TIRANA, Albania — On Thursday, the President of Albania announced that parliamentary elections will take place on May 11. For the first time, citizens residing abroad will have the opportunity to vote from outside the country.
Albania has a potential voter base of approximately 3.6 million, despite its estimated population being around 2.4 million. A reform approved earlier this year, with backing from the two leading political parties, will enable expatriates to participate in the election via electronic means or mail-in ballots.
The upcoming elections will aim to fill 140 seats, each serving a four-year term. The political landscape in Albania has been tumultuous, with ongoing protests from the opposition who accuse Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party of corruption, electoral manipulation, and compromising judicial independence.
The conservative Democratic Party, alongside an opposition alliance, has been vocal about its grievances, particularly concerning the legal challenges faced by their leaders, Sali Berisha and former President Ilir Meta, in separate corruption allegations, which they claim are politically motivated.
Since losing power in 2013, the Democratic Party has resorted to aggressive protests against the government and has demanded the establishment of a technocratic caretaker government prior to the 2025 elections— a request the ruling Socialist Party has firmly rejected.
In October, Albania began formal discussions with the European Union about aligning its laws and practices with EU standards concerning the rule of law, democratic operations, and anti-corruption efforts. Prime Minister Rama has expressed aspirations for Albania to attain EU membership by 2030.
Current polls indicate that Rama’s Socialists are likely to secure a fourth term in the upcoming elections, primarily due to the fragmentation within the opposition. Both the United States and the European Union have urged the opposition to engage in dialogue with the government, emphasizing that violent actions will hinder Albania’s integration into the broader 27-nation EU.
Since the shift from communism, elections in Albania have frequently faced accusations of fraud and manipulation, including incidents of vote-buying and discrepancies in ballot counting.
