Milenkovic: Self-Determination and Kurti have already entered pre-election campaign

Marko Milenkovic, an associate of the NGO "New Social Initiative," assessed that the recent actions of the Self-Determination Movement and Albin Kurti indicate that the party has already entered the campaign for the upcoming elections in Kosovo.

“It appears to me that we are already in a campaign for the next elections, primarily on the part of Self-Determination and Albin Kurti. The steps taken in the recent period point in that direction. Their actions and positioning suggest we are in a kind of political campaign, as we lack clear positions and stances. I believe we will see the campaign heat up even more in the coming period,” Milenkovic told Kosovo Online.

He recalled that new elections could be called alongside the local ones planned for the fall.

“However, we still don’t have exact dates for the local elections. That should follow consultations with Vjosa Osmani, but we haven’t received that information yet,” Milenkovic said.

He also mentioned the beginning of next year—when the election of a new president of Kosovo is scheduled—as another possible date.

“We are entering a very active political period in which political actors will try to achieve better results through campaigning than in previous elections, because we currently find ourselves in a political crisis that we won’t easily overcome,” the analyst stated.

He has no doubt that Self-Determination and Albin Kurti will take the lead in this regard, as they are dissatisfied with the February results and their current political position.

“I believe they will try in every possible way, using their current positions of power—since they are still in government—to run a political campaign from this advantageous position and attempt to gain more, thus achieving better results in the next elections,” Milenkovic said.

In order for the ruling party to achieve better results, he emphasized, it needs to change its current approach.

“What we’ve seen recently is a lack of concrete results in terms of economic and institutional development, while the focus has been on nationalism and the rhetoric for which Kurti is known,” Milenkovic noted.

He warned that a similar campaign is still ongoing.

“We’ve seen that visits to the north are once again on the agenda. Most likely, the north will continue to be used as a platform for building Albin Kurti’s voter base,” Milenkovic emphasized.

He added that Kosovo society wants to see a different political approach, which, he says, is currently lacking.

“All we see are attacks on the opposition and from the opposition toward Self-Determination, but we have no concrete promises, programs, or plans. It all comes down to rhetoric that is popular in a given moment, which won’t lead to improvements in the electorate,” he stated.

He also pointed out that Self-Determination is facing internal party problems, which could become a “potential risk” for the party.

“We see what’s happening with the candidates for Assembly Speaker. There’s no consensus, not even within Self-Determination. That could lead to potential problems. If they want to achieve better results, they would need to change their approach—not only toward the opposition and other political actors but also in addressing real political issues that affect people’s daily lives,” Milenkovic concluded.