Election Campaign in Kosovo: Hate speech, lawsuits, and penalties

Insults, threats, but also fines pour in. The election campaign in Kosovo has been marked by an unprecedentedly sharp rhetoric from key political opponents, resulting in more than €400,000 in fines. For researchers, there have been too many inflammatory statements and clear hate speech. For interlocutors of Kosovo Online, it is an expected conflict within the Albanian political bloc and an even more expected targeting of the Serbian community. Then, there’s the "million-dollar question": Will "the day after," February 10, calm or further inflame tensions?

Written by: Arsenije Vuckovic

According to a study by the NGO Democracy in Action, the last three weeks of the election campaign in Kosovo have been accompanied by hate speech, with 48 recorded cases in the past seven days alone where political parties used inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech.

Online, 623 cases of hate speech were recorded, many of which were distributed through video clips posted by political parties.

At the same time, by analyzing 152 media portals, this NGO identified approximately 130,000 comments, of which 7% were directed against Self-Determination's candidate for prime minister, Albin Kurti, 5% against PDK's candidate Bedri Hamza and AAK’s Ramush Haradinaj, and 4% against LDK's candidate for prime minister, Lumir Abdixhiku.

The inflammatory rhetoric during the campaign is also reflected in more than €400,000 in fines imposed by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel.

The LDK paid the highest amount in fines, while Self-Determination received the most complaints and fines.

Although the fines were mostly issued for insulting political opponents, on Monday, the panel upheld a complaint by the PDK and fined Self-Determination €35,000 for an incident at a campaign rally in Skenderaj, where supporters of the party raised three fingers high, which was described as "a purely Serbian symbol that, over the past three years, has taken on a nationalist connotation after being used by Serbian paramilitary forces during the Balkan wars."

"When you have bad neighbors, you must have high morale and a loaded gun," Kurti declared on Tuesday in Podujevo.

The Election Panel has not yet reacted, but Serbia’s Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran, and Social Affairs, Nemanja Starovic, has.

"We must stop this warmonger before disaster strikes. Chekhov's gun always goes off—let’s not fool ourselves that Kurti’s won’t," Starovic wrote on the social network ‘X’.

The Election Card

Coordinator of the National Convention on the EU for Chapter 35, Dragisa Mijacic, told Kosovo Online that Kurti’s statements come as no surprise.

"Hate speech during campaigns and ethno-nationalist narratives are nothing new in the Balkans, certainly not in Kosovo. The Self-Determination Movement leads the way in promoting this type of discourse in public speech. We hear less of it from other political parties, including those directly originating from the KLA," Mijacic stated.

He explains that Self-Determination's election campaign is primarily focused on presenting the government's achievements concerning the Serbian community, particularly in northern Kosovo.

"The intensified Self-Determination campaign reflects their main strategy in these elections, which is everything they have done regarding the Serbian community, especially those living in northern Kosovo. So, it is no surprise that Albin Kurti and Self-Determination have opted for this nationalist discourse in their public appearances during the campaign," Mijacic emphasizes.

So far, political parties have paid over €400,000 in fines for violating campaign rules, something that, according to Mijacic, repeats in every election cycle.

He highlights the fine imposed on Self-Determination earlier this week due to the raising of three fingers at a rally in Skenderaj, where Kurti was met with boos and firecrackers.

"And that was punished with an incredible sum of €35,000. Raising three fingers is considered a provocation, given what that symbol represents within the Serbian community and how Albanians perceive the events of the 1990s," Mijacic notes.

He reminds that most other fines were significantly lower, ranging from €5,000 to €10,000.

"There have indeed been many fines, and the question is whether this will affect the electorate. But it will certainly impact the budgets of political parties," Mijacic concludes.

The Rhetoric of ‘Referendum’

Pristina-based analyst Afrim Kasoli believes that heightened tensions in the election campaign, including inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech, reflect Kosovo's political situation, where for Kurti, February 9 is a 'referendum,' while for opposition parties, it is a matter of ‘life or death.’

"The insulting and hate speech used by political parties in this campaign is their way of perceiving and experiencing these elections. Figuratively speaking, for each political party, these elections are of vital importance. For them, it is, in a way, a matter of life and death, because Self-Determination sees these elections as an opportunity to reaffirm its power," Kasoli tells Kosovo Online.

He reminds that Albin Kurti is presenting these elections as a ‘referendum.’

"Several times, Prime Minister Kurti has called for these elections to be understood as a kind of referendum, where the citizens of Kosovo would assess the successful work of the government. At the same time, for opposition parties, this election is of vital importance, considering the results of the previous elections and the significant margin that Self-Determination achieved. That is why they now urgently need political resurgence," Kasoli emphasizes.

He sees this as one of the key reasons for the tense electoral atmosphere, as well as the large number of complaints and fines related to campaign conduct.

"Institutions monitoring the elections have so far imposed very high fines on political parties, exceeding €400,000. This is unprecedented compared to previous election campaigns," Kasoli highlights.

He specifies that Albin Kurti stands out in his inflammatory rhetoric because he wants to present himself as a true ‘charismatic leader’ in contrast to his opponents.

"He launched his campaign with offensive language towards opposition leaders, calculating and taking into account our political perception of charismatic leadership, portraying himself as a true leader compared to his rivals, as if he has no worthy opponent," Kasoli states.

He explains that Kurti has based his campaign on research showing that in Kosovo, more than 30% of young people vote for political leaders rather than party programs.

That is why, he points out, Kurti is the only candidate for prime minister who has not presented his vision for governing from 2025 to 2029.

"Kurti has exploited the political and social atmosphere, using offensive language toward his political opponents to mobilize the electorate as much as possible with his charisma and leadership," Kasoli emphasizes.

‘Disinfection’ and Voters

About ten kilometers away, in Gracanica, the inflammatory pre-election rhetoric is interpreted as an attempt at ‘disinfection’.

"The general trend in undemocratic states in Southeastern Europe, but also worldwide, is that the ruling government uses all state resources and capacities to disinfect the opposition, the media space, and political opponents.

In Kosovo, the situation is even worse because both the ruling government and the opposition use every opportunity to highlight the ‘Serbian threat’ and the Serbian issue. This is because the political elite of Kosovo Albanians have nothing to offer their voters except the fight against Serbia.

And in this way, they gain political points and the trust of their voters," historian Aleksandar Gudzic told Kosovo Online.

He believes that such a policy could, in the long run, lead to interethnic conflicts and violence, which could escalate at some point.

"So far, we have had controlled conflicts. We don't know what might happen if those conflicts turn into massive violence, and if Serbs experience another pogrom like on March 17, or, in the worst-case scenario, share the fate of the Greeks in Constantinople or Anatolia—simply disappearing from these lands," Gudzic warns.

Animosities and Consequences

Stefan Vladisavljev, program coordinator at the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, believes that the high level of tensions during the election campaign indicates significant animosity among Albanian parties in Kosovo and that the outcome of the February 9 elections will determine whether there will be a shift in rhetoric, including toward minority communities.

"The hate speech we are witnessing suggests that the pre-election atmosphere is highly tense. Moreover, this is not just about how the dominant political forces in Kosovo treat the Serbian minority, but also about how they interact among themselves.

There seems to be an exceptionally high level of animosity among Albanian parties. The way political communication unfolds during the election campaign is also reflected in the fines imposed for campaign violations and hate speech," Vladisavljev tells Kosovo Online.

He believes that the increased tensions are a result of the "spillover" of events from northern Kosovo and that February 9 could be both the culmination and the "starting point" for the future atmosphere in Kosovo’s society.

"The high level of tension originating in northern Kosovo has spilled over into the rest of society, and it seems that February 9 will be the culmination of it all. The results of that day will certainly serve as the starting point for the further development of the overall social atmosphere, which is currently under the leadership of Self-Determination, its leader, and the narratives it promotes.

Whether there will be a softening of rhetoric and a shift in approach toward minority communities remains to be seen, but it will largely depend on who wakes up on the morning of February 10 as the winner of Kosovo’s parliamentary elections," Vladisavljev believes.

Escalation and Accusations

The electrified atmosphere and exchange of accusations between leading Albanian parties culminated on January 27 with an incident in Skenderaj, when Albin Kurti and his supporters were attacked, prompting police intervention.

Vladisavljev interprets this event as a response to the rhetoric that the Self-Determination leader himself employs.

"People everywhere in the world have a problem when authority crosses certain boundaries. If you continuously promote hate speech in public discourse, it is only a matter of time before you face some form of protest.

The question is whether those who spread hate speech and call for actions based on that rhetoric are constructive enough to accept criticism and adapt some of their policies.

I would say that this situation is not unique to Kosovo but can be observed in other parts of the region as well," Vladisavljev explains.

The "Game of Symbols"

Commenting on the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel's decision to fine Self-Determination €35,000 for displaying the three-finger gesture at the same Skenderaj rally, Vladisavljev describes it as "a game of symbols."

He warns that a much greater danger arises if such tensions spill over into Kosovo's entire society after the elections.

"Symbolism plays a significant role in shaping narratives, and there are different ways symbols are interpreted from various perspectives.

I am certain that some provocations are subtly embedded in such actions. However, I wouldn't place too much importance on potential symbols, but rather I would emphasize the potential danger if these tensions cross the boundaries of decency and spill over into the entire society, far beyond what is encompassed by the election campaign and its immediate results," Vladisavljev concludes.

The Strategy of Polarization

Milos Pavkovic, an associate at the Center for European Policy, believes that Self-Determination and its candidate for prime minister, Albin Kurti, are employing a "strategy of polarization." As a result, he expects them to continue using heightened nationalist rhetoric until February 9, which may only subside if they are unable to form a government on their own.

"This is a strategy of polarization that benefits Self-Determination, and they are heavily relying on it, especially during the campaign.

I assume that Self-Determination and Kurti will continue to use intensified nationalist rhetoric and hate speech until election day itself, and that after the elections, the tone will depend on the results," Pavkovic tells Kosovo Online.

He is convinced that Self-Determination will "tone down" its rhetoric only in the situation where they will need to seek coalition partners, if they do not have enough parliamentary seats to form a government on their own.

"In that case, they will probably reduce nationalist rhetoric and hate speech in order to easier gain a partner. However, if Self-Determination wins an absolute majority in the elections, they have no reason to stop this practice, and I believe they will continue with nationalist rhetoric and all the policies they have carried out so far, both toward Albanian parties, but especially toward the Serbian community, which has been very nationalistic and extreme," Pavkovic emphasizes.

He does not exclude the possibility that intensified nationalist rhetoric could continue even after the elections.

"That is certainly possible, but this is a manner that Self-Determination introduced. They raised the bar very high, and other parties followed suit. I think this will primarily depend on Self-Determination itself—how they behave and how they set the political discourse, as other Albanian parties in Kosovo will adjust accordingly," this analyst believes.