On October 12, regular local elections were held in Kosovo – the first such elections following the 2023 snap elections in the north, which were boycotted by the Serb community. Officially announced on June 9, the elections marked the return of the Serb List to the political scene and featured an unusually high number of Serbian candidates and initiatives, as well as record turnout in Serb-majority municipalities—significantly above the national average.
Out of 2,069,098 eligible voters across Kosovo, 811,984 citizens cast their ballots, putting overall turnout at 40.1%. In the ten Serb-majority municipalities, turnout reached 59.8%—almost 20 percentage points higher than the national figure.
A total of 93 political entities were certified to participate:
• 32 political parties
• 2 coalitions
• 32 civic initiatives
• 27 independent candidates
Within the Serb community alone, 12 political entities and civic initiatives were on the ballot.
Mayors Elected in the First Round
The Serb List won in all but one Serb-majority municipality:
• North Mitrovica: Milan Radojević – 60.16%
• Zvecan: Dragiša Milović – 85%
• Leposavic: Zoran Tadić – 73.34%
• Zubin Potok: Miloš Perović – 70.58%
• Partes: Dragan Petković – 89.86%
• Ranilug: Tanja Antić – 71%
• Gracanica: Novak Živić – 62.56%
• Strpce: Ivica Tanasijević – 58.86%
• Novo Brdo: Saša Milošević – 61.37%
The only municipality heading to a runoff is Klokot, where Božidar Dejanović (Serb List, 41.13%) will face Srećko Spasić (Serb National Concord, 31.35%) on November 9.
Assembly Elections: Serb List Still Leading, Rivals Emerging
The Serb List also achieved strong results in local assemblies, though with noticeable competition.
In North Mitrovica, it won 62.57% of the vote, followed by the citizens’ initiative “North for All” (11.04%) and Vetëvendosje (7.77%).
In Zubin Potok, it took 75.56%; in Ranilug, 81.35%; and in Zvecan, 86.82%.
Meanwhile, Albanian parties retained significant roles in Gracanica and Novo Brdo, where LDK and the Albanian Alliance secured around 20% of the vote.
Declining Support Despite Dominance
Although the Serb List maintained its political supremacy, the 2025 elections revealed a decline in its overall support.
Compared to the 2021 local elections, the party’s vote share dropped by an average of 11.41% across the ten Serb-majority municipalities.
The sharpest declines were seen in:
• North Mitrovica: –30.96%
• Ranilug: –29%
The only municipality showing a substantial increase was Partes, where support rose by 14.51%.
In Klokot and Strpce, results remained largely stable, similar to the previous cycle — with Klokot again heading into a runoff.
Political Landscape: Emerging Pluralism Among Kosovo Serbs
While the Serb List remains the dominant political force among Kosovo Serbs, the election results hint at growing political pluralism.
Several smaller parties and civic initiatives — including Serbian Democracy, “North for All,” and the Serb People’s Movement — have managed to secure small but visible portions of the vote.
In municipalities like Gracanica and Novo Brdo, Albanian parties such as LDK and Vetëvendosje also retained a meaningful presence, particularly in local assemblies.
The 2025 local elections thus highlight both continuity and change: while the Serb List continues to dominate Kosovo’s Serb-majority areas, the first tangible signs of competition have begun to emerge within the community — a development that could reshape Serb political dynamics in Kosovo in the years to come.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
