In response to an invitation from the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, the High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, has decided to deploy an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to oversee the parliamentary elections scheduled for 9 February 2025. Nathalie Loiseau, a Member of the European Parliament, has been appointed as the Chief Observer for this mission.
The EOM in Kosovo will demonstrate the EU’s strong support for Kosovo’s efforts to enhance its democratic governance. The mission aims to contribute to an inclusive, credible, and transparent election process that allows Kosovo’s voters to clearly express their choices.
“I feel honoured to serve as the Chief Observer of the 2025 EU Election Observation Mission to Kosovo,” Chief Observer Nathalie Loiseau said. “The forthcoming parliamentary elections will be the first to take place under a new electoral law, which has taken into account our previous recommendations. I look forward to engaging with authorities, political parties, candidates, civil society and other electoral stakeholders in Kosovo,” she added.
In the 2021 elections, the Self-determination movement (Lëvizja Vetëvendosje – LVV) won 58 seats and formed a coalition government with several smaller and national minority parties. The coalition is led by the incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Key partners include Guxo! (Dare!), a centre-right political party founded by Vjosa Osmani, who has been the President of Kosovo since 2021, and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDS) representing the Serbian minority.
The Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo (parliament) has 120 representatives serving four-year terms, with 20 seats reserved for national minorities. According to recent opinion polls, if the three parties of the ruling coalition run together in the next elections, they could win up to 47.1%, allowing them to form a stable government.
The main opposition parties, both conservative, are the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). The PDK, rooted in the demilitarised Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK), founded by Hashim Thaçi after the Kosovo War, is led by Memli Krasniqi, a former Vice President of the Assembly of Kosovo. The PDK is projected to receive around 19.5% of the vote. Meanwhile, the LDK, the oldest political party in Kosovo, was founded by the renowned intellectual and politician Ibrahim Rugova (the first President of Kosovo) in 1989 and is expected to garner 17.7%.
