Kosovo’s leftist opposition party gains landslide win

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The left-wing opposition chief who’s poised to change into Kosovo’s subsequent prime minister mentioned Monday that he would push arduous for his nation to hitch the European Union, but additionally urged the bloc to supply an financial help bundle to assist clean the trail to membership for western Balkan states.

Albin Kurti’s Self-Dedication Motion Get together, or Vetevendosje!, gained a transparent victory with 48% of the vote in Sunday’s early election held amid the pandemic, an financial downturn and stalled negotiations with wartime foe Serbia. About 99% of the vote had been counted Monday.

The middle-right Democratic Get together of Kosovo, or PDK, got here a far second with 17% and the conservative governing Democratic League of Kosovo, or LDK, captured 13% of the vote.

Turnout was 47%, or 2.5% greater than the 2019 election, in keeping with the Central Election Fee.

Kurti faces the challenges of reviving the poor nation’s financial system and decreasing unemployment, in addition to combating the pandemic, organized crime and corruption.

He hopes to safe the required 61 votes within the 120-seat parliament to control alone, or cooperate with the non-Serb minority lawmakers to type his Cupboard. He made it clear there could be no coalition with the PDK and LDK events.

Kosovo’s Serb minority has 10 seats in parliament and 10 different seats belong to different minorities.

In an interview with the Related Press on Monday, Kurti urged the European Union to use what he referred to as a mini-Marshal plan — alluding to the U.S. post-World Struggle II reconstruction plan for Europe — for six western Balkan international locations which can be hoping to hitch the 27-nation bloc.

These international locations are Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“The Western Balkans Six have EU as a very powerful companion. However however, historical past teaches us that additionally (the) Balkans (are) crucial for Europe,” Kurti mentioned.

Negotiations on normalizing ties with Serbia, which stalled once more final yr after talks brokered by the U.S. and the EU, didn’t determine excessive on the profitable get together’s agenda. Kurti mentioned forming a negotiating workforce for dialogue wouldn’t be a precedence.

“To maneuver on additional, we have to set up clear rules of dialogue and (an) trustworthy and critical strategy by placing the calls for of Kosovo and Serbia to one another,” he mentioned.

EU international coverage chief Josep Borrell and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi urged Kosovo to quickly type the brand new parliament and authorities, elect the president and advance reforms, pledging steady assist from Brussels.

“Kosovo’s European path additionally goes by means of the great normalization of relations with Serbia,” their assertion mentioned.

Kosovo has signed a stabilization settlement with the EU, step one in direction of membership.

Kurti mentioned his authorities would apply for candidate standing, and deplored that Brussels has nonetheless not allowed visa-free journey for Kosovars in search of to enter the EU.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade after a brutal 1998-1999 struggle between separatist ethnic Albanian rebels and Serb forces. The struggle ended after a 78-day NATO air marketing campaign drove Serb troops out and a peacekeeping power moved in.

Most Western nations have acknowledged Kosovo, however Serbia and its allies Russia and China don’t. Tensions over Kosovo stay a supply of volatility within the Balkans.

Inside two months of taking their seats, Kosovo’s lawmakers should elect the nation’s president. If no candidate is elected after three rounds of voting, the nation might be compelled to carry one other early parliamentary election.