Speaking at a meeting with lawmakers and cabinet members in Tirana, Rama warned that key services such as childcare and public transport are under strain, while procurement and reconstruction projects have stalled amid a leadership vacuum at city hall.

“The need to legitimize the municipality through a popular vote is becoming increasingly urgent,” he said, pointing to historically low procurement levels and falling capital investment.

Rama also called for deeper reforms, including criminal penalties for public officials who abuse their positions, saying, “Tirana needs a structural reset, just like other municipalities undergoing reform.”

/a.f/u.sh/