Pejic: Kurti's defiance of the US and EU boosts his ratings among Albanians but he could overplay his hand

Vladimir Pejic, the director of the public opinion research agency "Faktor Plus," assesses that the tough nationalist rhetoric of Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his opposition to the US and EU are something that appeals to the Albanian electorate and that he draws political strength and popularity from it, but he could overplay his hand and end up in a deadlock.

"Kurti gains popularity from this rhetoric and a certain level of power, and I think he has enough experience to assess when he can politically materialize this and call for elections when it suits him, to get the most votes," Pejic says for Kosovo Online.

He points out that, at a superficial glance, Kurti's firm stance in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as his response to demands from Washington and Brussels to de-escalate the situation in northern Kosovo, is the "right move" for him and his party.

"However, besides the fact that this is not good for multinational relations, he might find himself in a situation where he overplays his hand, and his tough position toward both the US and the EU could be fatal for him. In this region, politicians who pursue obstinate policies often gain popularity among the electorate. However, resisting great powers, especially the US, when it comes to Kosovo, which is, in many ways, sponsored by them, could be problematic for Kurti," Pejic notes.

He adds that such behavior concerning Kurti could be politically fatal.

However, Pejic points out that the opposition in Pristina currently lacks the strength to bring down Kurti's government.

"Especially since Kurti 'rides' on some of his own arguments, as well as what brought political points to previous governments. He has gathered all of that, and it seems he still has the greatest support in public opinion," he says.

He emphasizes once again that politicians carried away by such support can often make the wrong judgment.

"In such a situation, politicians can often find themselves in a political deadlock and realize that this is not such an advantage and strength that allows them to do whatever they want. It seems to me that Kurti behaves somewhat spoiled, and even parents don't tolerate their children doing that until the end, so I am sure that no one will tolerate him for long. It could very easily happen that he loses political support from abroad and then from Pristina itself," Pejic concluded.