Overview
- Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. local time, with exit polls due later Sunday; turnout reached 8.27% by 11 a.m., roughly tracking February’s pace.
- Caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s Vetevendosje is favored yet may fall short of a majority in the 120-seat assembly, which reserves 20 seats for minorities as major opposition parties rule out joining him.
- Failure to swiftly form a cabinet could imperil roughly €1 billion in EU and World Bank loans awaiting ratification and threaten access to the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
- Months of stalemate left Kosovo without a 2026 budget and delayed key appointments, with parliament also required to elect a new president by April.
- Tensions over the Serb-majority north have strained ties with the EU and the U.S., though Brussels signaled this month it would lift 2023 measures after steps to stabilize northern municipalities.