Overview

• Approximately 3.7 million Albanians, including nearly 246,000 diaspora voters participating by mail for the first time, are eligible to vote in Sunday’s parliamentary election.
• Prime Minister Edi Rama, in power since 2013, is campaigning on a promise to secure Albania’s EU membership by 2030, while facing allegations of corruption and state dominance.
• Rama’s main challenger, Sali Berisha, an 80-year-old former prime minister, is running on a platform of economic revival but remains under investigation for alleged corruption.
• The election is being monitored by over 2,000 domestic and international observers, with concerns over political polarization and potential irregularities.
• Preliminary results are expected on Monday, with the outcome seen as a critical test of Albania’s democratic progress and EU accession ambitions.