Partial Local Elections in Albania: Continued Socialist Party Dominance and an Unconventional Opposition Strategy
The partial local elections held on 9 November 2025, constituted a significant political moment despite their limited scope and the contentious context in which they were conducted. The elections took place in five municipalities amid a confrontational political climate. Initially, the Municipality of Tirana was also slated for an election, but its removal by a Constitutional Court decision on 3 November altered the dynamics of the electoral contest and its campaign. The Socialist Party won in all five municipalities, reaffirming its electoral advantage and longstanding political dominance. The Democratic Party, the largest opposition party, chose to support independent candidates. This unconventional strategy sparked considerable debate among political analysts and scholars. It remains unclear whether this move was a deliberate political manoeuvre or a de facto boycott, especially given the challenges the party faced following its resounding defeat in the May 2025 parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was low for multiple reasons, marking the lowest level since the beginning of Albania’s democratic transition. In this context, these partial elections serve as a barometer for the dynamics of the balance of power, highlighting the need for new opposition political strategies, stronger institutional trust, and increased citizen participation as prerequisites for sustainable democratization.
Ervis Iljazaj
Ervis Iljazaj is a political scientist and lecturer in political science at the European University of Tirana. He holds a PhD in political sciences from La Sapienza University. His research and commentary focus on Albanian politics, electoral behaviour, and democratic governance. He is an active media analyst, offering regular contributions to Top Channel and Euronews Albania.
Anjeza Xhaferaj
Anjeza Xhaferaj is a lecturer at the European University of Tirana. She holds a PhD in Political Theory and her research and teaching focus on political parties and party systems, electoral systems, and memory politics and communist studies.
Ervis Iljazaj