Thousands of people gathered in Pristina on Friday evening for the final rally of Kosovo's ruling party - the left-wing nationalist "Self-Determination" Movement of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, BTA reported.
This is the party's last rally before the country's parliamentary elections on February 9.
Crowds of Kosovar citizens flocked to "Skenderbeg" Square in the center of the Kosovo capital, and shortly before the event, men in the square began to dance to the sounds of traditional music and drums.
The majority of the party's supporters held and waved a red flag with a black eagle, which, in addition to being the flag of the Republic of Albania, is also a symbol of Albanians around the world.
The final rally also waved flags of Kosovo, America, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Italy, as well as NATO. There were also flags at the demonstration with the inscription "Autochtonous", which refers to the lands inhabited by ethnic Albanians, including territories outside of Albania and Kosovo.
Some of the people gathered in the square had returned from abroad especially for the rally. Many Kosovar citizens work in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and other Western countries and return to Kosovo several times a year, mostly during the summer season.
The crowd chanted "Albin Dad", "Victory", "UCHK" (UÇK is the Albanian abbreviation for the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army/KLA – ed.).
An elderly man, who did not want to be identified, told BTA that he had come from Switzerland specifically for the parliamentary elections in Kosovo.
The young boy Argent Miftari told the agency that such rallies and atmosphere were not unusual for Albanians.
Kosovo Prime Minister and candidate for a new prime ministerial term Albin Kurti welcomed the gathered crowd and said that this was "the largest election rally since the war in Kosovo (1998-1999)".
He summarized the completed full, four-year term of the government he led. In his speech, Kurti emphasized the increase in the budget in various sectors. Among them, Kurti mentioned the increase in state budget funds for employment (23 percent), education (30 percent) and the country's army (the Kosovo Security Force - ed. note) - by 200 percent.
The Prime Minister stated that his government provides equal development opportunities for all and prepares policies that lead to an increase in employment, wages and welfare for everyone in the country equally.
During his speech at the closing rally of the "Self-Determination" Movement Kurti mentioned some of the achievements made in the last four years of his government's rule, such as visa liberalization, which came into effect on January 1, 2024.
"With us (with his party "Self-Determination" Movement – ed. note) and we move without visas in Europe, and the border in the north (in Kosovo) does not move," Kurti said, referring to Kosovo's relations with Serbia.
Serbia does not recognize the independence of its former province of Kosovo, which was declared in 2008, and Belgrade and Pristina are conducting a dialogue to normalize their relations with the mediation of the European Union.
Among the promises the prime minister made at his last meeting with voters before Sunday's vote was to allocate over one billion euros for investments in the country's army.
Currently, the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) are in a transitional period before their transformation into a real army of Kosovo.
Among other promises in the field of defense, Kurti mentioned military drones made in Kosovo ("Made in Kosova"), as well as the recruitment of 1,000 women and girls in the Kosovo Security Force.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo announced to his supporters that if he wins a third term, his government will undertake, among other things, judicial reform and complete infrastructure projects such as the Pristina (Kosovo) - Durres (Albania) railway and the Prizren (Kosovo) - Tetovo (Republic of North Macedonia) road.
Regarding energy, Kurti promised the modernization of the "Kosova A" coal-fired power plants and "Kosova B", which produce almost all of the country's electricity, as well as doubling the capacity for district heating in Pristina.
The Kosovo prime minister and other members of his party said they expected support from at least 500,000 people this Sunday.
Kurti also responded to opposition criticism that his government was responsible for the country's rift with the EU and the US. He said his party had never threatened Kosovo's ties with its international partners.
"On the contrary, there have never been broader, deeper and more substantial, better-quality relations with our international allies, partners and friends from the West than during our government," Kurti said.
Kurti also criticized the opposition parties, pointing out that his government had achieved in four years what they had not managed to do in 20 years in power. In particular, he focused on the restoration of historical monuments and museums related to the war, which, he said, had fallen into ruin under the previous governments of the parties currently in opposition.
The Prime Minister said that his party, the "Self-Determination" Movement "carries the past on its shoulders", but also looks to the future of the country for future generations.
Insults to other party entities during an election campaign in Kosovo are sanctioned by the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (PZAP), which can fine parties for obscene or hate speech.
The "Self-Determination" movement was fined 30.5 thousand euros by the panel for violations of the Code of Good Conduct for Political Entities, their supporters and candidates during the month-long election campaign, the "Koha Ditore" newspaper notes.