2021 Kosovan parliamentary election

Legislative elections are scheduled to be held in Kosovo on 14 February 2021.

2021 Kosovan parliamentary election

14 February 2021
All 120 seats in the Assembly 61 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Current seats LDK–AKR Avdullah Hoti 30 LVV Albin Kurti 29 PDK Enver Hoxhaj 24 AAK Ramush Haradinaj 13 Serb List Goran Rakić 10 NISMA Fatmir Limaj 4 Vakat Rasim Demiri 2 KDTP Fikrim Damka 2 PLE Veton Berisha 1 NDS Emilija Redžepi 1 PDAK Danush Ademi 1 JGP Adem Hodža 1 PREBK Albert Kinolli 1
Incumbent PM Avdullah Hoti LDK

Background

The October 2019 parliamentary elections saw opposition party Vetëvendosje emerge as the largest faction in parliament, finishing just ahead of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). The two parties formed a new government on 3 February 2020, with Vetëvendosje leader Albin Kurti as the Prime Minister. Kurti was elected Prime Minister with 66 votes and ten abstentions. The 34 opposition MPs boycotted the vote and left the Assembly building. The coalition soon collapsed as the LDK filed a no-confidence motion on 25 March 2020 due to disagreements over how to handle the coronavirus pandemic. The motion passed, with 82 members of the Assembly voting in favor, the first time a Kosovan government had fallen in such a manner. The Kurti cabinet continued in office as a caretaker government, while the LDK leader Avdullah Hoti attempted to form a government. Although Hoti's eligibility to be Prime Minister had been questioned by Kurti and Vetëvendosje, who claimed that a government could not be formed without the party that won the most seats in the previous elections, on 28 May the Constitutional Court confirmed the LDK had the right to form a government without fresh elections. The Court ruled that after the party that won the elections failed again to form a new government, another party was able to, and Hoti could be approved as Prime Minister in a parliamentary vote.

On 3 June Hoti was elected Prime Minister by a vote of 61–24, with one abstention. However, on 21 December the Constitutional Court ruled that the vote of Etem Arifi of the minority Ashkali Party for Integration in favour of Hoti was invalid (as Arifi had been convicted of fraud) and consequently the government had not received the support of the majority of the Assembly.[1] As a result, fresh elections were called, with the Hoti government continuing as a caretaker government.

Electoral system

The 120 members of the Assembly of Kosovo are elected by open list proportional representation, with 20 seats reserved for national minorities.[2] An electoral threshold of 5% is in place for non-minority parties. To form a government, a parties or coalitions must have a majority of 61 MPs out of 120 seats in the Assembly of Kosovo.

Opinion polls

Pollster	Date	LVV	LDK	PDK	AAK	SL	NISMA	Other	Lead	Abstention
PIPOS	2 February 2021	40.95	19.35	22.03	7.8	[nb 1]	3.1	1.4	18.9	5.0
Albanian Post	2 February 2021	51.3	15.5	13.2	5.5	[nb 1]	1.8	–	35.8	–
KOZMO	26–30 January 2021	53.6	16.0	17.4	7.2	[nb 1]	3.6	–	37.6	3.2
PIPOS	29 January 2021	43.8	17.2	21.1	7.0	[nb 1]	2.9	1.0	22.7	7.2
PIPOS	22 January 2021	44.2	17.4	20.4	7.2	[nb 1]	3.1	0.6	23.8	7.2
T7 & GE	22 January 2021	50.8	16.0	16.9	7.0	[nb 1]	3.0	–	33.9	–
Riinvest Analytics	11–17 January 2021	54.1	10.3	14.9	6.4	5.0	1.4	4.4	39.2	3.5
PIPOS	15 January 2021	41.6	16.3	20.1	7.5	[nb 1]	1.5	4.7	21.5	5.2
PIPOS	7 January 2021	41.4	15.7	20.8	8.6	[nb 1]	2.0	5.3	20.6	6.5
UBO Consulting	23 December 2020	46.2	14.9	16.0	7.0	2.5	3.5	1.0	30.2	1.9
2019 election	6 October 2019	26.2	24.5	21.2	11.5	6.4	5.0	5.0	1.7	–

References

1. Kosovo's highest court rules parliamentary vote electing government was illegal Reuters, 21 December 2020
2. Kosovo IFES/electionguide.org

Notes

1. Survey processed Albanian settlements only.