Who is Albin Kurti the man standing to be the Prime Ministerin Kosovo‘s parliamentary elections. In Sunday’s election, Kurti’s campaign to stamp out Serbian influence in Kosovo clashed with the opposition’s promise to stimulate the economy in one of Europe’s most impoverished areas.
Kurti proclaimed victory for his Vetevendosje (Self-Determination Movement) party late on Sunday.
“We are the first party, the winning party that will create the next government,” Kurti told reporters. “We will continue to finish the work that we have started.”
Kosovo ruling party set to come first in election
He said he will form the new government without hinting who could be a potential coalition partner.
What is his party platform in Kosovo?
So what do the Kurti party have installed for their government. Kurti’s government seeks to strengthen Kosovo’s institutions and enact economic reforms such as a higher minimum wage and subsidies for women and children.
Vetevendosje has also sought to stamp out Serbian institutions in ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo, such as closing down Serbian post offices and effectively banning the dinar.
These moves have angered ethnic Serbians in northern Kosovo, and have also escalated tensions between Kosovo and Serbia.
The United States and the European Union have also criticized Kurti for taking unilateral actions in the north, sparking fears of destabilization in the Balkans.
The Kosovo and Serbia conundrum
Animosity between Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s.
Serbia has steadfastly refused to acknowledge Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008.
To curb Belgrade’s influence, Kurti’s government effectively outlawed the use of the Serbian dinar currency, closed banks and shuttered the post offices where Serbian pension payments were cashed.
Belgrade-backed government and tax offices have also been closed and Serbian car number-plates have been banned.
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