Muharrem: The PDK's biggest winner in the first round

The Democratic Party of Kosovo has scored the best election performance in the first round of the 2025 local elections, ranking itself as the biggest winner in terms of increasing votes for candidates for mayors.

So has political analyst Shenoll Muharremi estimated, in an analysis published on the CEC database.

According to him, The PDK has managed to increase the number of votes for mayoral candidates from 177,297 in the 2021 elections to 199,484 in 2025, marking an increase of +22,187 votes, or +12.5%.

“In this round The PDK is the largest net growth party compared to 2021, in terms of votes for mayors. Results suggest consolidation and quality growth for The PDK in local elections and a stable moment for national elections, especially if this pace in the runoff is maintained,” has highlighted Muharremi.

By comparison, he has stressed that the Vetevendosje Movement has had a smaller growth of +8,152 votes, however, remains with the highest total number of votes for mayor, with 224,381 votes, compared to 199,484 of the PDK.

According to analysis, The PDK has marked visible growth in several main municipalities:

• Pristina: +9,968 votes

• Prizren: +5,362

• Lipjan: +3,760

• Power: +3,279

• Istog: +2,595

Muharremi has named growth in Pristina as the largest urban subx0> in Kosovo and the PDK's powerful return to capital”.

While in some municipalities such as Ferizaj (-2,907), Kamenica (-1,413), Mitrovica (-1,198) and Drenas (-1,046), The PDK has suffered a slight decline in votes, even though some of them have maintained winning positions.

Regionally, Muharrem estimates that:

• The Centre (Pristina, Lipjan, Fushe Kosovo, Obilic) has marked neto growth, with “outreach” in Pristina;

• Birth (Gylan, Year, Kamenice) has partial growth;

• South (Prizren, Ferizaj, Kacanik, Shtime) presents stability;

• North (Mitrovica, Skenderaj, Vushtrri) marks complete consolidation of the base;

• While the West (Peje, Istog, Rahovec, Kline, Gjakova) has mixed results with numeric growth, but weaker regional position.

“The Main Challenge for The PDK remains continuing this moment and consolidation around Pristina, as well as finding solutions for the western region, where the position remains fragile,” has ended Muharremi.