Kosovo will elect a new parliament on February 9.
With tensions regularly flaring up between the majority Kosovo Albanian population and the ethnic Serb minority, the country's relations with neighboring Serbia are one of the main topics on the political agenda.
Other major election issues include EU integration, education and the health system.
The party of Prime Minister Albin Kurti is ahead in the polls, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).
But what do young people in Kosovo want from their future lawmakers? And are they hopeful that a normalization of relations with Serbia is really possible?
You can read the script of the video here:
This is Mitrovica in northern Kosovo. Mitrovica is a divided city, with a Serb majority population in the north, and an Albanian majority population in the south.
But ethnic division is not just restricted to Mitrovica. It is part of life elsewhere in the country, too, because until it declared independence in 2008, Kosovo was part of Serbia. This explains why there are a number of Serb majority municipalities across Kosovo, which is otherwise predominantly ethnic Albanian.
On February 9, voters in Kosovo will elect a new parliament. Here are some facts about the country and what's at stake in Sunday's poll.
The Republic of Kosovo has roughly 1.6 million inhabitants. It is a landlocked country that is bordered by Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia.
Kosovo is a parliamentary democracy, and its parliament is elected directly by voters for a four-year term.
While around 100 countries worldwide recognize Kosovo's independence, Serbia still claims Kosovo as part of its territory. Tensions have flared repeatedly over the past 16 years despite the presence of NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping troops and the fact that third parties like the EU mediate in an attempt to normalize relations between the two neighboring countries.
So, it is no surprise that Kosovo-Serbia relations feature largely in this year's parliamentary election campaign. One of the key issues in this area is the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities –– a structure intended to allow ethnic Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo to collaborate more closely with each other and exercise their authority. Would its implementation really improve relations between Serbia and Kosovo?
Nexhmedin Spahiu, Political scientist:
It hasn't been implemented so far because each side expects the other to do its part first. There is a lack of trust: Kosovo is afraid that it will establish the association, but that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo. Serbia, on the other hand, fears that it will recognize Kosovo, but that Kosovo will not implement the association. My hope is that [US president] Trump will put pressure on both sides to implement the measures simultaneously on the same day. So that on the same day, the flag of Kosovo will be raised in Belgrade and the Association's flag will be raised in Serb majority communities [in Kosovo]. This would be the most efficient way to implement the agreement.
In 2023, the EU imposed sanctions on Kosovo for failing to de-escalate tensions in the north. Because EU integration is at the top of Kosovo's political agenda, these sanctions have become electoral tools for both the ruling Self-Determination Movement (LVV) — the social democratic party of Kosovo's prime minister, Albin Kurti – and for opposition parties, who blame the government for the punitive measures imposed by the EU.
In addition to security and EU integration, other key issues in this election include infrastructure, the health system, education and social prosperity.
Kosovo's population is the youngest in Europe, with 55% under the age of 30. Statistics say that around 30,000 young people emigrate from Kosovo every year. We asked young people in the capital, Pristina, what they want from the next parliament.
Young voter:
It is very important — and it should be a priority for every government — to improve the education system, create new jobs and empower young people. New opportunities should be created for young people to exchange ideas — not only with young people from Kosovo and Albania, but from other countries around the world, too. I think serious measures should be taken to stop air and environmental pollution and to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
Young voter:
It must be emphasized again and again — even if it is rarely mentioned — that we are now in 2025 and, as citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, almost 25 years after the war, we still do not have health insurance.
A total of 27 parties and one independent candidate are running for 120 seats in parliament. Twenty seats are reserved for members of the ethnic minorities, and half of these for the ethnic Serb minority.
Recent polls show that the prime minister's party, LVV, is in the lead with 51.2% support, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).
The EU is deploying a team of 100 observers to monitor Sunday's election. So far, the election campaign has been calm, and passed without incident. However, as the events of recent years and elections in the country have shown, tension can erupt in Kosovo at any time.