Pavkovic: Self-Determination has assessed that they need diaspora votes for a majority

Milos Pavkovic, an associate at the Center for European Policy, says that polls conducted during the previous elections in Kosovo showed a large number of diaspora members voting for Albin Kurti's Self-Determination. It’s evident that, ahead of the February 9 elections, Kurti and his movement have assessed that every single diaspora vote could be decisive in securing a majority of voter support.

"Considering that Albin Kurti received absolute support, over 50 percent of the votes, in the previous elections, but now his rating is declining and stands below 50 percent, he is clearly relying on the diaspora to help him achieve majority support," Pavkovic told Kosovo Online.

He recalls that when discussions arose about possible early elections during the summer, Kurti weighed whether the diaspora would vote for him in sufficient numbers, considering that it was the holiday season and many people visit Kosovo then.

"The diaspora definitely plays an important role in elections in Kosovo, especially now when absolute support for Self-Determination is at stake. Additionally, the role of the Albanian diaspora is crucial for Kosovo from an economic perspective, as most of the funds coming into Kosovo are from the diaspora," Pavkovic points out.

Regarding opinions from some analysts in Pristina that the diaspora should not be allowed to vote as they lack insight into the real situation in Kosovo, Pavkovic says this is an old political science debate on whether the diaspora should be allowed to vote or not.

"In comparative practice, there are various examples, some quite extreme, such as in Croatia, where there are reserved seats in the parliament for political representatives of the diaspora, to places where the voting rights for the diaspora are limited — for example, whether they can vote only in general or also in local elections. This is an open debate, and each country addresses this issue individually. It is true that citizens living in the diaspora are often less informed than those living in the country and make less informed decisions, but given that they hold citizenship and the right to vote, they often exercise that right," our source emphasizes.

Diaspora voters in Kosovo’s elections, he adds, can be the tipping point, which is why this debate has been revived and remains active among the political elite, experts, and the academic community.