Loiseau: Delay in announcing election results benefited no one

The Head of the EU Election Observation Mission to Kosovo, Nathalie Loiseau, presented the Mission’s final report today in Pristina, following the recently held parliamentary elections. In an interview with Kosovo Online, she stated that the delay in announcing the results served no one's interests.

Loiseau emphasized that the report contains 19 recommendations—not as mandates, but as guidance for strengthening democratic institutions in Kosovo. She expressed confidence that the recommendations will be seriously considered and reaffirmed the EU's commitment to supporting Kosovo’s democratic development.

The report highlights six priority recommendations aimed at enhancing the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process:

• Strengthen legal guarantees concerning the membership and conduct of election officials to ensure impartiality and independence of the electoral administration.
• Clarify the responsibilities of the Central Election Commission (CEC), its Secretariat, and Municipal Election Commissions to decentralize decision-making and improve operational efficiency where needed.
• Conduct a comprehensive, independent audit of the voter register, including internal review of registration procedures and statistical and field-based testing in consultation with stakeholders to address concerns over accuracy and boost public trust.
• Introduce clear legal definitions for key terms, particularly those related to hate speech. Establish explicit criteria for determining proportionate sanctions for violations of the Code of Conduct by political actors.
• Ensure timely appointment of all members of the Complaints and Appeals Panel through a competitive and transparent selection process.
• Establish a reliable and transparent results management system with verifiable procedures to ensure accurate processing of electoral data. Provide prompt access to preliminary results, including turnout data, valid and invalid votes, and scanned results forms from all polling stations.

Loiseau underlined that the elections in Kosovo were competitive and held under a revised legal framework designed to enhance transparency and public confidence.

Speaking to Kosovo Online, Loiseau reiterated that the delay in releasing results benefited no one and that the system for managing results must be improved ahead of future elections. She added that she has confidence in Kosovo’s voters, whom she described as committed to democratic values.

How has the election process changed since your last visit?

We can only speak to what we observed during the campaign, election day, and the counting process. Today’s report covers that period and offers recommendations based on those observations, aiming to further improve electoral conditions in Kosovo.

How did the delay in announcing results affect the legitimacy of the CEC and the election process? 

The reasons behind the delay are still being examined. It’s clear there was a lack of preparedness, particularly in managing the results system, which led to the delays. That needs to be fixed going forward. I believe it will be. No one benefited from the delay, and the system must be made more robust, reliable, and high-quality for next time.

Kosovo will hold local elections later this year. Do you expect the authorities to act on your recommendations by then? 

First, I want to emphasize that the elections were competitive, and there were many positive aspects—this is reflected in our final report. It’s now up to the authorities to respond to the recommendations. I hope the upcoming local elections will feature pluralistic participation from political parties. I trust the voters in Kosovo; I’ve seen their strong commitment to democracy.

In the last elections, in areas with a Serbian majority, over 95%, there were fewer Serb members in polling stations, with most board members being Albanian. How should this be addressed? 

It’s not up to the EU to decide who should serve on municipal commissions or polling station boards. What we observed across minority communities was goodwill among electoral staff on the ground, working to ensure voters understood the process and that issues were resolved through dialogue. We also believe that voter education materials and instructions should be provided in all relevant languages to ensure that everyone is informed in a timely manner.