Sunday’s early parliamentary elections in Kosovo once again placed the Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV) as the leading party, but one that has experienced a drop in support.

According to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission (CEC), LVV, led by acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, received 42.92% of the vote.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) received 21.06%, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) 17.61%, while the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) secured 7.18%.

Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), which competed in these elections with only six candidates for parliament, failed to pass the threshold.

The votes counted so far do not include those from the diaspora, conditional ballots, or those cast by persons with special needs.

These results place LVV significantly lower than in the elections of December 28, 2025, when it had received over 51% of the vote. In those elections, PDK won 20.2%, LDK 13.2%, and AAK 5.5%.

Compared to the preliminary results of December 2025, most major parties received fewer votes in the June 2026 elections. However, in percentage terms, the parties that were previously in opposition have recorded gains, with LDK showing the largest increase.

This is largely attributed to the significantly lower voter turnout in this election process—only 36.88%, compared to 45% in December.

Albin Kurti declares victory

LVV’s candidate for prime minister, Albin Kurti, declared victory in the elections and announced that in the coming weeks he will cooperate with other parties to resolve the issue of the presidency.

During his speech at a celebration with party supporters in one of Pristina’s squares, Kurti stated that the party he leads places the public interest above all else.

“In the coming weeks, we will meet and cooperate with all parties because above all we serve the public interest, the will, and the sovereign Republic with dedication. Count on us not only for the work we do, but also for the cooperation we build,” Kurti said.

PDK accuses Kurti

The Democratic Party of Kosovo’s first public reaction after the announcement of preliminary results came from its Secretary General, Vlora Çitaku.

She assessed that the election result is a consequence of citizens’ disappointment with the governance of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“Albin Kurti’s government produced disappointment among citizens and continuous crises. This poor governance resulted in this electoral protest. The absence of around 200,000 voters from the elections is a clear indicator of this,” Çitaku said.

She also accused LVV of misusing state resources and vote-buying, claiming that hundreds of millions of euros were distributed for electoral gains.

“If there had not been massive vote-buying through hundreds of millions of euros distributed, promises of employment, threats against public employees, millions spent on tickets for diaspora voters, and misuse of state resources, this man would have suffered an even deeper political fiasco,” she stated.

LDK’s condition

LDK’s candidate for prime minister, Lumir Abdixhiku, said they are aware that after the election results, the first issue to be discussed will be the presidency. For this position, he added that LDK has its own candidate, Vjosa Osmani.

“We are interested in institutional stability. We have been ready for talks with all Albanian parties, except the Serbian List. And we are aware that the issue of the president will be the first to be discussed. We have our candidate, and that will be the starting point of any discussion,” Abdixhiku said, adding that there will be no compromise regarding the presidency.

AAK beyond the threshold

AAK, which barely passed the threshold in the December elections, exceeded it on Sunday and, according to projections, could reach up to 8% once all votes are counted.

The party’s new leader, Ardian Gjini, who was also its candidate for prime minister, thanked citizens for their support, calling the result an extraordinary start for the party he represents.

At a press conference following the announcement of preliminary results, Gjini said that citizens who voted for this party would not regret their choice.

“Despite the fact that this electoral race was held in an absolutely unfair political environment, where all possible means were used to tilt the result in favor of those in power, the citizens of Kosovo have still shown that they understand where we are and that they love their country,” Gjini said.

The voting process

Despite the significantly lower turnout, the domestic election monitoring mission “Democracy in Action” (DnV) assessed that the voting process took place in a calm atmosphere and that voters were able to exercise their right freely and equally.

“DnV congratulates all citizens who exercised their right to vote and contributed to the smooth running of a democratic, calm, and generally orderly electoral process,” the mission stated.

Public opinion suggests that through their vote, the citizens of Kosovo have sent a message to all political parties that they want more efficient governance and compromise among political actors.