7 hours ago“Kosovars are tired of political gambling”, Swiss media on Kosovo elections
Periskopi(15 days ago)
(15 days ago)Swiss newspapers paid particular attention to Sunday's parliamentary elections in Kosovo. Newspapers “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” and “Tags Anzeeger” published detailed analysis on results and the political crisis that continues to hold the country hostage.
According to the NZZ, Prime Minister Albin Kurti's party won the elections, but saw the majority necessary to govern only HINA, leaving the country facing a new political blockade.
After counting over 99 per cent of the vote, Vetevendosje received about 43 per cent of the vote, followed by the Democratic Party of Kosovo with 21.1 per cent and the Democratic League of Kosovo with 17.7 per cent. Kurti will need coalitions and compromises with the opposition right where he had already failed in the spring, when parliament failed to elect the new president within the deadline, leading to third elections within a few months, writes. NZZ.
Citizens' fatigue from this election wave was clearly reflected in figures: turnout reached only about 37 per cent negative historical record since 2008 independence and 8 percentage points less than December.
The NZZ stresses that Kosovo is threatened with the loss of EU funds worth millions due to this continuing discontent. A 90.7m-euro tranche is already in serious danger, as the deadline for adoption of reforms expires in late June and time is not enough. The consequences will be felt directly by citizens: schools that are not renovated, blocked infrastructure, energy and health sector increasingly busy.
Journal “Tags Anzeiger” writes that many voters showed the red card to all parties without rewarding the opposition. The political climate is highly polarized, not only in parliament and other institutions but also in television studios, which sometimes resemble boxing rings. “Kosovars are tired of political gambling”, the paper writes.
Although Kurt is credited with curbing corruption to some extent, many voters remain dissatisfied with the balance of his six-year rule.
Basic reforms in education and health have been missing: Kosovar students are constantly ranked in the last countries of PISA, while Kosovars go mainly abroad for medical treatment, especially in Turkey. <x0)
“Tages Anzeeger” stresses that, despite criticism, Kosovo remains a functional democracy and a positive exception in the region. The elections were held calmly, the results were recognised by all sides and declared, as writes “Tages Anzeeger”, with almost Swiss accuracy. /Telegrapher
