Overview
- Sali Berisha, Albania's former prime minister, has enlisted key figures from Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, including Chris LaCivita and Paul Manafort, to steer his political comeback.
- Berisha is challenging Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party in a closely watched May 11 parliamentary election, with polls suggesting a competitive race.
- Berisha’s campaign has adopted populist tactics and messaging inspired by Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ strategy, rebranded locally as ‘Make Albania Grandiose.’
- The election introduces diaspora voting for the first time, adding an unpredictable element to the outcome in a nation where polling reliability is limited.
- A Berisha victory could reshape Albania’s U.S. relations, EU accession prospects, and regional dynamics, as his campaign seeks to overturn his 2021 U.S. corruption designation.