On October 12, 2025, Kosovo’s citizens headed to the polls in a pivotal round of municipal elections, a vote that would not only determine local leadership but also lay bare the country’s persistent political divides and the ever-present undercurrents of Kosovo-Serbia relations. With about 2.1 million eligible voters and 38 mayoral seats up for grabs, the day was set for high drama—though, as preliminary results soon revealed, the outcome was anything but straightforward.
According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), most major Albanian-majority municipalities, including the capital Pristina, Peja/Pec, South Mitrovica, and Prizren, are now heading for runoff elections scheduled for November 9. No candidate in these key areas managed to clear the crucial 50% threshold needed for an outright victory. The CEC reported a voter turnout of just 39–40%, notably lower than both the previous local elections four years ago and the parliamentary polls earlier in 2025 (as reported by the Associated Press and Balkan Insight). While some towns celebrated clear-cut wins, for many, the contest remains far from settled.
In Ferizaj/Urosevac, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) clinched a decisive first-round victory, prompting jubilant celebrations in the town’s main square. But elsewhere, the races were tight—sometimes nail-bitingly so. In Gjilan/Gnjilane, for example, Vetevendosje, the left-wing party led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, fell just short of an outright win with 49.8% of the vote. In Pristina, the incumbent mayor, Përparim Rama of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), led by less than 1% over Vetevendosje’s Hajrulla Ceku, setting the stage for a tense runoff.
South Mitrovica and Prizren saw similarly close contests, with PDK and Vetevendosje candidates separated by razor-thin margins. Even in Drenas/Glogovac, an independent initiative led by incumbent Ramiz Lladrovci outpaced the PDK candidate, marking another surprise in a night full of them. Meanwhile, Vetevendosje did secure outright wins in Podujeva/Podujevo, Kamenica, and Shtime/Stimlje, while the LDK claimed victories in Lipjan/Lipljan and Istog/Istok. The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) kept its hold on Decan/Decani with Bashkim Ramosaj winning another mandate.
Despite the uncertainty, all major parties projected confidence. At a Sunday night press conference, PDK spokesperson Vlora Citaku declared, “The PDK has won the most municipalities outright and leads in the greatest number heading to runoffs.” Yet, the CEC has yet to announce the exact vote tallies for each party, leaving room for speculation and anticipation ahead of the second round.
But perhaps the most significant development came in the Serb-majority municipalities. Srpska Lista, the Belgrade-backed party closely aligned with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, swept nine out of ten mayoralties outright, marking a dramatic return after boycotting the 2023 snap elections. In the four northern municipalities, which had been under ethnic Albanian leadership since that boycott, Srpska Lista’s comeback was especially pronounced. In Kllokot/Klokot, however, the party’s candidate, Bozidar Dejanovic, faces a runoff against Srecko Spasic from Srpska Narodna Sloga, a former mayor of the town.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was quick to express his satisfaction, telling Serbia’s TV Pink, “I want to thank Serb voters for such great and convincing support.” The president of Srpska Lista, Zlatan Elek, echoed this sentiment at a press conference, stating, “Despite the fact that they wanted to abolish us, to ban us, they challenged us, called us traitors and thieves, the people recognised that we are patriots, that we are not traitors, that we love our people.”
The elections unfolded peacefully, with Kosovo Police reporting no serious incidents—a notable achievement given the region’s fraught history. International and local observers did note some procedural irregularities, but these were not deemed significant enough to call the legitimacy of the results into question.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whose Vetevendosje party struggled to secure outright wins, nonetheless struck an optimistic note. “Kosovo’s citizens once again showed [their] democratic culture by going through the local elections responsibly,” Kurti wrote on Facebook. In a separate statement reported by Gazeta Express, he described his party’s performance as “very good,” insisting that “these results show that our movement has not only maintained its growth, but has grown as a major political force at the local level as well.”
Other party leaders were equally keen to claim momentum. LDK’s Lumir Abdixhiku posted on Facebook that the party had won “over 180 thousand votes for Municipal Assemblies, and without doubt, the first party in these local elections.” PDK president Memli Krasniqi thanked supporters for backing “the best model of local governance – that of the Democratic Party of Kosovo.”
Yet the political landscape remains deeply fragmented. While the parliamentary elections held in February 2025 saw Vetevendosje win the most votes, no parliamentary majority has been formed even seven months later, plunging Kosovo into an institutional crisis. Just two days before the municipal vote, Kosovo’s Parliament ended an eight-month deadlock by electing its full leadership, including a representative from the ethnic Serb minority. The acting prime minister was officially tasked on October 11 with forming a new Cabinet within 15 days—a process now complicated by the inconclusive local results and the reluctance of major opposition parties to enter coalition talks.
All this plays out against the backdrop of Kosovo’s ongoing struggle for international recognition and stability. The country’s 2008 declaration of independence remains a flashpoint in the Balkans, with Serbia, backed by Russia and China, still refusing to recognize Kosovo’s statehood. The scars of the 1998–1999 war, which left over 11,000 dead—mostly ethnic Albanians—still shape the political and social climate. Western nations, for their part, continue to support Kosovo’s aspirations for European Union membership, but progress has been slow, hampered by both internal divisions and external opposition.
As Kosovo prepares for a decisive second round of municipal voting on November 9, the stakes remain high. The fragmented results underscore the challenges facing the country’s leaders, both in forming stable governments and in navigating the complex realities of ethnic politics and regional diplomacy. For now, all eyes remain on the runoffs, where the next chapter in Kosovo’s political story will unfold—one that, if the past is any guide, will be watched closely not just in Pristina and Belgrade, but in capitals across Europe and beyond.
