Nikolic: Kurti's optimism before the elections is justified, LDK and AAK could divert votes

Ivan Nikolic, Director of the NGO "Communication for Social Development" (CSD), believes that the current Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has justified optimism about retaining his position in the next mandate, although the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) could divert some votes from him.

"There is absolutely a reason for Albin Kurti's optimism. Over the past few years, he has addressed most of the issues that 'troubled' his voters, especially concerning relations with the Serbian community. He has managed to launch some initiatives in the north, made efforts to impose restrictions on Serbian goods, and in many cases, arrested a significant number of Serbs who are now facing trials. In nearly every other statement, he referenced the war and adopted a decidedly undemocratic approach toward the Serbian community as a whole. I think this has significantly contributed to a certain degree of satisfaction among his voters," Nikolic told Kosovo Online.

However, he notes that the issue of fighting corruption remains unresolved.

"His entire narrative on corruption has not been implemented effectively because I think he realized how hard it is to eradicate certain practices in Kosovo. Moreover, in several cases, even some of 'his own people' were implicated in similar stories," Nikolic explained.

At this moment, Nikolic considers it very difficult to predict potential coalitions within the opposition bloc.

"It is extremely challenging to speculate about who might form a coalition against Kurti, whether that is even feasible, and whether he will secure more than 50 percent of the vote. What is certain is that he will maintain an absolute majority compared to others because he has managed to fulfill a good portion of his promises and objectives," Nikolic stated.
When asked which opposition party might benefit in the elections, he highlighted the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), led by Lumir Abdixhiku, its candidate for prime minister, and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), led by Ramush Haradinaj.

"The fact is that the opposition has plenty of arguments against Kurti’s government. However, at the end of the day, how they will unite and whether a potential leader might emerge is extremely difficult to predict. LDK has a young, ambitious candidate who has garnered some international support and appeals to voters without radical right-wing views on the situation in Kosovo. On the other hand, we have Haradinaj, who has been repeating the same narrative since entering the political scene: portraying himself as a superhero and emphasizing that Kurti was not directly involved in the war as he was. In this way, he might attract a certain number of followers," Nikolic pointed out.

He also sees the departure of Self-Determination deputies before the elections as evidence that things are not entirely rosy within the movement.

"The fact that they left the party indicates that even in that 'perfect environment,' things are not ideal, and there are serious interest groups at play. Ideology is not the primary driving force for them, no matter how much Kurti and his team claim otherwise. How this will reflect in the elections remains uncertain until just before the voting," Nikolic concluded.