Albanians cast their ballots on Sunday in a pivotal national election, with Prime Minister Edi Rama aiming for an unprecedented fourth term after more than a decade at the helm. The vote comes on the heels of a tense campaign shaped by lofty promises of European Union membership and lingering shadows of corruption.
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time and will close at 7 p.m., with preliminary results expected Monday.
Rama, who has led the Socialist Party since 2013, enters the race as the frontrunner against long-time political adversary Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party. Rama’s edge comes from a mix of entrenched political influence, a strong economic track record, and a favorable international profile. Yet, his grip on power faces growing backlash — not least because of ongoing graft scandals, including the arrest of Tirana’s mayor and close ally Erion Veliaj on corruption and money laundering charges. Both Veliaj and Berisha deny wrongdoing.
Throughout the final stretch of his campaign, Rama doubled down on his EU pledge, vowing Albania will join the bloc by 2030 — a goal some analysts view as overly ambitious given the depth of reforms still required, especially on anti-corruption measures.
“We’re going to secure our fourth mandate,” Rama told supporters Friday, “and we won’t waste a single day on our path to EU membership by 2030.”
But for many Albanians, especially younger voters, the choice between Rama and Berisha feels like a tired rerun. Both men have been central figures in Albanian politics since the collapse of communism over three decades ago. The frustration is palpable in Tirana, where luxury SUVs cruise past crumbling Soviet-era apartment blocks — a stark symbol of the country’s economic divide.
Opinion polls suggest Rama is on course to win more than 40% of the vote, maintaining a solid lead over Berisha, whose credibility has been dented by corruption allegations. Still, Rama may need support from smaller parties to preserve his narrow four-seat majority in the 140-member parliament.
“I’m voting for fresh faces,” said 21-year-old Arber Qazimi. “People like Rama and Berisha just keep rotating seats. We need change.”
Others have lost faith entirely. “I’m not voting,” said Erisa, an economics student. “I’m looking for a way out, like so many others who’ve left for the EU.”
Yet some still hope for renewal at home. “We want a future that doesn’t require fleeing the country,” said Elson Toska, 37, after casting his vote. “Europe shouldn’t mean leaving — it should mean building something better here.”
Economically, Rama can point to steady growth — the World Bank notes Albania outpaced many Balkan neighbors with over 4% annual GDP growth from 2022 to 2024, thanks to strong EU trade ties and a tourism surge.
Still, endemic corruption remains a deep-seated issue. Analysts warn that criminal networks continue to generate billions through narcotics and arms trafficking, laundering illicit funds through the Albanian economy and undermining public trust.