Albania concludes vote count: Socialists secure historic fourth term as opposition collapses

Nine days after the May 11 elections, Albania officially concluded the vote count — including diaspora ballots — across all districts. The final results show a decisive win for the ruling Socialist Party, which secured 83 of the 140 parliamentary seats. The Democratic Party led by Sali Berisha won only 50. The remaining 7 seats were split among smaller parties: the Social Democratic Party (SDP) took 3, Mundësia won 2, while Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet and Lëvizja Bashkë each earned 1.

Why is this important: After 12 years in power, Albanians have handed Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party a fourth consecutive mandate — a rare feat in European politics. Meanwhile, the opposition under Sali Berisha suffered another sharp blow, shrinking to one of its weakest results ever. Berisha, who is facing trial for corruption and has been declared non grata by both the U.S. and the U.K., now leads a party whose perspective seems increasingly bleak. As Rama put it: “Albanians chose to keep the same government because they want a different opposition.”

Context: The new parliament, Albania’s 11th since 1991, will seat 72 first-time MPs. Most are Socialists: 53 of the 83 mandates were won by newcomers, 46 of whom held safe spots on the party’s electoral lists. The rest secured their place through intense, box-by-box intra-party competition.

In contrast, only 6 of the 50 Democratic Party candidates who won seats did so through individual preference votes. Among them is Jorida Tabaku, the only woman in that group, who returns as an MP for Tirana.

Returns and exits: Tom Doshi returns to parliament as leader of the Social Democratic Party, with two other SDP candidates securing seats. The Party of Opportunity brings back Agron Shehaj and another new deputy in Tirana. The two remaining seats go to first-time MPs from Nisma Shqipëria Bëhet and Lëvizja Bashkë.

Several political veterans failed to secure a seat:

Pandeli Majko, a Socialist MP for 9 terms since 1992, is out.

Ilir Meta, former Prime Minister and President, failed to win a seat through open lists. He is currently imprisoned on corruption and money laundering charges.

42 other outgoing Socialist MPs — some with multiple terms — did not make the new parliamentary group.

On the opposition side, roughly half of current DP MPs will return.

Longest-serving MPs: The most senior MPs in the incoming legislature are from the Democratic Party:

Sali Berisha and Tritan Shehu, both elected in Albania’s first pluralist elections in 1991.

Among Socialists, Erion Braçe will be the longest-serving MP, continuing his legislative role in the new session starting September 9.