site.btaParties in Albania Hold Closing Rallies ahead of Sunday’s Parliamentary Elections

Political parties in Albania held their closing campaign rallies on Friday ahead of the parliamentary elections due on Sunday.

Hundreds of supporters of the ruling Socialist Party (PS) gathered in the Olympic Park in the capital Tirana. Prime Minister Edi Rama’s party will seek a fourth government term in a row, pledging to take the country into the EU by 2030. The scene of the rally bore the colours of the Albanian national flag (red and black) on one side and the EU flag (blue and yellow) on the other side. The two flags could be seen waving all over the place.

Delina Ibrahimaj, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate, said EU membership is more than just a travel passport; it means more economy, more investments, and more prosperity for the citizens.

Prime Minister Edi Rama noted that the PS gathering was taking place on Europe Day, May 9, symbolically sealing the promise of EU membership for Albania. He stressed PS’s contribution as a ruling party over the last 12 years and vowed that the party will continue to govern the country with a European vision to make it a dignified nation in the EU by 2030. Rama said that PS will win at least 78 seats in the 140-seat Albanian Parliament.

On the eve of the election campaign, Rama had listed 12 main points on PS’s programme for a future fourth government term, including wages, employment and social protection, education, health care, agriculture, infrastructure and energy, Albania’s CNA media portal said. Back then, Rama promised that if his party wins the elections, the minimum monthly wage will become EUR 500 as of January 2026. He said that EUR 500 million will be invested in agriculture, and the goal is to boost agricultural exports to EUR 1 billion. He described infrastructure as one of the government’s strongest battle horses. Albania will become an energy-independent and energy exporting country, according to Rama.

Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party (PD) and its coalition partners ended their election campaign with a rally in Tirana’s New Boulevard. PD leader Sali Berisha, who is also former president and former prime minister, pledged to end “Edi Rama’s dictatorship” and made accusations against the government, the Shqiptarja news portal said.

US political consultant Chris LaCivita, who stood next to Berisha at the rally, called on the Albanians to vote for “a doctor” (a reference to Berisha, who is a cardiologist by profession) to heal the country from 12 years of suffering. LaCivita was a leading political strategist for Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign in the US in 2024, from whom Berisha has borrowed ideas.

Berisha said he can transform Albania in 100 days and accused the incumbents of turning away from young people. “We guarantee that every young couple will have a roof over their heads,” he said.

“Just as we took Albania into NATO, we will take it into the EU as well,” Berisha stated.