Kurti hosts “Albanian Coalition” lawmakers: two seats in Serbia, the best result since 2000

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Tuesday hosted representatives of political parties and activists from Presheva, Medvedja, Bujanoc and Novi Pazar at the government, two days after Serbia's parliamentary election. In the Oct. 25 vote, the joint “Albanian Coalition” list secured two seats in Serbia's National Assembly, which will be taken by Shaip Kamberi and Visar Mehmeti. It is the first time in six years that Albanians have more than one lawmaker there.

The numbers according to Kurti

In a post after the meeting, Kurti wrote that the coalition has so far won 1,233 more votes than in the 2020 election, when Albanians won three seats. According to him, Albanians rank second by votes and first by seats, together with the Hungarians, among national minority lists: of the six seats won by four minority lists, two belong to the “Albanian Coalition.” The alliance of Albanian parties on a single list had been formalized on Sept. 29 at the Kosovo prime minister's office.

Kurti said the significance of the result goes beyond the numbers, because it was achieved amid the passivation of addresses, non-recognition of diplomas, exclusion from public institutions, economic discrimination and emigration. “Unity must not end. The two seats are a shared achievement and, above all, a shared responsibility. Where the opportunities are greater, the responsibility is greater too,” he said.

“Milošević's heirs lost”

The prime minister also commented on the defeat of Serbia's ruling parties, saying that a quarter century after the fall of Milošević and Šešelj, their political heirs, Vučić and Dačić, had also lost. Vučić, who led Serbia for 12 years, has conceded defeat to the Student List, which according to preliminary results is expected to hold 135 to 140 seats in the Serbian parliament.