Albanian PM seeks fourth term with ambitious promise of EU membership
Mr Rama's Socialist Party says it can deliver EU membership in five years, sticking to an ambitious pledge while battling conservative opponents with public recriminations and competing promises of pay hikes.
Opening up the election to voters abroad for the first time has added to the volatility, along with the appearance of new parties, a shift in campaigning to social media and a recent TikTok ban. Mr Rama's opponents have hired a heavy hitter from the United States to steer their campaign.
The country of 2.8 million people, with 3.7 million eligible voters including the diaspora casting ballots for the first time ever by post, will elect 140 politicians to four-year terms, choosing from 2,046 candidates representing 11 political groupings, including three coalitions.
A woman casts her ballot in the Albanian general election at a polling station in Tirana (Vlasov Sulaj/AP)
Voting opened at 7am local time and runs until 7pm.
Mr Rama, 60, secured the start of EU membership negotiations last October and is relying heavily on that momentum. His campaign also highlighted achievements in infrastructure and justice reform.
Under the party slogan 'Albania 2030 in EU, Only with Edi and SP', Mr Rama insists full EU accession is possible by 2030 with annual funding of 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion) upon joining.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is pressing Albania to continue reforms – particularly in governance and anti-corruption efforts – to stay on track for EU membership.
Commentators are also sceptical. 'It is an electoral pledge which is a citizens' desire,' independent analyst Aleksander Cipa says, describing Mr Rama's timeline as 'not realisable'.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaks during an election campaign rally in Tirana on Friday (Vlasov Sulaj/AP)
Mr Rama's main challenger is Sali Berisha, a hoarse-voiced and energetic 80-year-old survivor of Albania's tumultuous politics.
Mr Berisha, a former president and prime minister, has led the conservative Democratic Party of Albania since its founding in 1990, when student protests marked the end of communist isolation.
He argues Albania is not ready for EU membership. His leadership – fraught with party feuds and corruption allegations – and messaging remain contentious. He started the campaign – borrowing from US President Donald Trump – with the slogan 'Make Albania Great Again', but eventually settled on 'Grandiose Albania'.
Albania's Democratic Party hired Chris LaCivita, the veteran Republican political consultant and architect of Mr Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Mr Berisha often appears at rallies wearing a blue baseball cap marked with a No 1, the party's position on the ballot. In response, Mr Rama sports a black cap emblazoned with the Socialist Party's No 5.
Former Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita, left, shakes hands with Sali Berisha, leader of Albania's main opposition Democratic Party that he is consulting for (AP)
Economic concerns have also been central to the campaign.
The Socialists say they will accelerate a tourism boom, from 10 million arrivals in 2024 to 30 million by 2030, diversifying destinations by expanding infrastructure projects.
The Democrats argue the government's dismal performance has driven more than one million Albanians to leave the country over the past decade.
Both parties have made similar promises: a minimum pension of 200 euros ($225), an average monthly salary of 1,200 euros ($1,365), and a minimum wage of 500 euros ($570) – about 20% or higher than current levels.
Mr Berisha also advocates a 10% flat tax, value-added tax refunds for basic food items, a consumer card loaded with government money for retirees to buy basic foodstuffs at discounted prices and other benefits.
Sali Berisha, centre, leader of Democratic Party of Albania, makes statements outside a voting station during a general election where rival Edi Rama is seeking a fourth term (AP)
The pledges have blurred ideological lines and politics dominated by two parties has encouraged the creation of alternatives.
Several newer parties – two from the centre-right and two left-wing – could emerge as kingmakers if no major party wins a majority.
But analyst Lutfi Dervishi considers that scenario unlikely.
'It's a campaign without debate and results without surprises,' he said. 'Elections won't shake up the current scene – neither the system nor the main actors.'
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