Kurti: Albanian unity in Serbia produced the best result since 2000

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti welcomed the “Albanian Coalition’s” result in Serbia’s elections. He said the unity of Albanian political forces secured 1,233 more votes than in the 2020 elections.

Kurti stressed that Albanians won two seats, despite facing discrimination and exclusion from public institutions. He said the result should mark the beginning of ongoing political cooperation and stronger efforts to secure equality, rights and a dignified life in their homeland.

Kurti’s full post:

As we agreed on September 29, today I once again welcomed to the Prime Minister’s Office leaders and representatives of political entities, activists and fellow Albanians from Preševo, Medveđa, Bujanovac and Novi Pazar. They set aside their differences and united on the “Albanian Coalition” list.

This unity produced the best result for Albanians in Serbia since 2000. So far, a total of 1,233 more votes have been counted than in 2020, when three seats were won.

Albanians are Serbia’s fourth-largest minority, but in Sunday’s elections they ranked second in terms of votes and, together with Hungarians, tied for first in seats among national minority lists. The two largest Serbian parties have 244 seats between them, while the four minority lists have six. Two of those seats belong to the “Albanian Coalition.”

The significance of this result goes beyond the numbers, as it was achieved at a time when residential addresses are being deactivated, diplomas are not recognized, Albanians are systematically excluded from public institutions and face economic discrimination, emigration and the depopulation of their communities. For more than two decades, Albanians have been a kind of dual opposition: to the government and to the state, which had taken a stance against them.

Unity must not stop here. We must understand that on October 25, this unity, as a new quality, opened a new chapter—one that must continue with strong protection of rights, demands for equality and a commitment to a dignified life in the homeland. The two seats are a shared achievement and, above all, a shared responsibility. The greater the opportunities, the greater the responsibility.