Pavkovic: Kurti is trying to revive the economy and gain voters through the diaspora

Milos Pavkovic, a collaborator of the Center for European Policy, tells Kosovo Online that Albin Kurti is gradually entering the campaign for parliamentary elections and is trying to revive the economy by turning to the diaspora to gain as many voters as possible.

Pavkovic states that the Kosovo economy primarily depends on two key sources of funding – foreign humanitarian aid and money from the Kosovo diaspora.

"The government of Albin Kurti is trying, in a way, to encourage more investments from the Kosovo diaspora and to enhance their role, not just in terms of sending money to Kosovo but by encouraging people to return and try to start businesses there, which brings multiple benefits. Simply put, in that economic model, it is not just about the direct money; through business and investments, that money is multiplied, people return, and in that way, there are multiple benefits for both the Kosovo government and the economy of the citizens who live there," our interlocutor says.

He emphasizes that there is a kind of internal Albanian struggle for leadership between Edi Rama and Kurti, but when it comes to the diaspora exclusively from Kosovo, Kurti has strong support.

"He is aware of this support and seems to be trying to attract people who are originally from Kosovo but live in Western Europe and America, not only to help Kosovo through funding but also to return, live there, start businesses, invest, and continue living and working in Kosovo," Pavkovic says.

He adds that parliamentary elections are approaching in Kosovo, and Kurti is offering a multitude of benefits to the diaspora to gain as many voters as possible.

"We are entering the last six months before the elections, which, as it is said, could happen as early as this fall and at the latest in February 2025. So, with these moves, Kurti is already slowly entering the campaign for parliamentary elections, and in this way, he is trying to gain as many voters as possible through these economic measures," Pavkovic assesses.