Following the meeting, Balla stated that the Socialist Party calls upon all political forces and movements to participate in the 2027 local elections.

He stressed that boycotting is no solution and called for full political participation instead.

“The Socialist Party calls on all political forces and movements to participate in the 2027 local elections. Boycotting the elections is not the solution!” Balla said. /p.s./

Gazment Bardhi, head of the Democratic Party’s Parliamentary group, responded to President Begaj’s call for consultations, labeling it “political theater.”

“Bajram Begaj’s invitation is unworthy of any consideration and does not even deserve a response. Unfortunately, Albania does not have a President of the Republic who fulfills his constitutional role, but rather a minister without portfolio in the service of Edi Rama,” wrote Bardhi.

According to him, Albanians are out in the public squares demanding, among other things, guarantees for free and fair elections.

“If Albania would have a president who truly exercised his constitutional function, he would treat this issue as a democratic emergency and would seriously address the concerns that have been driving citizens to the squares for months,” he emphasized. Bardhi added that Begaj, “is serving those in power instead of protecting the institution he represents.”

On the other hand, the head of the Socialist Party’s Parliamentary group Taulant Balla highlighted the fact that, “Every President of the Republic has followed the same procedure, inviting political parties to consult on the date for the elections.”

Referring to Bardhi’s stance, Balla wrote: “But today, the ‘Molotov depot’—SHQUP (the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Albania)—has apparently broken with this tradition. I hope they come to their senses and participate in the local elections, which will take place sometime between April 15 and May 15, 2027. They have already tried the alternative in various ways—through boycotts, disputes over the party seal and so on..”

Furthermore, Balla stated that the Socialist Party confirms it will attend the consultations with President Begaj, regarding the date for the 2027 local elections.

/m.q/r.e/a.f/p.s./

In a press statement, the DP Parliamentary group noted that for the past 48 hours, Albania has been witnessing its most powerful student movement in the last 35 years.

“This isn’t just a protest—it’s a generational revolt against the corruption, arrogance, and state capture of the Rama administration. We are fighting to reclaim our hope, restore public trust and protect Albania’s European future,” the statement reads.

The DP parliamentary group stands unequivocally with the students, youth, and citizens fighting for dignity, justice, and a better Albania. We fully endorse the political demands for change, backing calls for the immediate resignation of the Rama government. We demand the formation of a caretaker government tasked solely with ensuring free, fair, and early elections.

The DP calls for the self-dissolution of the current Parliament, which, according to the party, can no longer claim to genuinely represent the will of the citizens amidst the crisis of confidence and the demand for change.

“Albania cannot be held hostage by an administration that views every protest as a threat and every demand for accountability as an attack on itself. Students do not need lectures on arrogance, nor do they need yet another round of promises. They deserve answers, accountability, and real change. Today, the responsibility is clear: the voice of the citizens must be heard and the way must be paved for a political solution that restores democratic legitimacy to the country,” reads the statement by the DP parliamentary group. /j.p/p.s./

“The DP will very soon begin preparations for the local elections next year”, said Berisha.

Asked whether Ilir Alimehmeti could be a potential candidate of the DP running for the municipality of Tirana, Berisha appreciated him as “a prominent personality of the DP and the city of Tirana”, adding that the decision will be made later on.

Sali Berisha states that Albania needs expert guidance from the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to carry out its territorial and electoral reforms.

Berisha expressed his belief that the Council of Europe is the most qualified body for local government issues.

Territorial and electoral changes must be comprehensive, following European Commission recommendations, as Albania is still under European observation, said Berisha.

He concluded by saying that the opposition will keep talking to citizens about the new territorial map. The opposition stands by its plan to create 100 municipalities and will not withdraw it, emphasized Berisha.

/m.q/j.p/r.e/p.s./

During a television interview, Mazniku said that the map is intended to be approved by October of the current year.

According to him, “The work on the new territorial reform is continuing on the basis of a detailed economic, financial, demographic and social analysis”.

“Today, we are continuing work on this draft. We heard from experts on Thursday, who presented a detailed report, which is now public. That report carries a lot of important economic, financial data and on the way municipalities function”, said Mazniku.

According to Mazniku, about 40% of municipalities in the country do not provide even half of the services they should offer to citizens.

“Since the elections are in 2027, while in November the President should announce the date. This means that in October is the deadline to approve this reform in the Parliament, so there is time for the President to announce the elections with the new map”, he emphasized.

Speaking about Tirana, he stated that the capital needs special treatment due to its weight in the population and economy.

“Tirana has 25% of the population of Albania and over 50% of the turnover generated by the Albanian economy. The map is not Tirana’s problem. Tirana needs either a special law on how it functions, or a special chapter in the law on local government”, declared Mazniku.

Finally, he accused the opposition of having delayed the reform process by not participating in the Commission’s work for four months, but added that the proposals of its experts will be reviewed. /m.m/a.f/p.s./

Held during the closing session of the “Money in Politics 2026” conference, the signing ceremony represented a major milestone for regional electoral cooperation.

The document carries the joint commitment of the signatory electoral institutions to promote free and fair elections, improve electoral integrity and develop sustainable democracies.

The signatory institutions will cooperate to uphold electoral integrity by tracking political finance, fighting electoral fraud, countering foreign disinformation, and strengthening cyber defenses. They will also focus on digitizing election processes and enhancing the professional skills of electoral staff through shared best practices.

Also, the Memorandum is open to accession by other electoral authorities that share the same values, principles and objectives for the protection of democracy, the strengthening of electoral institutions and promotion of European standards. /m.q/a.f/r.e/p.s./

The current DP Chairman Sali Berisha is the only candidate in the race. And he appreciated the process as exemplary.

“This is the most democratic referendum, the voters can express their support for the chairman or show they are against him”, Berisha said to reporters.

He took the opportunity to call on all other Democrats who have not voted yet to fulfill this important statutory obligation.

Asked about the claims of former Democrat MP Ervin Salianji of having his name on the ballot paper, Berisha responded by emphasizing that, “A representative of the criminal world cannot in any way taint this most democratic process in Albania.” /m.m//a.g/p.s./

Haxhiu’s decision on Thursday was made shortly after a meeting with leaders and representatives of the country’s political parties to set the date for the elections.

New elections were triggered following the Parliament’s failure to elect a president before the deadline, plunging the country into a fresh political crisis.

With President Vjosa Osmani’s term ending in early April, Parliament faced a midnight Tuesday deadline to elect a successor. Following the failed vote, the Parliament was dissolved, mandating new elections within 45 days, with a June 7 deadline.

Following polls in February and December 2025, these third elections in 18 months signal a deeper institutional crisis.

Earlier on Thursday, the European Union expressed regret that political parties failed to find a unifying figure for the country’s presidential candidate to avoid a third consecutive election.

Efforts to elect a new president have failed, as a lack of compromise between the ruling Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination Movement and major opposition parties (PDK and LDK) resulted in a political stalemate.

Voting for the President of Kosovo requires the presence of 80 MPs to meet the constitutional quorum. /rel/p.s./

During a press conference today, Berisha stated that, “We stand exclusively for nonviolent resistance”.

Berisha also said that the opposition protesters were met with excessive force, including tear gas, bear spray, and rubber bullets, according to witnesses. The situation escalated in the last demonstration with the alleged use of toxic materials and firebombs thrown from elevated positions into the crowd.

He highlighted that the forthcoming, soon-to-be-announced protest will be the largest mass mobilization in the country’s history.

Berisha also spoke about electoral issues, emphasizing that the opposition has proposed open list proportional representation at the national level.

“While the DP will not set the threshold, its primary aim is to unite the opposition”, said Berisha.

According to him, this proposal was accepted by the coalition he represents.

“Our coalition has accepted the proposal, which promises a fair partnership based on real contributions. Finalization is imminent”, said Berisha.

Berisha added that the opposition is rallying a united front to challenge the government.

/gj.m/j.p/p.s./

As part of this mission, Çakërri, together with the Head of the Permanent Delegation of the Parliament of Georgia to the PABSEC Parliamentary Assembly Irakli Mezurnishvili, visited several polling stations, closely following the progress of the electoral process.

The participation in this mission reflected the commitment of the Parliament of Albania to strengthen democratic standards and inter-Parliamentary cooperation. /gj.m/j.p/p.s./