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Edi Rama Secures Fourth Term as Albania's Prime Minister with Socialist Party Victory

Rama's Socialists won 52% of the vote, gaining 82 parliamentary seats, as opposition disputes results and protests loom.

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, leader of the Socialist Party, votes during parliamentary election in Tirana, Albania, May 11, 2025. REUTERS/Florion Goga
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Overview

  • With 98% of ballots counted, Albania's Socialist Party, led by Edi Rama, received 52% of the vote, securing a comfortable majority of 82 seats in the 140-seat parliament.
  • The Democratic Party, led by opposition figure Sali Berisha, garnered 34% of the vote and 52 seats, and has rejected the results, alleging electoral fraud without providing evidence.
  • International observers, including the OSCE, acknowledged the election’s transparency but criticized the ruling party’s misuse of public resources and institutional advantages during the campaign.
  • This election marked Albania’s first use of diaspora mail-in voting, with approximately 195,000 ballots submitted, though the opposition has raised concerns about potential manipulation of votes from Greece.
  • Prime Minister Rama emphasized his commitment to Albania's EU membership bid by 2030, though experts remain skeptical about the feasibility of this timeline given ongoing governance and corruption challenges.