Milenkovic: Self-Determination's campaign is nationalistic, opposition's economic promises unconvincing

Marko Milenkovic from the NGO "New Social Initiative" stated for Kosovo Online that, based on the course of the election campaign so far, it appears that Self-Determination has few promises related to citizens' living conditions. Instead, the party focuses on a nationalistic campaign, while opposition parties address economic issues, though he believes some of their promises are unrealistic.

“With Self-Determination, we see rhetoric about additional investments in defense and the military, specifically in areas related to security issues, but not in those concerning the economy or industry. The rhetoric positions Kurti and other leaders as protectors of Kosovo’s citizens, portraying Serbia as the enemy and Self-Determination as the political force capable of protecting Kosovo’s citizens from Serbia. This explains the campaign being largely focused on the northern regions. Economic development issues are mentioned to some extent but are framed within the context of nationalistic engagement, sovereignty, and similar themes,” Milenkovic said.

As for the opposition, Milenkovic noted that they are focused on economic issues, infrastructure investments, and salary increases. Additionally, they are promising improvements in international relations, with much of this rhetoric coming from Ramush Haradinaj's party.

“The opposition’s promises in the economic sphere currently seem unconvincing and, in some areas, unrealistic. The current state of economic development requires more complex steps, as increasing salaries is not a simple matter. A more comprehensive and different approach is necessary. The opposition is trying to address citizens’ daily problems and present themselves as serving their interests by promising to improve the economic situation and quality of life. However, I am not certain citizens will see these promises as realistic. Nevertheless, it seems the opposition is attracting a significant number of potential voters at their rallies,” Milenkovic observed.

In his assessment, opposition parties will maintain their campaign focus on economic issues and the lives of citizens, given rising inflation and the deteriorating status of the population in Kosovo. However, he expects the campaign to intensify in the coming period.

“We might even see some nationalistic reactions from opposition parties and rhetoric that may resemble Self-Determination’s approach as a mechanism to attract some of the voter base currently aligned with Self-Determination,” Milenkovic concluded.