Parliamentary Elections in Albania: Too Much Corruption – Little Trust

A new Parliament is being elected in Albania. Prime Minister Rama is running for a third term, but faces an opposition coalition – and dwindling confidence in politics.

3.5 million voters can choose between twelve parties and coalitions, but the two biggest compete between them: the socialists of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the democratic opponents of Lulzim Pasha, known as the “Democratic Party – Alliance for Change”. alliance.

Andrea Bear
ARD studio Vienna

During the election campaign, they promised, among other things, tax cuts, new jobs, anti-immigration concepts and university reform. According to recent opinion polls, the Democratic Party is between 36 and 43 percent, and thus behind the Socialists who have governed since 2013. This percentage is expected to reach 48 percent.

Rama believes in another period

Opinion polls should be treated with caution in Albania, but Prime Minister Edi Rama was confident of victory. Albania is currently experiencing a seven-day low infection rate with about 30 new infections per 100,000 population. Rama believes that the handling of the Coronavirus pandemic has been successful – just like investments in Albanian infrastructure from Turkey or Saudi Arabia and post-earthquake reconstruction at the end of 2019.

Critics complain about the lack of reforms – for example in the fight against corruption and in the judiciary. Many people lack confidence in the state’s institutions and its parties. Mail voting is not possible despite Coronavirus, which particularly affects the nearly 1.5 million Albanians eligible to vote abroad. More than 5,000 polling stations in the country closed at 7 pm. The first results are expected later tonight.