Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has accused Serbia of directly meddling in the parliamentary elections held in Kosovo on February 9th, claiming it influenced the elections for Serbian MPs and those of other minority representatives.

“The Serbian state apparatus has exerted considerable effort to undermine rival Serbian parties, particularly the Party of Freedom, Justice and Survival and the Serbian Democratic Party, as well as voters from other communities, mainly Roma and Ashkali,” Kurti stated today.

The Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival, led by Nenad Rašić, who serves as a minister in Kurti’s administration, was formed following the ousting of the leading Serbian party, the Serbian List, which received support from Belgrade, from Kosovo’s institutions.

During a conference in Pristina, Rašić remarked that Serbian authorities are leveraging Kosovo Serbs both as a governance tool and as an element of disruption.

“Their objective is not our full integration and harmonious coexistence in Kosovo, but rather the opposite,” Rašić expressed.

Kurti noted that many representatives from various Serbian political factions withdrew from the elections due to threats. He indicated that such instances were documented in four predominantly Serbian municipalities in northern Kosovo, as well as in six others in the southern part of the country.

“For a majority of these instances, our institutions possess evidence that, for the privacy and safety of Serbian citizens, it is not advantageous to disclose publicly,” Kurti explained.

The EU observation mission, in its preliminary report on the February 9 elections, highlighted that Serbia interfered by pressuring Serbian voters in Kosovo.

Germany has also leveled accusations against Serbia regarding its interference in the elections in Kosovo.

Data from the Central Election Commission of Kosovo shows that the Serbian List—favored by the official Belgrade—garnered over 38,000 votes, while Rašić’s party received approximately 4,000 votes.

Kosovo’s Constitution ensures the Serbian community ten out of 120 seats in the Assembly, along with an additional ten for other non-majority communities.

Marta Temido, head of the MEP delegation, remarked in late February that the observation mission concluded Serbian authorities had intervened in Kosovo’s elections by backing the Serbian List, one of six Serbian parties that participated.

Kurti accused Serbia of hybrid interference through mechanisms such as financial incentives, coercion, intimidation, and threats to compel voters to support the Serbian List.

He stressed that Kosovo authorities “identified seven sources or state actors”, the first being Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, followed by prominent individual Milan Radoičić, head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petković, the Serbian Intelligence Agency (BIA), government-controlled Serbian media, the Serbian List, and illicit Serbian structures.

“The Serbian President himself called upon all Serbian state and non-state figures to engage in the Kosovo elections. In this regard, Radoičić played a key operative role, being tasked with Kosovo by the Serbian President,” Kurti stated.

Kurti further indicated that Serbia utilized “at least ten methods” to meddle in the elections, including financial incentives of approximately 170 euros per month for all adults, threats of financial loss, instigating divisions among Srpska Lista competitors, and exerting pressure to discourage support for entities other than Srpska Lista.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe (RSE) days before election day, a Serb candidate for parliament reported losing his job for opposing the Serbian List. He recounted being told by Nebojša S. Tomašević, a member of the provisional municipal government in Srbica, that he would “ensure he no longer receives a salary from the Serbian budget, labeling him a traitor.”

On March 7th, the Serbian List claimed that Rašić’s Party for Freedom, Justice and Survival obtained a mandate in the Kosovo Assembly “thanks” to votes from Albanians in towns like Podujevo, Shtime, Suva Reka, Ferizaj, Malisheva, and Kačanik.

In a statement to RFE/RL, Rašić asserted that during his two-year term as Minister for Communities and Returns, he has earned the trust of non-majority communities in Kosovo, not just the Serbian community.

Serbian President Vučić described the February 9 elections as a “great and significant victory for Serbia, showcasing the Serbian people’s strong commitment to safeguarding their homeland and relying on their Serbia.”

Since its inception in 2013, the Serbian List has consistently received over 90 percent of the Serbian community’s votes in all elections; however, the EU Monitoring Mission has pointed out the “monopoly and pressures” applied by its officials.

In the past two years, the party has adopted a “boycott policy,” following its decision to withdraw from Kosovo’s institutions in the north.

It remains uncertain whether they will actively engage in Kosovo’s institutions in the future or continue the boycott.

Belgrade dismisses Kurti’s allegations

The Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petković, claimed that Kosovo’s Prime Minister presented “a series of blatant lies, spin, and manipulations” by accusing Serbian authorities of interfering in the February elections.

Petković stated that Kurti, during a press conference with Kosovo Minister Nenad Nešić today, revealed that Minister “Nenad Rašić is his Trojan horse,” displaying desperation for the Serbian List’s success and backing from the Serbian populace.

“Belgrade, under Aleksandar Vučić’s leadership, will persist in its support for the Serbian List and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, transparently and overtly, since all aid from Belgrade has always been routed through official channels, which is what frustrates Kurti—his inability to sever the connection between Serbs and their only state, Serbia, through any form of terror or violence,” Petković added.

He emphasized that the best proof of electoral manipulation is the absence of final results a month after the elections, according to Beta’s report.

Petković accused Kurti of being the primary one interfering in the political landscape in Serbia by supporting the so-called ‘color revolution,’ alleged student protests, blockades, and the Serbian opposition.

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