Who would citizens and politicians in Kosovo like to see leading the new government in Tirana?

In Sunday’s elections in Albania, Edi Rama and the Socialist Party will seek votes to form their fourth consecutive government, while the Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha is confident that Rama is counting down his final days in office. Interviewees for Kosovo Online offered differing views on whom citizens and politicians from Kosovo would prefer to see as Albania’s next prime minister. Some believe Rama enjoys more support, while others hope for a change in power. However, they all agree that Tirana’s policy toward Pristina is unlikely to change regardless of the election outcome.

Written by: Dusica Radeka Djordjevic

Albanian citizens will vote on Sunday to elect 140 members of parliament, and according to Edi Rama’s projections, his party could win between 77 and 88 seats. Sali Berisha has dismissed Rama’s forecast as “completely ridiculous.”

Throughout the official campaign, which began a month ago, the two main political rivals have largely avoided discussing Kosovo. For the Socialists, Albania’s EU integration has been the main focus, while the opposition has concentrated on economic and social issues and criticism of the government.

Blerim Canaj, a university professor in Pristina and former diplomat, says Kosovo has not been a major topic for parties in Albania because they are more focused on domestic issues and do not interfere much in Kosovo’s internal politics.

In his view, the outcome of the May 11 election is not of great importance for Kosovo, although he is convinced the Socialists and Edi Rama will prevail.

“Albania’s policy towards Kosovo is consistent and will not change. I believe Edi Rama has more support in Kosovo, but in terms of cooperation, all politicians work together, regardless of which party or politician is in power. We know Kurti and Rama have had issues, but all other politicians cooperate with one another,” Canaj told Kosovo Online.

Gert Selenica, news editor at RTA 1 in Tirana, believes that whoever is in power in Albania will undoubtedly influence Kosovo, though this influence stems more from personal relations between leaders than from political platforms.

He suggests that for Kosovo’s government, led by Albin Kurti, a victory by the Democratic Party or the opposition might be preferable.

“I get the impression it would be the same as asking Edi Rama whose victory he would prefer in Kosovo. There’s a perception of a chill in his personal relationship with Mr. Kurti. However, this hasn’t affected institutional cooperation, joint government meetings, parliamentary cooperation, or the signing of agreements. Let’s not forget that under Rama’s leadership, several joint government sessions between Albania and Kosovo were held, during which important decisions were made for citizens and especially for entrepreneurs,” Selenica told Kosovo Online.

He highlights that former Prime Minister Sali Berisha is perceived as more popular than Rama in Kosovo, but emphasizes that this is just public perception.

“In every meeting Edi Rama had, even within the Western Balkans, he strongly advocated for Kosovo and urged all countries that haven’t recognized it to do so as soon as possible. He also encouraged Kosovo to align with EU policies and urged Brussels to pay special attention to Kosovo and the steps Pristina must take toward EU integration. Rama did this both when Kosovo officials were present and when they were not. He has said on several occasions that it would be easier for Kosovo and Albania to be two countries under the same EU ‘roof’ than to unite into a single state. So, despite the perception, I think Rama’s government—and he personally as prime minister—has been very close to the Kosovo government and the process of state-building,” Selenica assessed.

Regarding the Albanian election campaign, he noted that Kosovo was not sufficiently involved in political debates, as the campaign was marked by tense rhetoric and focused on personal dynamics between leaders.

“However, Mr. Berisha did promise at his rallies to cancel the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative. Kosovo was mentioned only marginally in Rama’s speeches, but we should not forget that in discussing EU membership by 2030, he emphasized his strong desire for Albania to bring Kosovo along, positioning Tirana as the locomotive of the process,” Selenica explained.

According to Milos Pavkovic from the Center for European Policy in Belgrade, public opinion in Kosovo may lean toward a change in government in Albania. Still, he stresses that there is a standard framework of friendly relations between Kosovo and Albania, regardless of who is in power. Personal disagreements can arise depending on who leads in Tirana and Pristina.

“I think Kosovo is not a major issue in Albania, while Kosovo Albanians tend to follow developments in Albania more closely. Edi Rama’s relationship with Kosovo has been a mixed bag—sometimes warm, sometimes cold. There have been many ups and downs. Tirana has sent numerous rebukes to Pristina, and joint government sessions, which were once standard, have even been canceled,” Pavkovic told Kosovo Online.

He adds that the main issues in Albania’s campaign have been domestic affairs and EU integration, while Kosovo, although occasionally mentioned, has remained somewhat on the sidelines.

“It was not a central topic of the campaign this time, nor in previous campaigns, and has largely been set aside,” Pavkovic concluded.

Toward the end of the campaign, Edi Rama stated that three consecutive terms have not worn out the Socialist Party, and he believes that Albania’s EU membership can only be achieved under continued Socialist rule. On the other hand, Sali Berisha told voters that Albania’s path to the EU would once again be in the hands of the Democrats.