Fourth Term Bid for Rama? Albania's 2025 Parliamentary Elections - Socialist Party Leads in Polls
Albanian Parliamentary Elections presenting government party ahead in voter surveys
After years of disruptive politics, Albanians took to the polls on Sunday for the 2025 parliamentary election. Prime Minister Edi Rama, vying for an unconventional fourth term, is currently ahead in the polls. The Democratic Party, led by former PM Sali Berisha, is struggling to catch up. Rama, a 60-year-old powerhouse in Albanian politics, has served as Prime Minister since 2013. The election has been marked by pledges for rapid EU accession and allegations of corruption. The polls close at 19:00 (CET), and results are anticipated on Monday.
Albania has been part of NATO since 2009 and has been in the process of EU accession for nearly three years, holding the status of an official candidate since 2014. Rama has promised to see Albania join the EU by 2030. "We will secure our fourth mandate and would not waste a single day in working towards Albania in the EU," Rama declared at his final campaign rally on Friday.
However, young voters have grown disillusioned with Rama and Berisha, who have commanded Albanian politics since the fall of communism in 1990/1991. Berisha served as Albania's first democratically elected president in 1992 and as Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013. Rama is often accused of employing a heavy-handed approach to the opposition, including targeting Berisha, who is now 80 years old. Rama has also been embroiled in scandals, including the arrest this year of his ally Erion Veliaj, the mayor of the capital Tirana, on charges of corruption and money laundering. Both Berisha and Veliaj deny the accusations.
Polls predict Rama leading Berisha by a significant margin. However, Rama's Socialists may need the assistance of smaller parties to sustain their four-seat majority in the 140-seat parliament. Rama can point to economic successes, with GDP growth of over 4% expected for 2022 to 2024 due to EU trade and tourism, as reported by the World Bank. Nevertheless, experts agree that corruption remains a persistent issue in the nation, driven by criminal gangs that make billions through drug and weapons trafficking abroad before laundering the money in Albania.
Sources: ntv.de, RTS
Insights: Many young voters have expressed frustration with the long-standing leadership of Rama and Berisha over the past three decades, and some experts argue that this dissatisfaction could result in a significant shift in the political landscape. Additionally, for the first time, Albanian citizens living abroad are participating in the elections, which may have a bearing on the outcome. Albania has been negotiating EU accession since 2014, and Rama's fourth-term bid is heavily anchored on the promise of securing EU membership within the next five years.
- Under the current polls, Edi Rama, who has served as Prime Minister since 2013, is hoping to secure another four-term mandate in the 2025 Albanian parliamentary elections, despite allegations of corruption.
- The opposition, led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, has been struggling to catch up, as both leaders have commanded Albanian politics since the fall of communism in 1990/1991.
- Given the poll results, Rama's Socialist party may need to collaborate with smaller parties to maintain their four-seat majority in the 140-seat parliament.
- Prime Minister Rama has promised to secure Albania's EU membership by 2030, a key promise in his fourth mandate bid, which has been a central point in his final campaign rallies.
- Corruption and criminal gangs remain persistent issues in Albania, according to experts, with billions being made through illegal activities such as drug and weapons trafficking before being laundered domestically.
