Addressing a final campaign meeting in the northwestern city of Shkoder on Thursday, Berisha voiced confidence that “the May 11 vote is the day of the freedom-loving spirit of this wonderful city.”

“It is the day when the people of Shkoder, who have preserved more than anyone else the ideal of freedom, who have preserved their dignity in the hardest of times, on May 11 will sign a new chapter in the history of Shkoder and Albania,” Berisha said.

According to him, “on May 11, Albanian citizens will put an end to a dictatorship that Europe hasn’t seen for centuries and millennia.”

“Europe has seen all types of dictatorships, but it has never been through a narco-dictatorship. The narco-dictatorship established in the last 12 years was a cruel, hopeless, savage form like any other dictatorship, but it emptied Shkoder and Albania more than any war, more than any plague, more than any epidemic,” Berisha said.

According to him, “more than 620 000 young people have left Albania in the last decade.”

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Addressing a campaign rally in the Albanian southern city of Gjirokaster on Saturday, PM Rama highlighted the pension reform as a clear indicator of the difference between the misrule and the good governance.

PM Rama criticized the early retirement policies applied by the previous governments in the country, blaming such policy for creating what he called “a huge hole” in the country’s finances.

He noted that “the Albanian industry was destroyed and many factories were shut down, leaving many people jobless and many of them were considered retirees, but were provided economic assistance instead of a pension payment.”

Rama stated that his government delivered on a pension reform, overturning a previous ceiling pension policy.

“We now apply two pension bonuses for pensions up to 200 euros and above 200 euros, while the average pension is currently 300 euros. The average pension will increase to 400 euros in 2030,” PM Rama said.

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Addressing a campaign rally in the town of Peqin on Saturday, Berisha claimed that the average pension is 172 euros, slightly up from 143 euros in 2013, while consumer prices have doubled, criticizing the Socialist government of Prime Minister Edi Rama for abandoning pensioners.

He said that Socialist government has proposed a 8-billion euro state budget for 2025, allocating only 16 million euros for over 760 000 retirees across Albania.

“When we proposed setting a minimum living wage of 200 euros, PM Rama said the country could plunge into the abyss because of this proposal. Albanian officials currently receive the highest wages in the Balkans. The difference between the minimum wage and the highest wage is around 15 times, like in no other country on the planet. That’s why I stand before you today to unite and vote for the change,” Berisha said.

According to opposition leader, Albanian farmers lack the government support and are unable to compete against farmers from North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia.

He claimed that Albania imports around 80% of the agricultural products, fruits and vegetable, while Albanian farmers destroy their locally grown produce as they can’t cope with the competition due to the lack of government support and subsidies. He explained that the DP’s electoral program brings together best practices of the neighbouring countries.

Berisha pledged a minimum living wage of 200 euros, a minimum salary of 500 euros, and an average salary of 1,250 euros, if the main opposition party wins the elections.

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In his remarks during a visit to a Tirana family on Friday, the main opposition leader also pledged utmost efforts to preserve the precious authentic cultural heritage of the Albanian capital.

Berisha said the opposition’s program aims at providing tax returns to the Albanian citizens, just like “the governments in free countries do.”

He promised a 200-euro monthly minimum income, stating an elected government is responsible for its citizens and such a government primarily allocates a budget for wages and pensions and then plans construction of schools, kindergartens, hospitals and health care centres.

Berisha pledged to significantly increase pensions, claiming that the Socialist government failed to deliver on pension increase, although prices doubled.

He claimed that the Socialist majority had rejected a legislation forwarded by the opposition to set a minimum pension of 200 euros last year.

The opposition leader also promised to introduce the consumer card to return to citizens 20% of the food price, saying every citizen will receive 450 euros in tax return.

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Addressing a campaign meeting in the northeastern town of Burrel, PM Rama, also leader of the Socialist Party (SP), underlined that his government has delivered on an important pension reform to support retired people, highlighting the very low pension rate before the Socialists seized power in 2013.

“We introduced the social insurance contributions system to allow those who pay more in insurance contributions to receive higher pension. The retirees now receive much higher pension payment compared to those who retired before the reform,” Rama said.

PM Rama underlined that the average pension currently is 300 euros, promising to increase minimum pension to 200 euros and the average pension to 400 euros in the next four years.

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Addressing his party supporters, Berisha slammed the government’s latest tax relief proposal for businesses, describing the government’s fiscal peace as a “safe haven for money launderers and the underworld, while as a punishment for the ordinary citizens.”

“Two years ago, he (Prime Minister Edi Rama) started widely advocating a fiscal amnesty, with its only goal to draw in drug money from mafia clans and build high-rise buildings, as it is already the case. Now he is naming it a fiscal peace,” Berisha stated.

DP leader pledged to complete legalization of the unauthorized buildings and then urbanize the informal areas across the country. He also sought to reassure the opposition supporters that he won’t forget their battle for their demolished homes.

He underlined that the opposition’s program envisages actions to “eradicate extreme poverty in just 100 days,” if opposition wins the May 11 parliamentary elections in Albania.

Berisha promised to set a living minimum payment of 200 euros for every retiree and unemployed people, adding that a centre-right government will also increase the minimum wage to 500 euros.

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Addressing a meeting with supporters of his Socialist Party in the municipality of Gramsh on Thursday, highlighted importance of next month’s vote, saying it will decide not merely who will govern the country in the next four years, but it will determine Albania’s European future.

“There is something important about the May 11 vote and we all are aware of and we should make every effort to attract as many people as possible, despite their party affiliations,” Rama said.

He said Albanian people should unite and overcome political divisions and biases to build a majority for Albania in the EU.

The government head noted that the country should seize this moment when Albania’s domestic circumstances match with the current EU’s state of affairs.

“Our desire and persistence to join the EU and the EU readiness to open its door match now,” Rama said.

However, the Socialist leader warned that the EU door will not remain open indefinitely.

“We should be aware that the EU door won’t remain forever open. The EU door is the door of a large and rich house with 27 members in it. They should all agree,” he said.

According to Rama, with the accession talks scheduled to complete in 2027, Albania is fast-tracking and setting an example regarding the progress of the EU membership negotiations.

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Speaking at a meeting with women and girls in the town of Kavaje, PM Rama called the May 11 vote as historic as it will decide the future of the country and the children.

“May 11 vote is not just about choosing between political parties, but it is also an opportunity to make history of the country. Your vote on May 11 is about history, as it is not about us winning 71 seats in parliament, but it is about enjoying the majority to represent Albania and wrap up the accession negotiations,” Rama said.

Expressing confidence on his election victory, Rama said that the ruling SP should win a strong mandate to ensure that the EU integration process remains on track.

The government head also noted that the country should seize this moment and complete the negotiations process, saying the EU door won’t remain forever open.

Rama voiced confidence that SP will definitely win at least 71 seats in new parliament.

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Presenting the opposition candidates for May 11 parliamentary elections in the northern Albanian region of Puke on Monday, DP leader claimed that “new dictatorship and drug and crime regime is emerging in Albania.”

“With opposition’s victory in May 11 elections, Albanian citizens will ultimately break up from the great evil that has befallen them in the last 12 years, making Albania the only country in Europe, where new dictatorship is reinstated, this time not based on Marxist-Leninist ideology, but on drug, crime and theft,” Berisha stated.

The opposition leader underlined that Puka is rich in natural resources, water, minerals forests and medicinal plants, but “the region is abandoned, just like it is the case with every corner of Albania over the past 12 years.”

He stated that the May 11 vote is a decisive turning point for every Albanian citizen to build their own dreams in Albania.

“It is a decisive turning point for these young people to build their dreams in Albania, it is an opportunity for  one million of Albanians who left the country in the last 10 years to return back home, build their dreams in the country and set Albania on the course towards its greatness,” he said.

Berisha urged voters to set aside political affiliations and back the opposition in the next month’s parliamentary elections, saying the opposition’s victory would be a victory for all Democrats and Socialists, who believe they can live with dignity in this country.

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Berisha reiterated that a DP-led government would set “a living minimum of 200 euros for every Albanian, every retiree with pension lower than 200 euros, for unemployed people, students and orphans,” if the main opposition party wins the next month’s general elections.

He also pledged to increase the minimum wage in the country to 500 euros, provide the consumer card that would allow retirees and low-income people to buy food products at a reduced price by 20%.

Opposition leader promised to significantly cut oil price, underlining that oil price in neighbouring Kosovo and North Macedonia is currently 40% lower than in Albania.

Berisha went on pledging fivefold surge in government subsidies for farmers, increased budget for health system, and higher wages for teachers.

“We will double state budget for education and teachers will receive at least 1500 euros per month,” he said.

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