“Unaffordable cost” ballot boxes ranging millions of euros

Central Election Commission (KQZ) has approved a budget of 10,887,186 The euro for organising early elections for the Kosovo Assembly, to be held 7 June this year.

This budget, which adds to the spending of four other election processes held within a period of about 1 year, has raised concerns about the financial burden this election practice has on the country.

For the 18-month period, Kosovo has spent 23.9m euros on four electoral processes, while an additional 11m euros have been envisioned for the June elections. In total, spending, along with the June early vote budget, exceeds the value of 34 million.

CEC spokesman Valmir Elezi has announced to Klankosova.tv that for the February 9th 2025 parliamentary elections, the previous budget was 8.7m euros, while expenditures reached about 7.1m euros.

Some of these tools were used during 2024, and the rest were used early in 2025.

As for local elections held on October 12th 2025, including the November 9th runoff, Elez announced that the planned fund was over 10.5m euros, as expenditures approached the figure of approximately 8.8m euros, reports the report. I did. tv, broadcast Periscope.

At that, parliamentary elections on December 28th 2025 have had an approved budget of 11.5m euros, out of which some 7.4m euros have been spent, according to figures still not final.

The “Budget planned by the Central Election Commission for organising early elections for the Kosovo Assembly, which were held on December 28th 2025, is worth 11.5m euros. According to the up to date reports, the amount spent is around 7.4 million Euro”, Elez stressed.

Regarding this level of spending, economist Safet Gerjaliu, who described this financial burden as unaffordable to the country.

I believe that even the most economically developed states, both in the region and in Europe, cannot afford such a cost. Kosovo needs numerous investments in infrastructure, in the standard of welfare of civic living, so this luxury really has an unaffordable cost and is damaging daily and more reality in Kosovo”, he said.

According to Gerxhaliu, the country needs political stability and economic development focus, not according to it, for frequent election cycles.

The time is when Kosovo really needs to have political stability, to focus economic development, and not to experiment with the state in this way. Because after all, if you don't change your choice mentality, the state cannot be stabilised. It is time for a performance in the interest of the state, and not always the fight for power to be decomposing in all processes in Kosovo”, Gerjaliu said. /Periscope