Thewesternbalkans.
Parliamentary elections in Albania ended on Sunday,May 11. According to the published processed data from the majority of the polling stations, the prime minister’s party receives 52.95% of support, while the largest opposition party receives 34.11% in parliament. The remaining parties and moveme nts are lagging behind by a wide margin – the Social Democratic Party gets 3.76% and the NISMA movement gets 3.48%, the rest are even smaller and claim one, two, three mandates. The final results will be published on Tuesday.
In the 11th parliamentary elections since the introduction of the multi-party system in Albania, eight parties and three coalitions were included in the ballots. Just over 3.73 million Albanians with the right to vote at home and abroad were called to elect a new parliament. One of the novelties of these elections was the possibility of diaspora voting. According to the Central Election Commission, more than 245,000 citizens from abroad were registered to participate in the election process.
The turnout on Sunday was low. According to the CEC data released at the briefing, 41.6% of voters voted, a few percent less than in the elections four years ago.
In the election campaign, the current Prime Minister and Chairman of the Socialist Party, Edi Rama, placed emphasis on European integration. His main competitor, Sali Berisha, head of the coalition around the Democratic Party, focused his campaign on economic issues and the fight against corruption in the government.
The campaign for these parliamentary elections was marked by deep polarization and serious distrust between the two leading political options.
Commentary: These elections are a key moment for Albania’s democratic development and its European path, because they are the first since the country began negotiations for accession to the EU.
Edi Rama won the elections in Albania with the promise of joining Albania to the EU, but also because of the deep weakness of the Albanian opposition over the years. Rama implemented reforms – judicial reform, formation of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK), reform of the administration. A number of infrastructure projects were promoted. In the field of foreign policy, Rama did not deviate from the course of Brussels and the United States.
The Trump administration’s support for the opposition candidate Sali Berisha was not enough to ensure his supremacy, as it was focused primarily on Edi Rama’s connection to the Soros family.
If the final results confirm Rama’s victory, this will be a precedent in Albanian political pluralism, because apart from Enver Hoxha, no one has been in power for four terms.
