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Kosovo's October 12 Elections: A Pivotal Moment for Institutions and Serb Minority

The Serb List's past violence and clientelism raise concerns. Kosovo's future depends on Kurti's delicate balance between institution integrity and minority inclusion.

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In the image there is a book with army tank and jeeps on it, it seems like a war along with a text...
In the image there is a book with army tank and jeeps on it, it seems like a war along with a text above it.

Kosovo's October 12 Elections: A Pivotal Moment for Institutions and Serb Minority

Kosovo's local elections on October 12 are a pivotal moment, with high stakes for the country's institutions and its Serb minority. The elections could see the Serb List (SL) reassert control, or leave institutions hollow, depending on turnout in Serb-majority municipalities. Prime Minister Albin Kurti faces a dilemma: including SL risks legitimizing impunity, while excluding it risks alienating the minority.

The Serb minority's politics are dominated by the Belgrade-backed SL, a party accused of violence, parallel structures, and clientelist control. The February 2025 parliamentary elections left Kosovo without a functioning Assembly, with the constitutional deputy speaker seat for the Serb community vacant and the Constitutional Court deciding on the Assembly's lawfulness. Kosovo's constitution, the Brussels Agreement of 2013, and the Brussels Agreement and Ohrid Annex of 2023 guarantee Serb representation in institutions.

Kurti's central achievement has been dismantling Serbia's parallel institutions and extending Prishtina's sovereignty in the north. However, critics argue this has come at too high a cost. In late 2022, Serb representatives withdrew from Kosovo's institutions, leading to extraordinary elections with low turnout and inflaming protests and sanctions. Western partners continue to press Kosovo to guarantee Serb participation, even if the only viable vehicle is SL, which has become a fig leaf of representation. The former vice president of SL admitted to organizing the Banjska attack in 2023 that killed a Kosovo policeman, demonstrating the party's use of paramilitary violence against the state.

The October 12 elections are a test of Kosovo's ability to sustain its institutions, integrate its Serb minority, and manage the costs of decisions taken in pursuit of sovereignty. The stakes are high, with Kosovo's constitution and international agreements at play. Kurti must navigate this delicate balance, ensuring the integrity of institutions while not alienating the Serb minority.

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