General election date set in Albania

Begaj had consulted with the Central Election Commission and political parties in parliament during the process of determining the date for the regular general election, which was required to be held between April 15 and May 15.

In a written statement issued by the Albanian Presidency, attention was drawn to the need for the Central Election Commission to prepare for the elections when determining the election date. The statement said, “The decision to set May 11, 2025, as the election date stems primarily from the need to fully utilize the available time for preparing the legal and organizational infrastructure, as expressed by the Central Election Commission, in order to enable a successful and effective voting process, especially for Albanians living abroad.”

The statement announced that due to the elections, the European Political Community summit, which was planned to be held in the Albanian capital, Tirana, next year, would be postponed to a date after the May 11 elections instead of the scheduled May 8-9. It was stated that the reason for the postponement of the summit was the concern of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party (PD), and a significant portion of the parties in parliament that the summit, to be held two days before the elections, could influence the elections. The statement noted, “Therefore, after all necessary checks were carried out with the relevant Albanian authorities, the President received assurances that the event in question would take place after the parliamentary elections. This was also confirmed to the President by international interlocutors.”

The last parliamentary elections in Albania were held on April 25, 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Socialist Party (PS), led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, maintained its position in power by winning 74 seats in the 140-member parliament.

News Source: İHA