Following the political agreement between Albanian parties, the “Albanian Coalition” has continued its pre-election campaign in Preševo, Bujanoc and Medvegjë. Eight political entities will run together in Serbia’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for October 25, 2026, while the joint list is led by Shaip Kamberi.
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The coalition’s activities have intensified in recent days, with meetings with citizens and joint rallies in the municipalities of the Valley. Party representatives have urged Albanians to take part in the elections and support stronger representation in the Parliament of Serbia.
The latest rally was held on Monday, October 19, at the “Bici” restaurant in the village of Samolicë, in the Municipality of Bujanoc. Representatives of the coalition’s political entities attended, including Shaip Kamberi, Visar Memeti, Nagip Arifi, Shqiprim Musliu, Ardita Sinani, Naser Aziri and Ilir Sadriu.
Shaip Kamberi, who heads the list, said the coalition’s goal is to increase the number of Albanian MPs in parliament, with the ambition of securing three or more seats.
He listed discrimination, lack of investment, employment difficulties and the failure to fulfill institutional commitments to the Albanians of the Valley as the main concerns. Kamberi also stressed that implementing the Seven-Point Plan remains one of the coalition’s key demands.
Ardita Sinani, the mayor of Preševo, said that the unification of political entities could increase the representational power of Albanians and contribute to protecting their rights.
Before the rally in Samolicë, on October 18, Kamberi met with citizens from older generations from several settlements in the Municipality of Bujanoc. According to local media, hundreds of citizens were present at the meeting.
During the meeting, Kamberi linked political cooperation to the history of the Albanians of the Valley, stressing the need to continue efforts to protect their rights.
The rally in Samolicë had been announced publicly on October 17, when the coalition called on Albanians in Preševo, Bujanoc and Medvegjë to take part in the election activity.
The agreement between the Albanian parties was reached on September 29 in Pristina, at the Office of Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti. One day later, on September 30, it was officially announced that the entities would run with a single list called the “Albanian Coalition.” The cooperation came after negotiations and efforts to align political positions.
Eight political entities were included in the agreement: the Party for Democratic Action (PVD), represented by Shaip Kamberi; Alternative for Change (APN), represented by Visar Memeti; the Democratic Party (PD), represented by Nagip Arifi; the Albanian Democratic Party (PDSH), represented by Agim Sabedini; the Movement for Democratic Progress (LPD), represented by Shqiprim Musliu; the Movement for Reforms (LR), represented by Sami Salihu; Alternative for the Valley (AL), represented by Armend Aliu; and the Albanian Democratic Union (UDSH), represented by Naser Aziri.
The purpose of the agreement is to unite Albanian votes on a single list, avoiding the division of support among different parties. The list, led by Shaip Kamberi, is running under number 17.
According to reports, the list has a total of ten candidates, five women and five men, from Preševo, Bujanoc, Medvegjë and Novi Pazar. A total of 6,319 supporting signatures were collected for its registration, of which 5,988 were declared valid.
The unification of the eight entities is seen as an effort to increase the political influence of the Albanians of the Valley in Serbia’s central institutions. Instead of running on separate lists, the parties aim to consolidate their votes in order to win more parliamentary seats.
Shaip Kamberi is currently the only Albanian MP in the Parliament of Serbia, which has 250 seats. In the 2020 elections, Albanian parties also ran with a joint list and won three seats, according to an analysis by PreshevaPRESS.
When the cooperation was announced, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that the Albanians of Preševo, Bujanoc and Medvegjë should have at least five guaranteed seats in the Parliament of Serbia. He referred to the ten seats guaranteed to the Serb community in the Assembly of Kosovo. However, this is Kurti’s political position and does not currently constitute a guaranteed quota for Albanians in Serbia.
Another central point of the coalition’s program is the demand to implement the 2013 Seven-Point Plan. The document covers issues related to fair representation in institutions, recognition of diplomas, education in the Albanian language, the official use of that language, economic development and concerns over the deactivation of Albanians’ addresses.
According to this approach, the importance of unity is not linked only to the number of seats that may be secured in the elections. It will also depend on the MPs’ ability to act in coordination, demand the fulfillment of commitments and present Albanian issues in Serbian institutions and on the international stage.
After the elections, it will become clear whether this cooperation will be maintained and whether electoral unity will lead to greater representation, as well as concrete results for the residents of Preševo, Bujanoc and Medvegjë.
