EU monitors Kosovo local elections amid raising tensions

The European Union has called for peaceful, inclusive, and transparent local elections in Kosovo on 12 October, in accordance with the 2013 Brussels agreement, which requires Kosovo’s elections to comply with its laws and international standards.

“All citizens should exercise their right to vote free from foreign interference,” an EU spokesperson told EUalive.

The 2013 Brussels Agreement is a 15-point deal between Serbia and Kosovo, facilitated by the EU, aimed at normalising relations by addressing issues like local governance, police, and judicial authority in Kosovo’s Serb-majority areas.

The EU’s call follows a May 2025 Election Observation Mission (EOM) report that documented instances of Serbian interference in Kosovo’s February 2025 parliamentary elections.

“We expect all parties to refrain from such actions,” the spokesperson added.

An EU election expert mission, invited by President Vjosa Osmani, is currently monitoring the electoral process.

Earlier in the week Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has accused Serbia of meddling in the upcoming elections by offering jobs and financial incentives to sway voters, particularly within the Serbian community.

Citing the EOM report, Kurti claimed Serbia’s interference is “more serious than Russia’s in European elections.”

He pointed to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s 5 October announcement of 400 new healthcare jobs and monthly financial aid of 20,000 dinars (€180) for 5,000 Kosovo Serbs as evidence of electoral manipulation. Kurti also criticized Serbian officials, including Vučić and former Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, for openly endorsing the Belgrade-backed Serbian List party, claiming it solely represents Serbia’s interests in Kosovo.

“These actions – promises of jobs, financial incentives, and conditioning social benefits, are clear interference in Kosovo’s electoral process,” Kurti said at a government meeting. He urged the EU to condemn Serbia and impose sanctions, arguing that the lack of consequences for past interference has emboldened Belgrade.

Serbian officials, including Vučić and Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar, defended the initiatives as support for Kosovo’s Serbian community, where healthcare and educational institutions operate under Serbia’s system and funding.

Petar Petković, director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo, urged on 7 October Kosovo Serbs and displaced persons with Kosovo documents to vote for the Serbian List, emphasizing that its victory would secure continued infrastructure projects and financial support from Serbia.

The EU has reiterated its commitment to free and fair elections, stressing that interference undermines democracy and sovereignty.

On 12 October 2,069,098 Kosovo citizens, including 43,993 voters abroad, will elect mayors for 38 municipalities and their municipal assembly representatives.

Political deadlock and Serb minority politics

Kosovo approaches these elections amid an ongoing political crisis. Eight months after the February parliamentary elections, the Parliament remains non-functional due to disagreements among political parties, stalling government formation.

The constitutionally mandated deputy speaker seat for the Serb community is vacant, and the Constitutional Court must now determine whether the Assembly is lawfully constituted. This ruling could delay reforms, hinder implementation of the 2013 and 2023 agreements, and erode Kosovo’s credibility as a state adhering to its constitutional framework.

The Belgrade-backed Serbian List (SL) dominates Serb minority politics but is implicated in violence, parallel structures, and clientelist control.

For Kurti, excluding SL risks further alienating the Serb minority, while including it may legitimize impunity and undermine his sovereignty agenda.

Western partners, including the EU and the United States, view SL as a necessary vehicle for Serb representation, despite its undemocratic practices, prioritizing stability over reform.

Tensions were aggravated further after on 8 October Turkey supplied Kosovo lethal drones, with Belgrade accusing Ankara of a “brutal violation” of the UN Charter and Resolution 1244, which according to Serbia prohibits arming Kosovo.

Serbia-Kosovo tensions escalate as Vučić accuses Turkey of reviving Ottoman Empire ambitions

Sources: BGNES and KosovaPress

Caption: People leave the polling station in primary school “King Milutin” after voting for the parliamentary elections in Gracanica, Kosovo, 9 February 2025. EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI