PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) – An election observation mission has been set up by the European Union to monitor Kosovo's parliamentary elections scheduled for February 9.
The poll is expected to be a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose ruling party won a landslide victory in 2021. Tensions with neighboring Serbia have remained tense since the former Serbian province declared independence in 2008, but Belgrade does not recognize it.
French MEP Nathalie Loiseau, appointed head of the mission, said on Saturday that 100 observers would monitor the elections and underlined “the EU's continued support for Kosovo to further strengthen democratic governance”. Then he said.
She said the elections “will show the diversity of Kosovo's political landscape.”
A total of 27 political groups are planning to run for 120 parliamentary seats. About 100,000 voters registered overseas have already started voting by mail. The Serb minority holds 10 seats in parliament.
According to the 2024 census, Serbs make up about 2.3% of Kosovo's population of 1.6 million. Serbs are largely boycotting the census and do not accept these numbers as too low.
Loiseau said the elections “are taking place at a time when democracy is being questioned and, at times, under threat globally…Therefore, it is important to maintain a vibrant democracy in Kosovo. is bigger than ever before.”
The NATO-led international peacekeeping force known as KFOR, which has increased its presence in Kosovo after tensions last year, said its 4,300-strong force would be supported by more than 200 Italian troops during the election period.
In September 2023, Serbian gunmen killed a police officer and seized an Orthodox monastery, which Kosovo blamed on Serbia, accusing it of orchestrating a plot to seize its northern territory. Kosovo again accused Serbia of an explosion last November that damaged its water and electricity supply systems. Belgrade denied both charges.
The European Union and the United States have called on both countries to implement an agreement reached two years ago that included Kosovo's commitment to establish an association of Serb-majority municipalities. Serbia was also expected to effectively recognize Kosovo.
