Prorokovic: It is possible that some voters turned from Kurti to PDK due to economic dissatisfaction

Senior research fellow at the Institute for International Politics and Economy in Belgrade, Dusan Prorokovic, believes it is possible that some of Albin Kurti’s voters turned to the former party of Hashim Thaci, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), due to dissatisfaction with economic policies, social policies, or their overall social status.

"I assume there was significant economic and social dissatisfaction, meaning that Kurti’s government did not adequately respond to certain crises that emerged within the system," Prorokovic told Kosovo Online.

He adds that broader sociological research, expected in the coming months, will likely provide more insight into why votes shifted between Albanian political parties.

"It wasn’t just Thaci’s party that experienced a shift, which in their case was positive. Kurti suffered a major drop in votes, and voter turnout was also lower. The lower turnout can be attributed to unrealistically inflated voter rolls, as fewer people actually live in Kosovo and Metohija than reported in statistical data. However, there also seems to be a degree of dissatisfaction, prompting voters to seek an alternative. The crisis has been felt in Kosovo and Metohija for years, and it is not just related to this election. Our media often emphasize the dimension of Serbian-Albanian relations, interpreting everything through that lens, but that is not the only factor influencing Albanian voters’ choices," Prorokovic explained.

When analyzing the redistribution of votes among Albanian parties, Prorokovic notes that it is crucial to consider where Kurti gained most of his voters in the 2021 elections.

"I believe that most of the voters he attracted last time came from Thaci’s base, rather than from the traditional Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) electorate, which has been voting for that party almost by inertia since the time of Rugova. Their numbers have been gradually decreasing from one election cycle to the next, but they remain loyal voters," Prorokovic concluded.