Peaceful and vibrant election process despite harsh rhetoric reflecting deep divisions

Pristina, 11 February 2025 – Chief Observer Nathalie Loiseau, Member of the European Parliament, presented the preliminary findings of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to the 2025 parliamentary elections.

“I would like to congratulate voters who took part in this historic election for Kosovo, the first after a full parliamentary term. This is also the first election under the new electoral law, which implements many previous EU recommendations”, said Chief Observer Nathalie Loiseau at a press conference in Pristina today.

Nathalie Loiseau continued: “The elections were peaceful and competitive, but polarisation and deep divisions were evident in the harsh campaign rhetoric and the uneven playing field between the main parties and small non-majority parties. This is not helped by the deadlock of the Independent Media Commission.”

Although the election administration generally enjoys stakeholders’ confidence, the election process witnessed attempts by the ruling party of politicisation of key institutions, particularly the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Independent Media Commission (IMC). The CEC became entangled in political disputes and politicised certain technical aspects of the electoral process. The attempt by Lëvizja Vetëvendosje-nominated members of the CEC to prevent the certification of Srpska Lista, and the blocking of the disbursement of public funding to political parties, placed significant pressure on the institution.

On the other hand, the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) and the Supreme Court dealt efficiently with the high number of cases filed during the election campaign. The legal framework in Kosovo lays a sound basis for conducting democratic elections. The new electoral law introduced some novelties aiming to increase stakeholders’ trust and enhance the transparency of the electoral process. However, the implementation of the new electoral legal framework has highlighted that some aspects of the law warrant further clarification.

“Tabulation of results is still ongoing, but I was pleased to witness an electoral process that, overall, demonstrated resilience and commitment to democratic principles. Strong, independent institutions are key to a vibrant, democratic future for Kosovo”, said Nathalie Loiseau.

Speaking at the EU EOM press conference, Head of Delegation of the European Parliament Marta Temido said: We praise the efforts and commitment of many dedicated women and men who ensured a smooth and orderly running of the procedures in polling stations across Kosovo. We welcome the high presence of observers from the political parties, which enhanced the confidence of stakeholders in the electoral process. On a less positive note, we were concerned about restricted access to many polling stations for people with disabilities and about the number of women candidates, as there has been hardly any improvement on this since the previous parliamentary elections. We hope to see women’s access and participation improve in Kosovo.”

The EU EOM deployed104 observers from all EU Member States, and Canada, Norway and Switzerland. The EU EOM is independent in its findings.