Eight Albanian political entities from Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja have reached an agreement to create a joint list, “Albanian Coalition,” aiming to concentrate the Albanian vote in a single race in Serbia’s parliamentary elections on October 25. The agreement marks a new attempt to unite the Albanian political factor in the Presheva Valley and temporarily overcome party differences.
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Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who announced that the agreement had been reached, described it as a joint commitment by the Valley’s Albanian political representatives.
Kurti thanked the leaders of the political entities for their engagement: Shaip Kamberi of PVD, Visar Memeti of APN, Nagip Arifi of PD, Agim Sabedini of PDSH, Shqiprim Musliu of LPD, Sami Salihu of LR, Armend Aliu of AL and Naser Aziri of UDSH. According to him, these representatives have shown a willingness to find common ground and share responsibility toward citizens, despite their political differences.
According to Kosovo’s prime minister, this cooperation should not be limited to the electoral process. He sees it as part of a broader commitment to protecting the political, institutional, economic, linguistic and cultural rights of Albanians in Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja.
Kurti also raised the issue of guaranteed representation for Albanians in Serbia’s Parliament, comparing it with the rights enjoyed by the Serbian community in Kosovo. He argued that if Serbs in Kosovo are guaranteed 10 of the 120 seats in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, Albanians from Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja should have at least 5 guaranteed seats in Serbia’s Parliament, which has 250 seats.
He stressed that guaranteed representation should be based on the principle of equality and implemented both in Kosovo and Serbia. At the same time, Kurti mentioned the discriminatory deactivation of addresses, fair representation in public institutions and economic development as fundamental issues for the Valley’s Albanians.
According to him, language, culture, national symbols and collective memory are part of the identity of Albanians and of their responsibility toward future generations. He said that behind these demands lies the need for job opportunities, the creation of families and the building of a dignified life in their homeland.
Dashnim Hebibi, president of the Swiss Scientific Institute of Southeast Europe, based in Zurich, described the agreement as a development that should be welcomed. However, in comments to “Bota sot,” he warned that the “Albanian Coalition” should not remain merely an alliance for Serbia’s parliamentary elections.
Hebibi said the joint list should become a long-term platform for the political representation and future of the Valley’s Albanians. According to him, under the current circumstances, political cooperation is no longer merely an option but a necessity.
He praised Albin Kurti’s initiative to bring Albanian political entities closer together, but stressed that it would have a greater impact if it continued after the elections as well. “The Valley does not need unity only until October 25,” Hebibi said, adding that the problems facing Albanians have no electoral deadline.
“The parliamentary mandate is a means, not an end,” he declared. According to Hebibi, a joint list could enable more unified representation in Serbia’s Parliament, but its real importance will depend on the actions taken after the elections.
He stressed that the main question is not only how many Albanian deputies will be elected, but also how their mandate will be used. According to him, deputies should use it to advance rights, seek investment, raise citizens’ problems and create institutional and political pressure.
Hebibi pointed out that while the parties discuss lists and mandates, the situation on the ground remains difficult. The Valley faces problems in education, healthcare, the economy, employment and demographics. He underlined that a community cannot be kept alive through political statements alone, but needs schools, healthcare services, jobs, investment and prospects.
According to him, one of the main concerns is the departure of young people. Hebibi said that many of them have already left, while others are preparing to leave their homeland in search of work, education, security and better opportunities.
He warned that the departure of one young person does not mean merely the loss of one voter. Along with that person, Hebibi said, the community loses a future professional, entrepreneur, teacher, doctor, engineer and a family that could have been built in the homeland. If this trend continues, the risk is not only that the number of Albanian representatives will decline, but also that after several years there may be fewer Albanians to represent.
He described Medvegja as the most alarming case of the emptying of an Albanian-inhabited area. According to Hebibi, the Albanian presence in this municipality has been reduced to a few families, while a large number of residents who once lived there have left.
He warned that without a special strategy for Medvegja, the process of depopulation could become practically irreversible. According to him, addressing this situation requires investment, economic policies, support for families, education, infrastructure and the creation of opportunities for people to return.
Hebibi called for the joint platform to specifically include the deactivation of addresses, the use of national symbols, education and textbooks in the Albanian language, proportional representation in public institutions and economic development.
According to him, Kosovo and Albania should establish a sustainable approach toward the Valley’s Albanians and should not become active only during election periods. He called for a permanent cooperation mechanism, concrete projects, support for education, healthcare, businesses and investment, as well as a strategy to halt demographic decline.
The Albanian diaspora from the Valley, according to Hebibi, should also be included in this process. He said that professionals, entrepreneurs and experienced people living outside their homeland can contribute to its development, and that a mechanism should therefore be created to involve them in strategies for the Valley’s future.
In conclusion, Hebibi said that the “Albanian Coalition” could go beyond being an electoral list and serve as the beginning of a new form of political cooperation. To achieve this, he said, will require willingness, a platform, responsibility, transparency and continuity.
He stressed that unity should not appear only in joint photographs before the elections, but also in joint demands and actions afterward. According to Hebibi, the Valley needs dignified schools, healthcare services, jobs, investment, institutional representation and real prospects for young people.
For this reason, he described the October 25 elections as a starting point rather than a destination. Instead of political theater, Hebibi called for strategy, concrete action and sustainable politics so that Albanians can stay, work, receive an education and live with dignity in their own country.
Columnist Nehat Hyseni said that the importance of the joint list lies not only in the fact that 8 parties will run under a single name. According to him, the main advantage is avoiding the unnecessary fragmentation of the Albanian vote among several entities targeting the same electorate.
Hyseni explained that a joint list does not automatically guarantee a larger number of deputies. Representation in Serbia’s Parliament depends on the number of votes, the legal status of the list, the method of distributing mandates and the order of the candidates.
According to him, the agreement could take on a broader institutional dimension if, after the elections, the Albanian deputies act in a coordinated manner on the Valley’s key issues.
Hyseni cited institutional representation, the official use of the Albanian language, education, the recognition of diplomas, economic development, political rights and demographic problems as common challenges. For these reasons, he considered coordination around strategic objectives essential.
He stressed that if cooperation lasts only until election day, the “Albanian Coalition” will remain primarily an electoral coalition. If the agreement continues after the elections through a joint platform, coordination among deputies and joint mechanisms for protecting citizens’ interests, it could develop into more sustainable political cooperation.
According to Hyseni, the October 25 elections should serve not only as a contest for parliamentary mandates, but also as a test of the political maturity of Albanian entities. He concluded that the September 29 agreement could mark the beginning of a new phase of Albanian political cooperation in the Presheva Valley.
