Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Vetevendosje party won the most votes in Kosovo's snap parliamentary election on Sunday, securing around 43% of the ballots counted, but the result fell well short of a majority and left the country's political future uncertain. The outcome is Kosovo's third parliamentary vote in less than 18 months, reflecting a prolonged institutional crisis in one of Europe's youngest and poorest nations.

With nearly all ballots counted, the Democratic Party of Kosovo placed second with around 21% and the Democratic League of Kosovo third with roughly 18%. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo narrowly cleared the 5% threshold required for parliamentary seats. The final tally will also incorporate votes from an estimated 100,000 Kosovars living abroad, which could influence whether Kurti can form a government on his own or will require coalition partners.

The result represents a significant drop for Vetevendosje, which won more than 51% in December 2025 and held a comfortable parliamentary majority at that time. Turnout fell sharply, to around 36% compared to nearly 45–48% in December, a trend observers linked to widespread voter frustration. Opposition figures were quick to attribute the decline to Kurti himself. "Kurti's government has produced a big disappointment among citizens and constant crisis," said Vlora Citaku, secretary general of the Democratic Party of Kosovo. The election monitoring coalition Democracy in Action noted that, despite the low participation, voting unfolded in a calm atmosphere, though police opened 17 criminal cases related to alleged electoral offences, including suspected vote-buying, with five people detained.

The snap election was triggered after parliament failed to elect a new president before outgoing President Vjosa Osmani's term ended in April. Kosovo's constitution requires at least 80 of the 120 assembly members to elect a president, demanding cross-party consensus that has so far proved elusive. Osmani, who fell out with Kurti after he refused to back her for a second term, ran in Sunday's election under the LDK banner. The crisis has paralysed institutions and delayed Kosovo's access to EU and other international funds. European Council President António Costa visited Pristina last week, urging political leaders to end the stalemate and unite behind EU integration.

Kosovo, a landlocked country in the western Balkans that declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following a 1998–99 war, is recognised by the United States and most EU member states but not by Serbia, Russia or China. The continued political deadlock risks undermining the country's EU membership ambitions at a moment when both Pristina and Belgrade have been told that normalising their relations is a precondition for advancing those bids. Speaking to supporters after the results emerged, Kurti pledged to "communicate, meet and cooperate with all political parties," adding that "public interest comes first."