Kurti to Die Presse: Elections were imposed on us — Vetevendosje remains the largest political force

Kosovo's acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stated that the parliamentary elections held in the country were not his government's wish, but were imposed upon it. In an interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse, Kurti said that despite suffering losses compared with the previous elections, the Vetevendosje Movement had once again emerged as the largest political force in the country. "This is our fifth victory in the past seven years. We now have 43 per cent, but that still does not include the diaspora vote," he said. Kurti indicated that they are awaiting the final election results, after which they will hold talks with other political parties. He added that his previous government had also included representatives from all ethnic groups, and expressed confidence that such an approach would continue in the future. Die Presse: Kosovo has just held parliamentary elections. Your party, Vetevendosje, has again become the strongest force, but suffered losses compared with the previous elections. Was holding elections, then, a good idea? Albin Kurti: The elections were imposed on us. We did not want them. But we are ahead once again. This is our fifth victory in the past seven years. We now have 43 per cent, but that still does not include the diaspora vote. We are awaiting the final results and will then enter into talks with other parties. Last time, our government also included representatives from all ethnic groups. And I am confident that this will remain the case.