In his New Year message, the government head underscored Albania’s progress across multiple sectors, including infrastructure, digital governance, energy, and tourism, describing the nation’s future as “more secure and promising than ever.”

New Year’s message from Prime Minister Edi Rama:

Dear fellow citizens, wherever you may be,

Another year has reached its end, leaving Albania higher than it stood on the day it began.

Over the course of this year, the great majority of you, in Albania, across Europe and elsewhere in the world, endorsed the shared effort of the past decade, entrusting our government with the extraordinary mandate of 83 parliamentary seats.

Once again, I thank you for this trust. It is through your confidence that, over the next four years, I and your elected representatives will do everything required to raise Albania’s national flag within the family of the European Union.

In just one decade, we have achieved what once seemed unthinkable when our time in government began.

We have built a different Albania, one that this year hosted the leaders of democratic Europe, from Paris to Ankara and from Kyiv to London, to discuss the future of our continent.

A different Albania, which will host the NATO Annual Summit for 18 months, a distinction that many countries that joined the Alliance long before us have yet to enjoy.

A different Albania, which no longer causes any Albanian to lower their head when travelling abroad, and which today welcomes millions upon millions of visitors from across the world.

A different Albania, more tangible than ever across its entire territory: with Dibra now an extension of Tirana thanks to the Arbër Road; with Vermosh, Theth and Valbona transformed into tourist destinations through the upgrading of old mountain paths into roads built to European standards; with Shkodra renewed through the return of hope and the revival of tourism as an economic driver, dormant since the 1930s; with Lezha, Berat, Korça, Pogradec, Gjirokastër, Përmet, Tepelenë, Kolonjë and many others revitalized, alongside the surrounding villages, now welcoming visitors from Albania and beyond, opening door after door, while tourist numbers have reached levels unimaginable at the start of this decade. The Vjosa River Valley has become a panoramic route of this new Albania, alongside a growing network of motorways, roads and tunnels in both north and south, built to European standards and at a sustained pace, providing not only improved infrastructure but the renewed momentum of a country on the rise.

This transformation, which continues and will continue without pause, through ongoing projects and new developments on the road towards Albania’s membership of the European Union by 2030, was not delivered by the passage of time, as some suggest, nor by fantasy or conspiracy, as others claim. It was achieved through responsible governance, your trust in us and our shared belief in Albania, through tireless work and the contribution of thousands of people across ministries, public agencies and the private sector. Any shortcomings, mistakes or failings along the way do not diminish the historic scale of this transformation.

This is also a different Albania thanks to the transformation of digital infrastructure, from scattered internet kiosks into a mature pillar of governance, recognised as such by leading international institutions.

Over the past three years, Albania has climbed 54 places, ranking 14th among 197 countries worldwide for digital governance, offering citizens real-time public services, free of charge, from anywhere in the world.

The e-Albania platform has saved citizens 620 million euros and an estimated 7,500 years spent in queues, the equivalent of travelling around the Earth 25,000 times.

This is a different Albania which, following a terrorist cyberattack on this very digital infrastructure, built one of the strongest cyber-defence systems in Europe, successfully repelling all subsequent attacks, many of which have gone unnoticed precisely because they failed.

A different Albania, supported during these years by the expertise and dedication of the teams at AKSHI (National Agency for Information Society) and AKCESK (National Cybersecurity Authority), where talented young professionals have steadily strengthened the state’s ability to serve its citizens and the country, turning Albania into an international success story.

This is a different Albania, emerging from decades of power outages, thanks to vision, sustained investment and determined work that have transformed the energy sector, expanded production capacity, diversified renewable sources, reduced household energy costs and brought the country steadily closer to full energy sovereignty, which we will achieve within this mandate, ending the need for energy imports.

This Albania bears no resemblance to the country we inherited at the beginning of this decade, when we were marginalised and overlooked in Europe.

The year closes not only with accession negotiations opened across all chapters, but with Albania recognised as a front-runner in the European integration process of the Western Balkans.

This remarkable achievement for our country’s reputation and national dignity was not delivered by chance, but by the dedication of the national negotiating team and the knowledge, commitment and perseverance of more than 1,000 public servants across ministries and independent institutions.

The past decade has marked a new pace for Albania, a determined effort to recover lost time after a turbulent transition, and a national programme of transformative reforms to secure our rightful place as a European people at the common European table.

This is not the moment for a long speech. It is the moment to assure you that Albania’s new era cannot be reversed, that the best lies ahead for Albania and its people, to guarantee that the coming years will bring even greater results than those achieved so far, and to wish you a happy and prosperous New Year, wherever you are, with those closest to you.

Happy New Year.

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In a New Year message delivered on the eve of 2026 on Wednesday, Berisha extended greetings to Albanians at home and abroad, including those travelling, in hospitals or serving prison sentences.

“The New Year is a year of hope for all people,” Berisha said, adding that 2026 should mark a turning point for Albania and its citizens.

Reflecting on 2025, Berisha said the year had been marked by economic hardship and democratic decline. He said Albanians were among the lowest-paid citizens in Europe, facing high living costs, low wages and low pensions, while senior officials and government figures had become increasingly wealthy.

“The year we leave behind was one in which the nation continued to shrink,” Berisha said. “It was a year of the full agony of Albanian democracy.”

Berisha also cited natural disasters, including wildfires and floods, saying Albania had responded as “a country without a functioning state.”

Looking ahead, Berisha said 2026 should be a year of unity and mobilisation to restore democratic standards, protect free elections and safeguard Albanian families.

He called on citizens who care about the country to see the new year as a mission to reverse what he described as Albania’s decline, urging them to work towards political and social change.

Berisha concluded by wishing Albanians a successful new year “in line with their hopes and expectations.”

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In a video message, Osmani said the past year demonstrated that Kosovo moves forward when acting with determination, values, and unity.

“It has been a year in which we strengthened our international position, defended constitutional order and state interests, and reinforced alliances with our strategic partners. Kosovo has shown it is present, heard, and respected on the international stage as a factor of peace, stability, and reliability,” she said.

Osmani noted that Kosovo remained steadfast against any destabilizing attempts while continuing to build a fairer society, grounded in human rights, equality, and dignity.

She acknowledged that 2025 was a challenging year, particularly due to delays in establishing institutions, but said it strengthened the country and prepared it to move forward with greater confidence and responsibility.

Looking ahead, Osmani said 2026 finds Kosovo “with new responsibilities and clear objectives.” She reiterated the government’s vision of a safer, fairer, more integrated, and more developed Kosovo, where the law applies equally to all, institutions serve citizens, and young people have the opportunity to build their future with dignity.

On this occasion, Osmani wished citizens health, peace, and prosperity.

“May 2026 be a year of cooperation, responsibility, and success for each of you and for the Republic. Let us begin the New Year with confidence in ourselves, in one another, and in our Kosovo. Happy New Year 2026, with health and joyful moments, to you and to the Republic of Kosovo,” she said.

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In his New Year message to the nation, Begaj said the year-end period was a time for reflection on past achievements and challenges, as well as for setting expectations for the year ahead.

“The New Year’s Eve is a moment when we pause to look at what we leave behind and to shape our hopes for the coming year,” Begaj said, describing the holiday as above all a celebration of family.

He said strengthening families and investing in children and young people were essential to Albania’s long-term development and its European aspirations.

“Caring for the younger generation is not only a feeling, but a wise choice for the future,” he said. “Investment in children and youth is the cornerstone of the European Albania we aspire to build.”

Begaj said Albanians had shown that knowledge, commitment and honest work remained the country’s greatest strengths.

“Every achievement is built on daily effort and family sacrifice,” he said, adding that progress depended not on rhetoric but on sustained engagement and responsibility.

Reflecting on 2025, Begaj described it as a year of challenges and efforts, during which Albania reaffirmed its determination to move forward. He said further work was needed to reduce inequalities and strengthen trust in institutions.

Begaj said Albania had strengthened its international role and taken concrete steps towards European Union integration, citing progress in strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption and organised crime, and reinforcing the independence of the justice system.

Encouraged by achievements and mindful of shortcomings, Begaj said 2026 should be “a year of shared effort” to translate European standards into everyday life.

He said national interest and dialogue should guide public action in building a fairer and more prosperous society, adding that unity outweighed divisive interests.

In his message, Begaj also extended greetings to Albanians living abroad, including those in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Presheva Valley and the wider diaspora, calling them an integral part of the nation and a vital source of energy for the future.

He offered special thanks to healthcare workers, members of the armed forces, police officers, firefighters, journalists and others on duty during the holiday, as well as to those spending the night in hospitals or in difficult conditions.

Begaj concluded by calling for greater trust and understanding among citizens, urging solidarity and civic responsibility as Albania works towards its European future.

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In a video message marking the end of the year, the embassy said it was reflecting on key achievements and looking ahead to 2026.

“As the year comes to a close, we want to celebrate our greatest achievements and the excitement for what lies ahead in 2026,” the Embassy said.

The Embassy cited recent milestones, including the historic visit of the USS Mount Whitney to Albanian waters, as examples of the deepening relationship between the two countries.

It added that the partnership is also reflected in broader international engagement, noting that the United States will host major global sporting events in the coming years.

“From the historic visit of the USS Mount Whitney to the shores of Albania to the United States hosting the world’s largest international sporting events, our partnership continues to be strengthened by shared goals and values,” the Embassy said.

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“The message I am sending tonight is not a traditional one, as this is the night for your families, friends and relatives, whereas I have been in your homes almost every day. I do really apologize if I have been exaggerating and gone overboard, if I have spoken improperly, if I have erred. I profoundly apologize! Just like every year, I have done as much as I could, yet not everything I would have wished for. Should I had the opportunity to do more, I wouldn’t have spared any efforts in doing so,” PM Rama said.

“It has been an extremely tough year, with the war-driven inflation and crazy skyrocketing energy prices turning it into a very gloomy year throughout Europe. However, there have been good days too, including historic days like the very first European football final or the EU-Western Balkans Summit held for the very first time outside the EU borders, without forgetting the long-awaiting moment of opening the EU accession negotiations,” Rama said.

The government head went on with his New Year message by reading an old passage from the Ecclesiastes.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

“May this New Year bring peace, love, smile and laughter for you, your families, and relatives. May God bless Albania,” PM Rama concluded his message.

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Dear fellow citizens,

Brothers and sisters of common ancestry, language and national flag, wherever you are,

I would like to extend today my best wishes of health and success, and may all your hopes are fulfilled and all your dreams come true in the New Year.

You have come across and been listening to long speeches I was used to deliver this year, like every year for several years now. I have been constantly appearing on your television sets, computers, on the phone, and hopefully I haven’t appeared in your dreams. I apologize for the time I have taken you and I am very grateful for the time you have dedicated me. You have been listening, tolerating, greeting, supporting, encouraging, praising, criticizing and even scolding me via the social media networks, and I’d really like to sincerely thank you all because your attention is a real honor for me, but above this year you trusted me another four-year term to govern the country and very honestly do not know how I can thank you for that.

I will leave you alone today as I am not going to deliver a long speech, but instead I would apologize for whatever I haven’t said or properly done and assure you that I feel, grasp and live with your trust every day, every hour and every minute of my work as something sacred into which I will pour my heart and soul.

I feel ever more confident that we will take Albania to the height our ancestors wanted it to be and our children deserve it to be through hard work and immense patience, unstoppably, tirelessly, steadfastly and without giving up, constantly trying to draw lessons from our mistakes and constantly doing the best we can for ourselves. The more we leave the trenches of the daily divisions to listen and head more to each other and come together closer under the flag of Skanderbeg and Ismail Qemali, with our eyes to Albania’s European future, to help each other as much as possible in the efforts to overcome difficulties and deliver good intentions, the sooner we will climb to the desired height as a country and as an Albanian brotherhood.

I would like to extend most heartfelt wishes of a healthy New Year to all Albanians in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, in the Presevo Valley, Italy,  Greece, Switzerland, England, United States, and all over the globe!

We are not many, but how many we are everywhere and how much we can do if we share our troubles together and know how to embrace each other joys moments.

Hugs to everyone!