The Guardian: Vetevendosje loses majority, result shows Albin Kurti's leftist party must negotiate coalition

“Results imply that Prime Minister Kurti's left-wing party should form coalition”, writes The Guardian.

With 73% of the votes counted, Prime Minister Albin Kurti's leftist Vetevendosje party has won 41.99%.

For the VV, the election result would be a decline of more than 50% it won in 2021, but puts it in a position to lead the next government to a country whose policy is dominated by relations with Serbia and Serbs within borders.

During the election campaign Kurti apparently ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition, saying he would not participate in the government unless he won a full majority.

But late Sunday after the victory proclamation, Kurti said he would form the new government without implying who could be the coalition partner.

“We are the first party, the winning party to create the next government”, Kurti told reporters. “We will continue to finish the work that we started”.

“Kurti, an Albanian nationalist, came to power in 2021 when a coalition led by the Vetevendosje party received more than 50% of the vote and secured a majority in parliament with 120 seats”, writes The Guardian.