Kosovo certifies snap vote results, setting stage for government talks

PRISTINA

Kosovo’s electoral body on July 8 certified final results from snap elections last month, paving the way for negotiations on a new government to overcome political gridlock.

The Central Election Commission said Vetevendosje, the party of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, won 47.13 percent of the vote, giving it 53 seats in the 120-seat parliament.

The vote comes after a polarised parliament failed to elect a president in April, deepening a political crisis triggered three parliamentary elections in less than a year and a half.

But the results do not guarantee an end to the political deadlock, as the government now needs opposition support to secure the two-thirds majority required to elect a president.

Kosovo, one of Europe’s poorest economies, is lagging on EU reforms due to the political crisis, putting it at risk of losing some pre-accession funds.