Kosovo parliamentary elections (14 February 2021)

[Astatine]

Kosovo goes to the polls today, and the odds for the left-nationalist Albin Kurti - who served as PM for 4 months in 2020 - to return to the position he formerly held are very good.

His party, Vetevendosje, is expected to make substantial gains. In 2019, Vetevendosje gained about 27 %, now they're polling at about 40 %.

One of the issues during the campaign was the Serbia-Kosovo-US-Israel deal initiated by Donald Trump and Richard Grenell, which Kurti describes as a failure and terribly negotiated. Unlike his successor Avdullah Hoti, who negotiated the deal and had to be removed from office as his election by 1 vote in Parliament was unconstitutional as one MP was not eligible, he is very critical towards Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Kurti is also opposed to both a unification with Albania and a territorial exchange with Serbia.

Btw, one part of the deal was that the Ujëmanit/Gazivoda lake will be renamed "Trump Lake" - Kurti already announced that this will definitely not happen.

I hope to find time today to cover the backgrounds a bit more in detail.

[Astatine]

One of my biggest regrets in my 8 months deployed to Kosova was not visiting that Bill Clinton statue.  Why am I now only finding out about this?  lol

They even made a giant cake for him when his statue got unveiled, and "Klinton" is a relatively common first name in Kosovo.


Everybody deserves someone who loves one as much as Kosovars love Bill Clinton.

[Estrella]

One of my biggest regrets in my 8 months deployed to Kosova was not visiting that Bill Clinton statue.  Why am I now only finding out about this?  lol

They even made a giant cake for him when his statue got unveiled, and "Klinton" is a relatively common first name in Kosovo.

Everybody deserves someone who loves one as much as Kosovars love Bill Clinton.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonibler

[Keep Calm and ...]

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1361013467889754113

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1361015315950411780

Results
https://rezultatet2021.org/en/parl/t3

[Estrella]

Turnout only 46.8% nationally, still marginally up from last time round, but it's absolutely monstrous in northwestern Serbian-majority areas: 85% (!) in Leposavić/Leposaviq.

[PSOL]

Here’s hoping that the warlords grip on Kosovo gets removed this election.

[Estrella]

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1361075069339004932

[Ex-Assemblyman Steelers]

My second regret is not learning the language.

Which one?

[Astatine]

My second regret is not learning the language.

Which one?

Any of the indigenous ones from the Balkans, really.

I only picked up 2 words:   the constant asserting of "malaka" from the Greeks in every other sentence, and "kurva" from the Poles.

(I served in a multinational NATO command).   Good times, mang. 

Well, with "kurva" you have a key word from Slavic languages, it is definitely the same in Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Montenegrin and Slovene, as well as in Bulgarian and Macedonian (although spelled in cyrillic script ofc). I think the word is the same in Czech and Slovak too, but I'm not sure.
Albanian is not a Slavic language so I am not sure whether they use the same word, but I assume it could very much be understood.

Regarding the elections: LVV just fell short of an absolute majority (due to minority representatives), but as the diaspora vote hasn't been fully counted yet (afaik), it is not impossible that Albin Kurti could govern without a partner.

The elections were quite civil according to Balkan standards, the opposition parties have all conceded already.

[Estrella]

My second regret is not learning the language.

Which one?

Any of the indigenous ones from the Balkans, really.

I only picked up 2 words:   the constant asserting of "malaka" from the Greeks in every other sentence, and "kurva" from the Poles.

(I served in a multinational NATO command).   Good times, mang. 

Well, with "kurva" you have a key word from Slavic languages, it is definitely the same in Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Montenegrin and Slovene, as well as in Bulgarian and Macedonian (although spelled in cyrillic script ofc). I think the word is the same in Czech and Slovak too, but I'm not sure.
Albanian is not a Slavic language so I am not sure whether they use the same word, but I assume it could very much be understood.

Regarding the elections: LVV just fell short of an absolute majority (due to minority representatives), but as the diaspora vote hasn't been fully counted yet (afaik), it is not impossible that Albin Kurti could govern without a partner.

The elections were quite civil according to Balkan standards, the opposition parties have all conceded already.

Hungarian isn't a Slavic language either (not even Indo-European, in fact) but it does use "kurva", and some other Slavic swearwords as well. I imagine same would apply to Albanian, especially in Kosovo.

A bit more on topic: do the Serbian minority representative have an Albanian (Kosovar, whatever) party of choice they'd consider lesser evil?

[Astatine]

My second regret is not learning the language.

Which one?

Any of the indigenous ones from the Balkans, really.

I only picked up 2 words:   the constant asserting of "malaka" from the Greeks in every other sentence, and "kurva" from the Poles.

(I served in a multinational NATO command).   Good times, mang. 

Well, with "kurva" you have a key word from Slavic languages, it is definitely the same in Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Montenegrin and Slovene, as well as in Bulgarian and Macedonian (although spelled in cyrillic script ofc). I think the word is the same in Czech and Slovak too, but I'm not sure.
Albanian is not a Slavic language so I am not sure whether they use the same word, but I assume it could very much be understood.

Regarding the elections: LVV just fell short of an absolute majority (due to minority representatives), but as the diaspora vote hasn't been fully counted yet (afaik), it is not impossible that Albin Kurti could govern without a partner.

The elections were quite civil according to Balkan standards, the opposition parties have all conceded already.

Hungarian isn't a Slavic language either (not even Indo-European, in fact) but it does use "kurva", and some other Slavic swearwords as well. I imagine same would apply to Albanian, especially in Kosovo.

A bit more on topic: do the Serbian minority representative have an Albanian (Kosovar, whatever) party of choice they'd consider lesser evil?

The Serb List (basically a satellite party of Aleksandar Vučić's SNS) secured all 10 Serb minority seats this time and is relatively moderate when it comes to cooperation with other parties but LVV. After Kurti's first government collapsed, LDK, AAK, NISMA and the Serb List formed a coalition under which the Serbia-Kosovo-Israel deal was formalized. LVV is much more critical of Vučić, so obviously the Serb List is also in extreme opposition to LVV.

If I remember correctly, Kurti and interim President Vjosna Osmani (who's likely to become Kosovo's next President) held some rallies in Serb-dominated parts of Kosovo in January and received much hate by (alleged?) supporters of the Serb List, calling them out with some pretty bad slurs.

[Flyersfan232]

My second regret is not learning the language.

Which one?

Any of the indigenous ones from the Balkans, really.

I only picked up 2 words:   the constant asserting of "malaka" from the Greeks in every other sentence, and "kurva" from the Poles.

(I served in a multinational NATO command).   Good times, mang. 

Well, with "kurva" you have a key word from Slavic languages, it is definitely the same in Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Montenegrin and Slovene, as well as in Bulgarian and Macedonian (although spelled in cyrillic script ofc). I think the word is the same in Czech and Slovak too, but I'm not sure.
Albanian is not a Slavic language so I am not sure whether they use the same word, but I assume it could very much be understood.

Regarding the elections: LVV just fell short of an absolute majority (due to minority representatives), but as the diaspora vote hasn't been fully counted yet (afaik), it is not impossible that Albin Kurti could govern without a partner.

The elections were quite civil according to Balkan standards, the opposition parties have all conceded already.

Hungarian isn't a Slavic language either (not even Indo-European, in fact) but it does use "kurva", and some other Slavic swearwords as well. I imagine same would apply to Albanian, especially in Kosovo.

A bit more on topic: do the Serbian minority representative have an Albanian (Kosovar, whatever) party of choice they'd consider lesser evil?

The Serb List (basically a satellite party of Aleksandar Vučić's SNS) secured all 10 Serb minority seats this time and is relatively moderate when it comes to cooperation with other parties but LVV. After Kurti's first government collapsed, LDK, AAK, NISMA and the Serb List formed a coalition under which the Serbia-Kosovo-Israel deal was formalized. LVV is much more critical of Vučić, so obviously the Serb List is also in extreme opposition to LVV.

If I remember correctly, Kurti and interim President Vjosna Osmani (who's likely to become Kosovo's next President) held some rallies in Serb-dominated parts of Kosovo in January and received much hate by (alleged?) supporters of the Serb List, calling them out with some pretty bad slurs.

what is serbia making of this election?

[Astatine]

My second regret is not learning the language.

Which one?

Any of the indigenous ones from the Balkans, really.

I only picked up 2 words:   the constant asserting of "malaka" from the Greeks in every other sentence, and "kurva" from the Poles.

(I served in a multinational NATO command).   Good times, mang. 

Well, with "kurva" you have a key word from Slavic languages, it is definitely the same in Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Montenegrin and Slovene, as well as in Bulgarian and Macedonian (although spelled in cyrillic script ofc). I think the word is the same in Czech and Slovak too, but I'm not sure.
Albanian is not a Slavic language so I am not sure whether they use the same word, but I assume it could very much be understood.

Regarding the elections: LVV just fell short of an absolute majority (due to minority representatives), but as the diaspora vote hasn't been fully counted yet (afaik), it is not impossible that Albin Kurti could govern without a partner.

The elections were quite civil according to Balkan standards, the opposition parties have all conceded already.

Hungarian isn't a Slavic language either (not even Indo-European, in fact) but it does use "kurva", and some other Slavic swearwords as well. I imagine same would apply to Albanian, especially in Kosovo.

A bit more on topic: do the Serbian minority representative have an Albanian (Kosovar, whatever) party of choice they'd consider lesser evil?

The Serb List (basically a satellite party of Aleksandar Vučić's SNS) secured all 10 Serb minority seats this time and is relatively moderate when it comes to cooperation with other parties but LVV. After Kurti's first government collapsed, LDK, AAK, NISMA and the Serb List formed a coalition under which the Serbia-Kosovo-Israel deal was formalized. LVV is much more critical of Vučić, so obviously the Serb List is also in extreme opposition to LVV.

If I remember correctly, Kurti and interim President Vjosna Osmani (who's likely to become Kosovo's next President) held some rallies in Serb-dominated parts of Kosovo in January and received much hate by (alleged?) supporters of the Serb List, calling them out with some pretty bad slurs.

what is serbia making of this election?

They're not really happy with the outcome. To quote the Serbian Deputy PM: "Serbia has not given in to threats and blackmail before, and Kurti is certainly not someone who should teach Serbia lessons, especially if we remember how much effort Serbia has invested in maintaining dialogue in life, with all the irresponsibility shown by Pristina negotiators, constant care for the security of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the usurpation and looting of energy resources and mineral resources of the Republic of Serbia."

[Former President tack50]

Ftr if I remember correctly, Serbia does recognize election results and Kosovo's government as legitimate. They just think it is an autonomous region of Serbia if I am not mistaken.