.
Campaign issues Economy Economic conditions were a major theme of the 2025 campaign. Although Kosovo recorded moderate growth in 2023 and 2024, inflation remained high, reducing household purchasing power. Rising energy prices and increased costs for food and housing contributed to a perception of declining living standards. Unemployment, particularly among young people, continued to be one of the highest in the region, with official estimates ranging between 25 and 30 percent. The combination of limited domestic job creation and higher wages abroad sustained high levels of emigration, especially among skilled workers. Remittances from the diaspora, which represent a significant share of Kosovo’s GDP, remained a key source of household income.
During the campaign, all major parties proposed economic measures. Vetëvendosje promoted policies focused on public investment, industrial support, and the development of domestic energy capacity. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), emphasized private-sector growth, foreign investment, and public-sector reform as paths to job creation. Economic dissatisfaction was widely considered a key factor behind Vetëvendosje’s reduced support compared to 2021.
Corruption and governance Governance and corruption were among the defining themes of the 2025 campaign. While the Kurti administration had initially come to power on an anti-corruption platform, by 2025 many citizens expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of institutional reform. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), accused the government of political favoritism in public appointments, insufficient judicial independence, and selective enforcement of anti-graft measures. They argued that Vetëvendosje had replaced previous patterns of party patronage with a new form of political centralization under Prime Minister Kurti’s leadership.
Independent watchdog organizations, including the Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) and Transparency International Kosovo, reported some improvement in procurement transparency but highlighted continuing concerns about informal political influence in state-owned enterprises and municipal administrations. Public surveys conducted in late 2024 indicated declining trust in the judiciary and mixed perceptions of the government’s commitment to systemic reform.
Vetëvendosje defended its record, citing an increase in prosecutions for misuse of public funds, the digitalization of procurement systems, and efforts to professionalize the civil service. Opposition parties, however, maintained that these measures were insufficient and accused the government of using anti-corruption initiatives selectively against political rivals.
The debate over corruption and governance became one of the most visible divides of the 2025 election
Dialogue with Serbia Following the formation of the government, Prime Minister Kurti declared that dialogue with Serbia would be his 6th or 7th priority, choosing to focus more on domestic issues. On 20 September 2021, Kosovo announced a ban on Serbian license plates being used by Serbian citizens in Kosovo. The government justified this action as retaliation to Serbia not recognizing Kosovan license plates. This however sparked protests in the Serb-majority north Kosovo as well as condemnation from Serbia which threatened military action. On 30 September 2021, the EU had announced they brokered a temporary deal between Serbia and Kosovo, halting the issue for six months.
In July 2022, the Kosovan government announced that Serbian citizens who enter Kosovo will receive entry and exit documents, sparking barricades by local Serbs in Kosovo. This would also cause Serbian politicians and policemen to leave Kosovan institutions. These incidents, alongside continuing tensions over local elections in Serb-majority areas, kept the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue at the center of international diplomatic attention throughout the pre-election period.
LGBTQ rights