As of Tuesday afternoon, with 94% of the votes counted, Edi Rama’s re-election appears highly likely, securing a victory for the Socialist Party over the center-right Democratic Party led by Salih Berisha.
Official election commission figures show that Rama’s Socialist Party garnered 52% of the votes, compared to 34% for the main opposition party. Final results are anticipated later today. Voter turnout for Sunday’s elections was approximately 42.16%, about 4% lower than the previous election cycle.
Rama’s Victory and Commitment to EU Integration
“These results are beyond our expectations, even prior to the full vote count,” a government source informed The Guardian. “Securing a fourth consecutive term is extraordinary. Edi has every reason to celebrate.”
The 60-year-old Edi Rama, who has been in office since 2013, largely focused his campaign on the promise of integrating Albania into the EU, aiming to achieve this goal within five years from October 2024.
Conversely, 80-year-old Berisha, the first president of Albania after the Soviet Union’s collapse over three decades ago, contended that the country is not yet prepared for EU membership.
Additionally, Berisha’s Democratic Party allied with 20 other political groups in an effort to oust Rama.
However, the Socialist victory became apparent early Monday morning.
Voting by Mail for Over 190,000 Albanians Abroad
Analysts observed that the Socialist Party appears to have received increased support from expatriates, as this election marked the first time the Albanian diaspora could vote by mail.
More than 192,000 votes were submitted from nearly 246,000 registered voters abroad in advance of Sunday’s elections. With a total population of 2.7 million, this represents a significant engagement from the diaspora.
According to a November Eurobarometer survey, 83% of Albanians favor EU accession, the highest level of support in the entire Western Balkans.
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