Each party and coalition competing in the Kosovo February 9, 2025 elections promises ambitious investments in security.
Kosovo political parties, trying to win the February 9 parliamentary elections, have revealed very ambitious plans to advance the country’s security system, which mainly align with the Kosovo Security Strategy, for the period 2022-2027. The strategy, overall, provides for the reorganization of the Kosovo Police and capacity building of the Kosovo Security Forces, KSF, aiming for NATO membership.
The ruling Vetevendosje Movement has praised the impacts of its four-year mandate in recent rallies and speeches and promised even greater changes to the security environment. Vetevendosje aims to reach a military budget of 1 billion euros within a four year mandate.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, which hopes to return to power after losing in the Kosovo 2019 parliamentary elections, aims to create an inter-connected security system through digitalisation.
The Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, the third biggest parliamentary party and a former governing partner of Vetevendosje, aims to restructure the KSF by expanding it and investing in education, even including defence studies in secondary schools.
Other parties have made bold promises across a range of issue areas. The AAK-NISMA coalition promises to achieve NATO membership, while, ‘Koalicioni per Familjen (Coalition for the Family)’ pledges vetting in the police.
Albin Kurti and Vetevendosje members in a rally in Gjilan/Gnilanje where 1 billion euros investment in the army were promised. Photo: Facebook/Albin Kurti
Advanced ammunition and increased production for another mandate
The ruling Vetevendosje Movement, which aims to win elections and retain power for another four-year mandate, has promised specialized and modern equipment, adequate armament, and proper education and training for Police and Security institutions.
“We will advance the Drone and Anti-Drone Unit to strengthen surveillance and readiness to deal with the new forms of security threats—assisting in investigations, border protection and surveillance, as well as increasing public safety in general,” the party’s program specifies.
According to Vetevendosje, the National Border Management Center will reportedly be modernized to guarantee security, facilitate the movement of goods and people, and prevent criminal activities.
Aiming to meet the objectives in this sector, the party promises a budget of over 1 billion euros in the next four years for the Army, pledges to open an ammunition factory, and develop Kosovo’s military industry.
On November 27, 2024, Kosovo PM Albin Kurti, leader of Vetevendosje and their PM candidate, announced that the country started the process of opening an ammunition production and a drone design factory.
“An army that, in such a short time, has been armed as much as ours, needs to ensure and guarantee full operationality and overall sustainability. Therefore, today we take the first steps to establish a military industry,” Kurti said at the time.
Another plan to strengthen the Army’s arsenal is via a Joint Unit with the Albanian Military, which will also focus on purchasing weapons, training and education, and providing reservists with adequate weapons and training in a mobilization case.
Aiming for more gender inclusiveness in the army, Vetevendosje aims to recruit one thousand women and girls as soldiers.
Commitments to digitalize the security sector
The Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, which is running with Bedri Hamza, mayor of Mitrovica, for Prime Minister, promises a comprehensive security framework that integrates national defence, public security, and human security principles.
“By embracing the latest technologies and visionary strategies, we will address new threats and challenges with innovative and adaptive measures that guarantee the security and prosperity of all citizens. We will digitalize the entire national security and defence sector—integrating Artificial Intelligence to increase capacities for real-time threat assessment and efficient planning,” this party’s election program states.
Security expert Besa Kabashi-Ramaj, an MP candidate and deputy leader of PDK, told ‘Debat Përnime’ that “we envisage that in order to increase the level of defence against external and internal threats, we will create five Regiments, as we have planned with the USA and NATO, our strategic partners.”
As far as civil emergencies are concerned, Kabashi-Ramaj said that PDK also plans to establish a Helicopter Unit.
The PDK also promised investments and modernizations in military infrastructure, as well as the establishment of the National Guard with the planned structures and ensuring their readiness.
“The National Guard will increase Kosovo’s civilian readiness, uniting the military and civilian sectors for a better response to external threats and internal emergencies,” the Program further states.
Comprehensive health and life insurance for members of the Kosovo Security Force, Police, KIA, and firefighters is another commitment made by PDK.
“We will increase public safety by restructuring the Police based on population and crime data, as well as by investing in capacity-building initiatives. With community policing, we will build trust and promote regular interaction between the Police and communities–encouraging cooperation and information exchange,” PDK promised.
“Smart defence”
The Democratic League of Kosovo’s, LDK, main aim is to strengthen its partnership with NATOand to restructure the Kosovo Security Force.
“The composition of the Force in our plan is expected to be 6,000 active members (today there are 4,000 of them), 3,000 active reserves, and 20,000 general reserves,” states the LDK election program.
Within the framework of this Program, the education and training of high school students in the field of Defence is also planned.
The LDK has pledged to revamp a number of aspects of Kosovo’s defence sector. For example, it has promised to construct and reorganize four military barracks for the KSF, the construction of a school for military personnel—including special neighborhoods, which would serve the military personnel and their families— and programmes for returned KSF members to integrate more easily into civilian life.
The LDK plans to achieve this through “Smart Defence,” a concept that relies on mutual assistance between allies and partners in many security and defence areas.
“Through the agreements with neighbors and friendly countries, we will develop ‘Smart Defence’ projects. An agreement can be reached with Albania for the certification of helicopter pilots at its Simulation Center. Meanwhile, the maintenance of tactical vehicles manufactured by the United States of America can be done in Kosovo. Joint agreements for airspace control can be reached with Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Croatia,” said Anton Quni, a LDK MP candidate and former Minister of Defence, in Debat Përnime.
LDK also plans to build capacities for international operations by creating a combined Battalion Unit for these operations. This Unit is expected to have a 4-year mandate, with rotation. According to LDK, this activity has an initial estimate of around 12 million euros.
LDK also pledges to have the military budget at 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product, GDP, which is also a goal of the Kosovo Security Strategy.
According to the Budget Law, the Kosovo Police has a budget of over 152 million euros for 2025 and the Kosovo Security Force has a budget of nearly 203 million euros for 2025, while the general budget for the Ministry of Defense, which also includes the KSF, is 208 million euros.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on October 30, 2024, during a government meeting that this budget for the Ministry of Defence will mark the level of 2 percent of GDP.
“Directly to NATO”
The AAK-NISMA-Intellectuals-Conservatives coalition has direct membership in NATO as its main defence promise.
This membership is expected to be realised through political, military, and economic aspects.
“Political aspect: Strengthening relations with Euro-Atlantic institutions; fulfilling obligations in the Dialogue; consolidating democracy in Kosovo; improving relations with neighbors. Military aspect: Increasing the combative capabilities of the Kosovo Army; developing the defence industry; producing ammunition and other military equipment; improving military and civilian defence infrastructure; increasing Kosovo’s contribution to NATO commitments. Economic aspect: Activating Kosovo’s resources for economic partnership with Alliance countries,” the program of this coalition reads.
According to the AAK-NISMA statements, membership will also bring economic development, increasing the value of the country’s resources and potential, and making domestic and foreign investors flourish.
“In our Program, we also have the slogan ‘Directly to NATO.’ And we have done this intentionally because we believe that without security there is no other that can be effective for the Kosovo citizens and for our country,” said AAK MP candidate Ahmet Isufi in Debat Përnime.
The Coalition for the Family, on the other hand, promises to modernize security institutions, strengthen inter-institutional and international cooperation, and improve living and working conditions for all those who contribute to the security field.
This Coalition says that the focus will be on intensifying cooperation between security institutions to increase their capacities.
“Oversight, meanwhile, will be systematic and rigorous, giving priority to regular and advanced training through cooperation and twinning with police forces and other security institutions of developed countries, which have high standards and successful practices,” the program reads.
Police reform
The Coalition for the Family also promises to reform the Kosovo Police.
“The reform of the Kosovo Police will begin with Vetting, namely a background investigation for everyone without any exceptions,”Coalition for the Family MP candidate Bejtush Gashi in ‘Debat Përnime’.
The program of this Coalition regarding the Police includes increasing salaries, improving working conditions, digitizing services, and developing organizational structures for a faster and more efficient response.
The KSF, according to the Coalition for the Family, will also be transformed through training and investments in equipment and infrastructure.
It is also envisaged to increase the integrity of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency. This is done by guaranteeing the budget and developing technological capacities to combat cyber and terrorist threats.
Furthermore, this Coalition also envisages developing the private security industry and the creation of specialized security teams that monitor and manage risks in real-time, as well as investments in new and resilient infrastructure.