Albanian embassy in Greece announces extended postal hours amid voting material delivery issues
Photo: Luela Hajdaraga, the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Greece, and Lefteris Samaras, the General Manager of DHL Express Greece.
The Albanian Embassy in Greece has announced extended working hours at specific DHL offices in Athens and Piraeus, following numerous complaints about delays in the delivery of election envelopes to voters abroad — particularly in Greece.
Why this is important: As Albania approaches its May 11 parliamentary elections, the integrity of the diaspora voting process has come under question. According to official data, while over 68,000 envelopes were sent to Greece (27.8% of all mailed), fewer than 8,000 (3.2%) had reached the Central Election Commission (CEC) by April 30. Concerns over the effectiveness of the postal service and the safeguarding of voter identity have prompted political reactions from both major parties.
Context: Starting April 30, DHL branches in Athens and Piraeus will be open from 09:00 to 18:00 to facilitate the timely receipt and return of ballots. This follows widespread reports of voters failing to receive their voting packages, or receiving them through unofficial intermediaries.
The Democratic Party has alleged that in several cases, envelopes were not handed directly to voters, but collected by third parties without proper identification or signatures. Specific incidents were cited in Greece, where entire batches of envelopes were reportedly taken on behalf of political entities.
The Socialist Party also raised concerns, reporting that in both Greece and Italy, DHL had not followed standard protocol and failed to deliver complete voting packages — some of which arrived without ballots.
What’s next: With approximately 30,000 envelopes still undelivered, the CEC is urging faster action. Officials stress that distribution must be completed in time for voters to return their ballots before the legal deadline. The outcome of this logistical challenge may shape the credibility of Albania’s first full-scale experiment with diaspora voting.
Go deeper
Albin Kurti takes first step toward breaking parliamentary deadlock, invites opposition to talks
Published on April 30, 2025
Why this is important: The deadlock has left Kosovo without a functioning parliament or new government since the February 9 elections. Kurti’s outreach to opposition leaders represents a potential turning point in unblocking the political process, though it remains uncertain whether the parties will reach consensus ahead of the next scheduled vote.
Berisha meets former Enlargement Commissioner Hahn, despite history of harsh criticism
Published on April 30, 2025
Why this is important: The meeting is notable not only for its timing—amid an election campaign and growing scrutiny over Berisha’s international lobbying efforts—but also because of Berisha’s past attacks on Hahn. During Hahn’s tenure as EU commissioner, Berisha frequently accused him of favoring Prime Minister Edi Rama and undermining democracy in Albania. The reversal suggests Berisha is now seeking to rebuild bridges in Brussels as part of a broader strategy to gain legitimacy abroad.
Kosovo stuck in political deadlock after eighth failed attempt to elect speaker
Published on April 30, 2025
Why this is important: The prolonged impasse—heading into its ninth attempt to constitute parliament—threatens to paralyze Kosovo’s political institutions and raises the real possibility of new elections. Despite dominating the polls, Kurti’s Vetëvendosje party has failed to gather enough parliamentary support to elect Albulena Haxhiu as Speaker, the first step required for forming a new government.